And she wanted Montgomery Knox. It was superficial, to be sure, but between the smiles and whispers at brunch, it was clear that it was what she wanted. That alone added to its weight. But regardless of how Knightley felt about her choices, she deserved the right to make them without his constant interference.
He had been trying to ignore that fact for too long, but the realization hit him in that hallway as she tried to defend herself. She held up a mirror to him just as he did to her. Jesus, she saw him more clearly than he saw himself. And it was a shoddy reflection.
And maybe that was it. Emma was trying to grow up and he was the one holding her back.
A resolution started forming in his mind. He knew now what he had to do. For him, and for her.
The wind picked up as he reached Third Avenue, and he tightened his coat around his neck. There was a diner on the corner and he headed inside, his skin warming from the heat as he sat down at the counter and ordered a coffee. Then he fished his cell out of his pocket. The phone number was there at the top of his contacts, and he pressed it.
Three rings and then it connected.
“George Knightley,” Will said by way of greeting.
“Hey, Will. How are you?”
“I’m fine.” That was Will’s standard answer, an even tone that made it impossible to tell if he was being sincere or not. “What can I do for you?”
“Are you in the city?”
“No, I’m out in Montauk. Why?”
Knightley raked a hand through his hair. “Because I wanted to talk to you about LA.”
He heard Will release a long sigh on the other end of the phone. “Of course you do.”
CHAPTER 26
Emma woke up early the day after her birthday party. She sat up and an immediate wave of regret washed over her. She looked up at her closed shades. Whatever was waiting for her on the other side—the world, reality in general—wasn’t anything she wanted to face right now.
She had been hiding there since she and her father took a cab from the restaurant back to 83rd Street. Emma went directly to her room and shut her curtains before climbing into bed to watch the light slowly fade from her window. Montgomery sent her a late-night text telling her the party downtown was not worth the trouble and he’d call her tomorrow. She didn’t bother writing back, just turned over and forced herself to sleep. It was not her best birthday.
Unfortunately, the regret was still there in the morning. The light of a new day only made her mistakes more glaring, her embarrassment intensifying the more she replayed her words to Mrs. Pawloski. And then to Knightley. God, what had she been thinking?
It was a low blow to compare him to his father. The one man Knightley never wanted to be. But he had been just as harsh, hadn’the? The awful way he looked at her, the ugly disappointment in his eyes. It felt like they crossed some invisible line yesterday. And now all their hateful words slashed like deep cuts, personal ammunition deployed to hurt and maim. Why had they done that to each other?
She winced and pulled her down comforter over her head.
The plan was to stay in bed again today, but eventually her stomach started growling, so she headed down to scavenge the kitchen for food.
Her father was right where she expected him to be, reading the paper at the island. “Well, well. You’re up early, birthday girl.”
“Morning, but my birthday is over.”
“Did you have a nice time yesterday?”
She nodded, grabbing a mug and pouring a cup of coffee.
“It was a good party.” Her father paused, looking up from theTimesas his brow furrowed. “I did want to say something, though… I couldn’t just let it go…”
“Oh?” she asked, suddenly sure her father was going to reprimand her about what she’d said. She deserved it, too. Knightley often found fault in her actions, but her father rarely did. And now she was going to see that dreaded look of disappointment in his eyes as well. How could she have been so cruel?
“I wanted to say…” He put down his paper and looked her in the eye. “You were right.”
She blinked. “What?”
“You were right, Emma,” he repeated, smiling warmly at his daughter.
“I was?”
