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I take a deep breath, shaking my head. “No, Dad. I’m not going to do that. This is my decision. I’ve made up my mind and I’m not going to change it. I know you might think that this is wrong, but nothing has ever felt so right to me. We’re happy, and your opinion on the matter won’t change things.”
“So suddenly you care more about what my neighbor thinks than your own father? Elle, have you gone mad? You’re not talking any sense, here. Surely you can see that?”
“I’m talking perfect sense. We have a connection that I’ve never felt with anyone before. It’s so strong that I know it’ll never break. I know you don’t want me making the same mistakes that you and mom made but this is different. We never want to be apart. We’re certain about that.”
Dad shakes his head, fury in his eyes. “No. This is ridiculous. I can’t believe you’re trying to convince me otherwise. I always thought you had a level head on your shoulders, but this proves otherwise. I’m very unhappy about this, Elle. Very unhappy.”
“Can’t you just listen for one minute?”
“I’m done listening to this,” Dad snarls, standing up with flames in his eyes. “I want to speak to Will. Man to man.”
Before I can protest or try and stop him, he storms out of the apartment and bangs hard on Will’s door. I rush after him, pleading with him to slow down, but he’s on a warpath now. I know before it even happens that there’s a fight coming between the two of them.
And there can only be one winner.
Chapter Sixteen
Will
I knew all along that it would end this way. I knew that Steve would want to have it out with me face to face. I let Elle do it her way because I didn’t want to tell her that this would be the outcome, but now he’s banging on my door, scaring the dog, and I know I have to face up to the mess he’s about to create. I clench my fists at my side, preparing myself. He’s going to try and ruin a good thing and I’m not going to let him. He’s going to try and keep me and Elle apart, but if I have to fight him for her, then so be it. And it’s a fight I’m not willing to lose.
I head to the door and open it, standing my ground. With a deep glare on his face, Steve stands there shaking with anger, a snarl forming on his lips.
“You,” he growls. “You’ve ruined my daughter, feeding her a bunch of lies and pretending that it’s love. Why the hell would you do this?”
“They’re not lies,” I growl back. “I love her. And if you were only willing to listen to what she has to say, then maybe you’d understand. You haven’t even given us a chance to talk about it.”
“I don’t want to talk. I want to hurt you for what you’ve done. You’ve corrupted her, she’s too young for this. She doesn’t know what she’s doing,” he says, practically bellowing now.
“You don’t give your daughter enough credit. She’s plenty mature and knows exactly what she wants. And so do I. I want her and nothing else,” I tell him firmly. Steve steps forward until we’re practically nose to nose. If he’s trying to intimidate me he’s going to have to try harder. Of the two of us, it’s clear who would win in a fight, and it’s not him.
“This should never have happened. It’s sick,” Steve snarls. “There are twenty years between you. She’s young enough to be your daughter. What the hell were you thinking? Why would you do this?”
“Because she’s mine,” I snarl protectively. “She’s been mine since the moment I laid eyes on her. I love her, and I’ll always be here to protect her. You might not like it, but you’re just going to have to get used to it because I’m never giving her up. Not now. Not when we’re already starting a new life together.”
“It’s true,” Elle whispers from behind her father. “We’ve already made plans to move in together. And…and we have a baby on the way.”
I watch Steve’s face change from anger to shock, then back to anger again. “What did you just say?”
Elle looks terrified. She should never have dropped that bombshell. Steve can’t handle it. But she’s so desperate, to be honest, and I can’t help loving her for that. She’s a better person than I’ll ever be.
She swallows.
“Yes, Dad. I’m sorry you had to find out like this, but we’re expecting a child together. And we couldn’t be happier about it. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“And me,” I chime in. “Don’t ruin this for her, Steve. Take a minute and consider what you’re trying to destroy by fighting with us on this. We know what we want. We’re happy. Why can’t you just accept that and give us your blessing? I understand that this is fast and that you might need some time to get used to this but don’t shut us down completely before we’ve proved to you that we are in for the long haul. These are our choices, our lives. It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.”
