“Ok. But I want to talk to you about New York,” He tells me. “So, come and get me when you’re done. Say about an hour?”
“Okay?” I guess. “I’ll meet you in an hour. But what about New York?” I ask.
“Come with me?” He smiles like a little boy as he asks me. I nod. My heart pangs for a little boy with sandy brown hair and golden hazel eyes. A little boy that steals my heart every day by giving me his dad’s goofy, crooked smile. Too bad that’s just a dream.
It’s just past forty minutes since Cody left me with promises of New York and his Hall of Fame induction. That’s a big deal. I would need a nice dress and I would probably throw up being judged by all those people. But I’m so excited. I can show him all the places I loved growing up. I am practically skipping down the hall to the sports offices. But just outside the door, I hear heated words being exchanged.
“Do you really think you should marry her?” The Mayor asks.
“I really think it’s none of your business,” Cody shoots back.
“I get it,” he placates. “It was fake yesterday, but that jackass is gone now. Why does she still have a ring on her finger?”
“How about because I love her and I’m going to tell her it’s always been real for me,” Cody shoots back and all I can think about is he loves me. Cody loves me!!!
“Love,” the Mayor sneers. “Do you really think love will keep you happy for the rest of your lives? Do you really think love earns you the right to marry my daughter?” Hold up. What?
“That’s rich seeing as you’ve been hidden in the shadows her whole fucking life,” Cody shoots back.
“Oh, and you think she’s going to keep on loving you when she finds out you knew the deep dark family secrets the whole fucking time. Stay away from her. Let her go back to New York and stay there where she belongs,” he thunders. I hear footsteps but I am too stunned to move. The door swings open and there is the Mayor in the door way, behind him is a shell shocked Cody.
“Angel, it’s not what you think,” he says walking towards me.
“Stop,” I shout. “Is it true?” I asked them, lowering my voice to just above a whisper.
“Yes,” Cody says softly. “But I wanted to tell you.”
“That doesn’t matter!” I scream. “You lied.”
“I didn’t lie. I just didn’t tell you.”
“A lie of omission is still a lie,” I say firmly.
“I told him not to tell you,” the Mayor tells me.
“Was I just not good enough?” I ask him before holding up a hand. “Wait. I don’t want to know. As far as I’m concerned. You’re getting your wish. I’m going home and I never want to hear from either of you again. I will not ever beg for the affections of any man be it my lover or my father,” I shrug off their excuses and wasted breaths.
“Angel,” But I was already gone. I’d turned on my heel and was walking as purposefully as I could with my head held high. I almost didn’t flinch when I heard Cody scream out one last time. “Angel!!” But like I said, I was already gone.
