“No, I’m good,” he admitted. “Have you heard from your dad?” he asked.
“Not yet, but I’m sure that he’ll call any minute now. My father believes in punctuality, and he’s determined to see this through,” she said, sinking onto the sofa. Elias sat down next to her and took her hand into his.
“We’ll find a way to figure this all out,” he assured. She wanted to laugh at just how unbelievable that sounded at the moment. Here she was, waiting for her father to call her to make an impossible decision—one that she shouldn’t have to make at all. Getting through any of this and figuring things out seemed like a pipe dream at the moment. Yet, having Elias sitting next to her, holding her hand, gave her more strength than she imagined it would.
They hadn’t been sitting long when her phone rang. “It’s my dad,” she said, holding up the phone for him to see the screen as though needing to prove that she was telling him the truth.
“You’ve got this,” he breathed, squeezing her hand. “I’m right here.” Aliza’s stomach twisted. Elias met her gaze and smiled, giving her the comfort that she needed. What was it about this man that he could comfort her with just one look?
She nodded and put the call on speaker. “Hello.”
“Have you made up your mind?” her father demanded.
“What, no hello or anything, Dad?” she taunted.
“This problem has already consumed most of my day, Aliza, and I’m a very busy man. So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to cut to the chase here. Have you made up your mind?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, forcing her voice not to shake. “I have.”
“Well?” he snapped. “Get on with it then.”
“I’m not breaking things off with Elias,” she breathed, chancing a look at him. He nodded and smiled, rubbing her hand with his thumb. She couldn’t help herself as she scootched closer to him. She was practically sitting on his lap as he wrapped a protective arm around her. She felt right there, asthough she had made the correct decision and the universe was confirming it.
Silence exploded through the line, followed by her father’s rage. “You’re making a mistake,” he barked. “That man is manipulating you.”
“That’s not true,” she said, surprising herself with how steady she sounded. “You’re the one manipulating me, Dad.” There was a pause, and for a split second, she thought that her father had ended the call.
“Is he there with you now?” her father asked.
Aliza met Elias’s eyes again. “He is,” she admitted.
A low, dangerous laugh came through the phone. “Put him on the phone.”
Elias leaned forward and took the phone gently from her hand. “Mr. Becker, this is Elias Kingston.”
“How dare you insert yourself into my daughter’s life?” her father snapped. “You have no right?—”
“I have every right to be here,” Elias said calmly. “Because I care about her.”
“You haven’t known her long enough to care about her. You’re taking advantage of her,” he shot back. “She’s young and impressionable.”
“She’s an adult,” Elias cut in. “And she’s intelligent. She knows what she’s doing. You just don’t like that you’re not the one making decisions for her anymore.”
“Stay out of this,” her father growled.
Elias didn’t flinch. “You don’t get to threaten her future to get your way. I’m not going anywhere, and I will make sure that Aliza finishes getting her graduate degree—one way or another, because it’s important to her, and she’s important to me.” Aliza watched him, her heart swelling and aching all at once.
“You think I won’t cut her off?” her father sneered. “I will.”
“That’s your choice,” Elias replied. “But it won’t make her decision wrong. It’ll just prove that you care more about controlling Aliza than you do about her.” The silence on the line was heavy, and Aliza held her breath.
“You’re throwing your life away, Aliza,” her father said finally.
“No,” she said quietly. “I’m taking it back.” That was all it took. This time, her father ended the call, and she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or worried that it was only the beginning of her fight with him. He wasn’t a man who liked to lose, and that phone call was definitely a loss for her father.
Her hands were shaking when Elias handed her the phone. “You okay?” he asked.
She nodded, though tears burned her eyes. “I think so,” she lied. Elias wrapped his arms around her again, firm and protective. She pressed her face into his chest, breathing him in like an anchor.
