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She took his hand in hers, closing her fingers around his. “It’s not your fault.”
He sat down on the edge of the hospital bed. “I should have listened to you.”
Dani looked down at their hands. “What happened to Claire?”
“The police took her. You won’t have to deal with her again.”
Her father’s ringtone rang out, and she looked around for her purse. She grabbed it off the nightstand. Was it really her father calling? Shelby sometimes used his phone. Had he heard she was in the hospital? Her heart pounded as she swiped to answer. “Hello?”
“What happened? Did you get drunk again?” Her father’s voice was curt. He was usually a to-the-point guy, but this hurt.
“No. I was drugged.”
“You were what? The news story made it sound like you passed out at the beach. Are you on something?”
He wasn’t listening. He never listened. She pressed her phone tighter to her ear. “Dad, I was the victim of a stalker.”
“But you’re okay?”
Finally. She nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. “I’m okay.”
“Look, you’re getting bad publicity. I’m sending the plane. I’m having my publicist set up some public appearances. We need to get this under control.”
He was sending the plane? She could go home? No more shopping at SaleMart, or using cheap shampoo. She could sleep in her own bed. But, what did he mean by public appearances? More cameras? That sounded like a nightmare. All she wanted to do was sink into oblivion. She didn’t want to be paraded about before the cameras. “No, Dad. I don’t want to.”
“Did you hear me?” he asked. “You’re getting really bad publicity. There’s photos of you passed out at that resort. You need to come home so we can deal with it. We need to control this thing, or your public image will be ruined.”
Public image? She had no positive public image. Her image was destroyed years ago. She didn’t need more cameras. She needed to live so that no one cared what she was doing. Austin was right. If she went to college and got a job somewhere, people would stop being fascinated by her. She didn’t want to be paraded about for the paparazzi.
She took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I heard. But I don’t want to do a publicity tour.”
“Just come home. We can discuss it when you get here.”
Dani silently groaned. He was dangling a carrot in front of her. He had to know that she wanted to come home more than anything. But what would happen if she did? He would make her go all over the place, getting on camera to show the world she wasn’t a psycho drug user. Maybe a week ago, she would have done that. But today, she no longer cared.
Austin had taught her that. If she didn’t care what the public thought, it took away their power. She fiddled with the thin, white blanket covering her legs. “I don’t want to come home.”
“What?” Her father’s voice sounded strained. “Why? We need to fix your image.”
Dani wasn’t sure she could explain it to her father. He wouldn’t understand. The only reason she had an image was because her father was famous. She really didn’t want to be. He definitely wouldn’t understand that.
“I have a job…” Oh, man. Why did the lamest thing ever come out of her mouth? Her job? Being a maid? That’s what she wanted to stay there for?
“Danica. Come home.” The phone rustled and she heard him say, “Just a minute,” to someone else.
That was the father she was used to. The one who was too busy for her. The one who commanded her to do whatever he said, with no input from her. The man who expected her to be his pretty ornament, brought out and paraded around when he wanted.
She glanced at Austin, who looked like he was trying very hard not to listen in on her conversation. He was by the window, looking out. Her resolve hardened and she gripped her phone tighter. “I want to live my own life.”
“Dani…I have to go. I’m sending the plane. End of discussion.” He hung up the phone, and Dani’s shoulders deflated. He’d won. Again.
Why did he always get what he wanted? She had no real power, and her father knew it. She put her phone down on the bed and Austin turned to her. “What did your father say?”
“I’m going home, I guess.” She made a face. “Dad’s sending the plane. End of discussion.”
“You don’t have to get on it.” He shrugged when she looked at him. “I mean, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
“You don’t know my father,” Dani said quietly.
