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“Let’s do this,” I told him, rushing toward the door. My two-minute time limit was over long ago.
“Hey, wait.” He grabbed my face. “Breathe. It’s going to be okay.”
I inhaled a deep breath and blew it out. “Right. There’s nothing to worry about.” I just wished my stomach believed it.
Dad was pacing when we entered the living room, holding hands. I needed Axel’s strength. He gave me courage.
My father’s eyes narrowed as he took us in. “You’re mother is going to have a coronary.”
“Lovely.” I rolled my eyes. “May I ask why you’re here?”
“I’m here about your stalker. York informed me they got him, and he’s been dealt with. Foolish me thought you might be rattled, since you knew him. For Christ’s sake, he was your personal trainer’s… significant other.” He noticeably shuddered. “It seems I was quite wrong.”
“They got him?” I turned to Axel, who already had his phone in his hand.
“York had texted after one in the morning. They got him.” Axel confirmed my father’s statement.
“What happens to Cooper now?”
“Not for us to worry about. York is handling it. I just wanted to be sure you were okay.”
“Thank you, Dad. I’m okay.”
“I see that you are. I don’t like this. After everything with the breach and Axel hiding vital information from York, how can you be with him? You’re too different. I thought you hated him.”
Leave it to my father to just word-vomit his every thought.
“I never hated Axel. Yes, he angered me. But I love him.” I squeezed Axel’s hand and smiled at him.
“Excuse me? I don’t approve, Simone. Your mother will not condone this.”
“That’s fine, Dad. I’m a grown woman. I get to choose who I love. And I love Axel.”
We stared at each other, neither backing down.
“And for the record, Grams would have loved Axel too.”
He waved me off like I was insane. “Grams took in all the stray cats. Of course she would have loved him. You always were like her.”
“God, you are awful. And thank you for paying me the greatest compliment I could ever receive. Grams was a billion times a better person than you, Dad. Please leave.”
“How dare you. Is this the person you are withhim?”
“No, Dad. This is who I’ve always been. If you’d taken a minute out of your busy day to see me, you’d know it.”
“If you continue seeing him, I’ll revoke your inheritance.”
“Of course you will. It’s good to know money means more to you than your own daughter’s happiness. I’m done letting you control me. I love him, and if you can’t handle it, then this is the last conversation we’ll ever have. Give Mom my love. I wish you both… a wonderful life.”
I turned on my heel and went to my bedroom before I fell apart in front of my father. I wouldn’t give him the pleasure of seeing me broken.
Axel
I crossed my arms over my chest and bit down on my molars. I could rip this snotty, arrogant man to shreds with my bare hands for hurting my girl.
“You can leave now.”
He cut his eyes to mine after watching Simone walk away. My guess was, he knew he’d pushed her too far and was afraid of losing her forever. The son of a bitch didn’t deserve having such a remarkable woman for a daughter. I’d be glad if she never saw her parents again, but I knew it would break her heart. After I left, she would need her parents. She would need all the love and support she could get.
