Her father turns his attention to her. “You’re really going to marry him?”
“Why would it be a bad thing? Whatever you may think, even if you choose to ignore the fact that I love him, Ford is Connor’s father, he will always be in our lives.”
“Can’t you see it? Everything is always on his damn timeline. Every decision has been around him, and you fool yourself by saying every decision is for Connor.”
I step forward, ready to defend, because if I believed in fighting then I would strangle him right about now, and the same thought keeps circling back to me, as it has been the last few weeks. I can’t decide if it’s because he is planting theories in her head or if it’s because I believe it.
“What’s the point of coming here? We already heard you back at the hospital,” I inform him.
“I’m concerned for my daughter. She’s been through a lot lately, and your rushed reunion is cause for care.”
Brielle sneers and brings her hands to her hips. “Lately? I’ve been through a lotlately? Why don’t we rewind to when you told us that you would only support me if we agreed that Ford and I couldn’t be together.”
“It was for the best. The statistics on young parents staying together are slim.”
I swipe my hands through my hair as I blow out a tight breath. “If you care to disrespect us, then please get off my damn property.”
“Exactly,yourproperty. You dangle a reunion in front of my daughter, after you build a house that she had no say in, in a place where maybe she doesn’t even want to live. You set the parameters for all of her decisions going forward.”
“What? As opposed to you and the first years of Connor’s life? I’d sell it all if she wants, but look around, and then maybe you’ll see that I’ve only ever had her on my mind. This is her house because I built it with her in my thoughts, down to the bench swing that I know she loves.”
Jim searches Brielle’s face, but he struggles as she lowered her head. “I’m your father. I’ll give you advice whether you want it or not, and I’m going to say that I think you need to slow down because you or Connor don’t want to get hurt if you realize that the relationship you had in your head isn’t what you dreamed about when you were eighteen.”
“You need to go,” I snipe.
Brielle has gone quiet, and I can tell she wants to burst into tears.
“Is that what you want, sweetie?” he has the audacity to ask her.
“I think it’s for the best,” she sniffles.
I grab his arm to lead him away, but he yanks it back, ignoring me. “I do love you, Brielle. Remember, your mother and I supported you and Connor, always have and will.”
“You may have been there at the start when we were confused,” I snap. “The moment I could, I provided for her. Through the years, you and I, we’ve managed to be respectful. Thanks for ruining that streak,” I say, sarcastic.
“We all know that we will do anything for Connor. Make no mistake, Ford, the moment you moved in on Brielle again, I was reminded of what you will always be.”
“And what’s that?”
“You’ll always be the guy who got my barely eighteen-year-old pregnant who then put her life on hold while you got your hockey dreams.”
“Enough!” Brielle holds her palm up, and she’s now over the edge of calm. “Get out, please,” she begs.
A stiff moment of silence overcomes us before Jim gets a clue and nods goodbye to his daughter.
He disappears around the house, and I turn to look at Brielle who has a red face, tears streaming.
Instantly, I pull her into a hug with her face buried into my chest. “I’m so sorry.”
She sobs for a good minute or two, until the moment she pulls away and peers up to me. “I don’t know what is worse right now. Everyone looking at me with pity or feeling like I should check that I’m not blinded by lust and missing a clue.”
“No. Donotdo that. Don’t let him get to you,” I urge with extreme worry and fear.
She doesn’t answer.
We’ve had distance between us before, but it’s a thousand times worse when I’m literally holding her in my arms. She’s the person who made me believe that all the hope we’ve both carried was for a reason, because us together could finally be within our grasp.
21
