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“Why did you simply decide to move away? Refused to take my calls?”
When he shoots me a direct look, I find myself standing taller. Those eyes, icy gray and riveted on mine.
“Did you think I’d just sit back and take that?” He leans forward and picks up his phone to ring Alice, who sits merely six feet away from him. The young woman is beside me in an instant, her body radiating waves of nerves and a little bit of fear. Father picks up a single file on his desk and hands it over to her without words spoken.
The woman grabs the file with both hands, almost showing a little courtesy as she does so. I would have laughed if I wasn't also furious.
“Give this to the gentlemen who just stepped out of here.” His eyes shine as he leans forward,. “Ensure that they sign it, Alice.”
“Of course, Mr. Bridges,” Alice says, her voice shockingly calm.
“You enjoy watching people doing your bid, don't you?”
“Oh, are we discussing my assistant now?” Father wonders as he picks up a pen and starts going through a few documents.
“But why would you?” I persist, needing to know what the hell he wants from me.
Had I not done a good job of staying out of his way? Minding my business?
“Why would I not?” he throws back.
I drop into the seat in front of him and slouch, looking up at the ceiling in absolute despair. It's all I can do to keep from ripping my hair off.
“It was to get your attention, my boy. You happened to have forgotten the importance of family and needed a little reminding.”
“So, you decided to reach out to me by destroying months of hard work?” I gape.
"Destroy is a strong word, don't you think so? I was only keeping tabs on you and on how well that app of yours was progressing.” He looks directly at me.
“Sabotaging my app on launch day isnot‘keeping tabs’, Father.”
His eyes are on me and I catch the flicker of surprise. “What are you talking about, son? All I paid him to do was give me weekly reports. I needed to know how you were doing and when to swoop in to get you to see reason. I never asked anyone to sabotage anything.” His eyes are as close to tender as I’ve seen in years. “I might think you need me on your side, son. That we need each other because, no matter the decisions you've made and the direction you want your life to go, we are still a family. And I don't want to ever not be that to you. So, because of that, I always want you close and I would never openly hurt you like that,” he says, eyes shockingly soft.
I gulp.
“I wish you'd taken this route, instead of acting as you were lately. All I ever wanted to do was be a family with you guys, Dad, but I don’t want to live the life you are living now and I don’t want to be in your shadow. I need to shine on my own. That doesn’t mean I’m less part of this family. It just means I’m a person on my own right too.”
My father shakes his head at me. “Why can’t we act more like we are family?”
“You have been very, very controlling, and I'd like for you to respect the fact that, like you, I want to pave my own way. I want to make my own decisions. I want you to respect me and celebrate these little achievements with me. That's the essence of family.”
Father, who'd been studying me, doesn't say anything for a long time. And when he continues to watch me, I find myself squirming a little.
Damn this imposing old man!
“I think I can manage to stay out of your personal affairs,” he reveals. “But I draw a line when it comes to—"
“Add the Potters' daughter to that list,” I blurt out, seemingly as shocked as he is at my sudden outburst.
“The Potters' young daughter?” he asks, lips upturned in what can only be described as a smirk. “Is she helping keep your bed warm now?”
“It's more than that,” I admit, regretting how I'd been so quick to cast blame. I should have dug deeper, should have believed her. Shaking my head at myself, I can’t help but wonder if she will ever forgive me.
“Oh, you're thinking of making her a Bridges?” Father questions, his smirk completely gone.
“Might not be so soon, but I care about her.”
“Well,” Father says as he strokes one of the fountain pens in his stationery. “I guess not interfering means letting you choose who you want to mingle with.”
