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She wouldn’t think the words.
Her father was nothing like Donald, and she wasn’t a gold digger or a whore or anything else. Those were all lies. She was deeply in love with her fiancé and the father of her children. He’d have to deal with that, have to understand all of that, too. Or, as much as she loved her father, he could no longer be in her life.
Finally, the key turned in the lock, and she snapped her attention to the door. Her father entered soon, his arms loaded down with paper bags. She could already smell the garlic and fish sauce from the food he’d ordered. Scrambling over to him, she picked up one of the two sacks and helped him settle it in the kitchen. Jessica busied herself by unpacking everything, then set it out on plates. Her father chattered on in the background about a few accounting things he had to do with his side clients, mostly focusing on things that happened outside of the production studio’s itinerary.
How odd.
It was almost as if he were deliberately trying to ignore Brent at all and anything they shared in common.
Sighing and steeling up her courage, Jessica looked up at her father. “Dad, we need to talk.”
“I assumed that was why you were getting food with your old dad. You’re usually so busy with Ashley and Dana or babysitting for Cara… All summer I’ve felt like I’ve barely seen you.”
She blushed and looked down at her hands. For today, she’d removed the ring so she could ease her father into everything. But it felt like it should be there, like it should be heavy on her fingers. Just… So much in her life had changed in four months, and she hadn’t even brought her father with her. They’d been everything to each other, and she’d lied to him for so long.
When did things fall apart so hard?
God, was this what her mother felt like, once upon a time?
Wait, considering she, too, was involved in a secret love affair. It was probably a lot of what her mom felt. Who knew she’d ever appreciate her mother on so many levels now or, well, at least understand her.
“I know, Dad. I’m sorry. I promise to try and be available more. In fact, I have a lot going on, and I really want you to be a part of it.”
Her father sighed and sat down heavily in a chair at the breakfast bar. Concerned green eyes met her own. “I know you’ve been seeing Brent. I saw some of the paparazzi pictures leaked from the event. I just… Baby, he’s so much older than you. How could you want that? Was he pressuring you?”
“No, Dad!” she shouted. Then, taking a deep breath, Jessica re-centered herself. Getting upset was the wrong way to start this out. “Daddy, I’m twenty-one, not twelve. Besides, everything that Brent and I have done together, I’ve wanted. He let me set the pace, and I care so much about him.” She swallowed hard and tried to ignore the swarm of butterflies batting around in her stomach. Then, she pulled her engagement ring from her pocket. “In fact, things are going to get a lot more serious and even deeper.”
“You’ve only been with him for a few months tops.”
“A little over four, actually. Everything started so fast after I began working for him.” She slipped the ring over her finger. It wasn’t easy, considering how slicked with sweat her hands were, but she managed. “Daddy, there’s more.”
“How much more can there be? I’m a terrible partner who let his so-called close friend and business partner seduce his barely legal daughter.”
“I’m almost through college!”
“And he’s twice your age, more than that. He could be your father, and you don’t even try and tap dance on the rest.”
“True, but I’m not some naïve little girl who was seduced by the big, bad movie producer. I wanted to love him. I fell for him, Dad.” She shook her head and let her hand stray to her belly. “I’m carrying his children.”
Her father’s skin went pale. Ashen even. He shook his head even as he looked at her mostly flat stomach. She hadn’t gained a lot of weight yet but what she’d thought of as ten to fifteen pounds gained from eating out too much over the summer was clearly the growing twins instead. “You can’t be. That bastard, I’ll kill him.” He hopped up from the stool and slammed his hands, palms down, on the granite. The sound was loud enough to make her flinch.
“Daddy, I love Brent, and I love the twins. Even Cara’s thrilled about this. Why can’t you be?”
“I can’t be because I feel like I’ve failed you, Jess. I was supposed to protect you. What about college? Hell, remember just five months ago when you were crushed about the San Diego Zoo internship? Now what will you do with your life?”
