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Millie let out a little sigh.
Feel the fear, then do it anyway.
“There’s something else I have to say.”
“Chuck?” her father said.
“I… I love him.”
She heard Chuck’s breath catch in his throat from the edge of the room.
“Of course you do. He’s a good man. I’ve known that for years. There’s no one I’d be happier to see you with.”
“Y-you love me?” Chuck’s voice was low, shocked.
“You know I do.” Millie turned to him.
“Mill,” said Chuck, “I never thought I’d be saying this to you for the first time in front of your father, but… I love you too.”
She felt something butterflies thumping around her chest.
To her surprise, her dad let out a laugh. “You know,” he said, “when I saw Charles bending down to kiss those vomit-encrusted lips of yours, I figured he might care for you quite a bit.”
Millie laughed, too, and so did Chuck.
“I presume,” her father said, “that you’ll be wanting to stay here?” There was a note of sadness in his voice.
“I will,” Millie said, squeezing his hand. “But you can visit.”
“And I will. I may not be into… Little Girls. And Daddy… Dominics, but I can appreciate a well-stocked bar. And a beautiful ranch. What’s so funny?”
“Daddy Dominics.”
“Stop teasing! I have a lot to learn. Anyway, the point is, I’ve been thinking about making some investments over here for a while. I might just have to have a word with Takis.”
“Mr. Reynolds,” Chuck said, “I swear to you that your daughter will be well looked after here. No harm will come to her, and I intend to do everything within my power to make her the happiest woman on the planet.”
“I know you will,” Boris said. “But the fact is, Millie is her own woman. I appreciate your promises, but she’s the one you have to convince.”
Millie beamed. “I’m convinced.”
And as she hugged them — both of them — a new feeling took root in Millie’s heart. A big feeling, like she was being set free. It was at that moment that she knew, deep, down in her bones — no, deeper than that, in a place deeper than her body, deeper than her mind, in her most essential part, her soul, that she knew she didn’t need alcohol, she didn’t need to run, she had no fear. All she was and all she ever would be was love, acceptance, and courage.
That was the purpose she’d been searching for, ever since she fell from Wizard.
Happiness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THREE WEEKS LATER
Ofcourse,theweatherwas perfect on the day of the launch party. Millie had woken up that morning with a feeling of incandescent excitement in her chest. This was it: the moment that all of her hard work had been leading up to.
As Millie stepped briefly out of the tree house, she soaked up the beauty of the day. The sun was warm, and the sky between the branches of the high-reaching trees was a pure, azure blue. The air smelled of warm wood and blossoming flowers. She took a deep breath and smiled in satisfaction. Today was going to be perfect. She stepped back inside.
She was up early, of course. She couldn’t help it. Her Daddy had set them an alarm for six-thirty, but she rose with the sun at around five. She’d done her best to go back to sleep but had no luck. Millie had moved her way out of her bed like someone playing Kerplunk. If she had disturbed any of her Daddy’s limbs, it could have set off a dangerous chain reaction that would have woken him, and she couldn’t risk that.
Instead, she had gone to the kitchen and busied herself. Tidying, wiping, doing everything she could to pass the time until the alarm was due. Eventually, with about ten minutes left to go, she ground coffee and sliced bread for toast. She was going to wake up Daddy with his very favorite breakfast. Hot buttered toast and strong black coffee.
