Page 133 of Worth the Risk

He pinches the bridge of his nose as he tries to process what I’m telling him. That his daughter wants to leave her beloved city and stay in the suburbs. Willingly. The same place she stomped her feet at when she was told she had to go there.

“May I ask why?”

Because he’s worth the risk.

“Because I learned a lot about myself when I worked there, and I think there’s a lot more for me to improve.”

“I see.”

And because I like the woman Grayson makes me want to be when I’m with him.

Me: Text me when you get to town. We need to talk.

I hit send and then realize what a dick I sound like, but I can’t take it back.

Fuck. Can I do anything right?

All I have to do is tell her that she’s my choice. That I choose her.

It’s only been seven days, and I’m going fucking crazy without her. Seven days of waking up and repeating the steps without any color in my life.

I scrub a hand over my face as I stare at the screen and wait for a response. Any response. Something to let me know that she knows that her leaving was a mistake. Something to let me know she’ll be at the party tonight and that this—she and I—is somehow still on her mind. Is something she still wants.

Only, she doesn’t respond.

She doesn’t text back.

I end up sitting with my phone in my hand while Luke plays on the PS4, and I try to figure out how to fix something I broke.

How to prove to her that it won’t happen again.

“Dad! Someone’s at the door!”

“Who is it?” I ask as I jog down the stairs, less than thrilled at the high school and its never-ending fundraisers these days. We’ve already had two teenagers today selling mixed bags (whatever those are) and candy.

“Some old guy,” Luke says, and I stop in my tracks.

“That’s not nice.” The reprimand is instantaneous, but fear flickers through me just as quickly.

It’s the attention from the contest. He’s come back as a representative for Claire. He wants to see Luke.

“Dad? You okay?” Luke’s face is a mask of confusion as he stares at me.

“Yeah. I’m fine. I need you to go upstairs and play for a minute.”

“Dad?” Brown eyes narrow and question.

“Just do what I say,” I grit out and jab my finger to the stairs.

Feelings hurt, Luke eyes me again and trudges toward the stairs as every part of me wars against opening the door. It’s finally happening.

They finally came back for him.

My pulse rages in my ears.

Over my dead body.

Once Luke clears the landing so I can’t see him, I take a deep breath and steel myself for what I’ve always known I’d have to face someday, despite everyone telling me it would never happen.