AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I held his gaze. “No.”
He swung a second time, this time landing a punch that knocked my nose and mouth so hard, I tasted blood. The pain shot to the roof of my skull, searing and sharp, and I was unable to stifle a groan.
“Dad! No!Stop, stop, pleasestop!” Amelia cried. I had pushed her away when she tried to put her body between her father and me. David would never strike his daughter, but he was out of his senses right now, and I felt an instinct to protect her from any accidental harm from being in the crossfire. She stood off to the side, hands covering her mouth, shaking.
David swung again, and this time I staggered backward against the wall to avoid his blow.
I wasn’t going to fight back. The rage he felt was justified. I had betrayed him, and I deserved it.
All of it.
“Youtraitor,” he spat. “I thought you were myfriend, you piece of shit. All this time you had your filthy paws on mydaughter?”
David charged again, but I moved to the side before he could get his hands on me. Then he turned and vaulted forward, with pure, raw fury burning in his eyes.
I caught his forearms and held him back for a few moments, our strength similarly matched and a stalemate seeming likely. But soon David managed to twist one of my arms, wrenching it until the pain was unbearable, forcing me to release my grip and pull away.
He seized the chance to swing at me again, landing another punch on my jaw that made my ears ring. The next blow was aimed at my stomach, but he missed when I dodged his fist, which slammed hard into the wall instead. He cursed loudly, holding his hand, knuckles split open and starting to bleed.
He was winded now, panting and nearly doubled over. Amelia was sobbing, babbling words of apology, pleading with David to stop, her voice overflowing with pain and heartache.
David rested his hands on his knees, looking down at the floor, chest heaving.
I knew he wanted me out of there. Maybe even Amelia, too. I had to say my piece and then take Amelia away from this place.
“David, I’m sorry. I should have told you. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and I should have trusted you with the truth. I never wanted it to happen like this.” My voice wobbled, the emotion of it all crashing down on me.
He didn’t look up at me. “It never should have happened in the first place,” he growled, his voice low and simmering with anger, but too tired to shout anymore.
“But it did,” I said, shaking my head, taking a deep breath, trying to steady myself so I could speak my truth. “I can’t help who I fall in love with, David. If I could have fallen in love with someone else, I would have. Hell, I never even thought I’d settle down. But I fell for Amelia.” David lifted his head and met my eyes, his expression storm-like and menacing. “I love her, David.”
He didn’t respond. He shook his head and scoffed angrily.
“I love her more than anything. She’s wise and brave and compassionate. She’s a better woman than anyone I’ve ever met.” I wiped the blood trickling down from my nose with my shirtsleeve. “Maybe I should have let her go before things got serious, but I couldn’t. And neither could she. We’ve accepted that, both of us. It was impossible for us not to be together.”
David’s face was dark with bitterness. “Fuck you.”
I exhaled sharply, determined to finish what I had to say. My head was pounding, and my nose and mouth were bleeding by the hand of my best friend, and I had never felt so guilty yet so righteous at the same time.
All for loving Amelia.
“I know you’re angry, and you have every right to be,” I continued, wanting to ensure he knew I wasn’t only seeing this from one side. “I’m angry with myself, too. But Amelia has made me a better man, and I would do anything for her.” I glanced over at Amelia, who was crying softly, and my heart clenched at the look of torment in her eyes. I turned back to David, needing to make sure he knew what she meant to me. That I would fight for her, even if it meant losing his friendship. “You can hate me forever, David, but I’ll never stop loving her. I swear to you, no matter what, that I’ll never abandon your daughter. I’ll never leave her, I’ll always be there for her. I’m going to do right by her, and by our baby.”
David winced.
I let out a heavy breath of relief at telling my friend the truth. He didn’t respond right away, and the only sounds in the room were Amelia’s quiet sobs a few feet away.
“Get out,” he finally said, his words soft, the bile absent from his voice and replaced by something else. Something more vulnerable and fragile.
Sadness.
I shuddered as I inhaled, feeling more affected by the grief and pain in those two simple words than any of the punches David had landed or the insults he had hurled.
I had destroyed his life. I had hurt him beyond repair.
He was in intense pain, and it was my fault.
I stepped back, my eyes welling up as they landed on a frightened and devastated Amelia, sniffling and weeping, looking shell-shocked.
