She sounded so worried that the word seemed to tilt off-axis for just a second. “Your dad?”
“Yes. He wants my answer. He said I have until tonight,” she breathed.
Elias closed his eyes, breathing through the surge of anger and helplessness that rushed through him. “That’s not fair.”
“He says I’m embarrassing him. That I’m throwing away everything he’s paid for, so he won’t give me any extra time.” He didn’t say it out loud, but he wanted to pummel her father for treating her this way—and he didn’t even know the guy. Hell, he barely knew Aliza, but caring about her was easy. He wanted to help her as much as he wanted to be with her, and that said a lot about how he felt about her—even after just two dates.
“You’re not throwing anything away,” Elias said firmly. “You’re just trying to live your own life.”
“I feel like I’m betraying him,” she said softly.
“And I feel like he’s betraying you,” Elias replied. “I don’t have any kids yet, but I’m pretty sure that a parent shouldn’t put their child in a position like this.” She didn’t answer right away. He could hear her breathing on the line, shallow and uneven.
“What do you want, Aliza?” he asked gently. “Don’t tell me what he wants, or what you think you owe him. What do you want?”
There was a long silence again. Then, quietly, “I want to keep seeing you. I don’t want to walk away just because my father has scared me.”
Something fierce and steady locked into place inside Elias. “Then that’s your truth.”
“But my school—” she started to protest.
“We’ll figure it out,” he interrupted softly. “Loans, grants, work studies—there are options. Hard ones, sure, but you don’t have to give up yourself to keep someone else happy.”
Her voice wavered. “I’m terrified,” she admitted.
“I know,” he said. “But you don’t have to do this alone.” Another silence, thick with emotion, followed.
“Can you come over tonight?” she asked. “I don’t want to face him by myself.”
“Yes,” Elias said immediately. “I’ll be there at five, after work. I just need to run home, shower, and feed my cat.”
“You have a cat?” she asked. “How did I not know this about you?”
“Well, he’s kind of my cat. He just wandered into my house one day, and never left,” he admitted. “He adopted me, not the other way around.”
“What’s his name?” she asked.
“Cat,” he drawled.
“Well, I’m sure it suits him,” she teased. “I’d love to meet him.” He thought about taking her back to his place, and his heart did another little flip-flop in his chest. The idea of having her in his space was something that he actually liked.
“I’ll see you just after five,” he said. “I need to run. I have a patient waiting,” he said.
“Thanks, Elias, for everything,” Aliza said. When the call ended, Elias leaned back against the stairwell wall, his heart pounding. This wasn’t just about a relationship anymore. This was about a woman learning how to choose herself for the first time—and he was damn sure he wasn’t going to abandon her in the middle of that fight. No, instead, he’d be standing by her side as she faced down her father—and he’d be holding her damn hand.
Aliza
Aliza paced her living room until the carpet felt worn thin beneath her bare feet. Her phone sat on the coffee table, taunting her to look at it. Her father hadn’t called back yet, but she knew he would. He never made a threat he didn’t intend to follow through on.
A knock sounded at her door, and her heart leapt into her throat. She hurried to open it and found Elias standing on the other side. His jacket was off, his sleeves were rolled up, and concern was written all over his face. Relief hit her so hard when she saw him that her knees almost buckled.
“Hey,” he said softly. She stepped aside and let him in, trying to keep her composure. She closed the door behind him like she was sealing off the world.
“Thank you for coming,” she whispered.
“Always,” he breathed. He didn’t touch her right away. He didn’t seem to want to overwhelm her, but his presence was steady and grounding. It was exactly what she needed.
“Can I get you something to drink or anything?” she asked.
