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He came to stand beside his son.
“Hale, you shouldn’t be here,” he said.
“I’m sorry, David, but I need to speak to Elsa. And I’m hoping what I have to say are things she wants to hear.”
“Then call her,” David returned. “If she takes your call, you can try to convince her. This isn’t the way to go about it.”
“I hurt her, I can’t go any longer without doing something to fix that,” Hale explained.
“You did the deed, it isn’t your choice how it gets fixed, Hale,” David replied.
He held David’s gaze and repeated, “David, I hurt her,and I need to fix that.”
David and Hale stared at each other while David grappled with his decision.
During this, the door opened again.
Hale heard a gasp, and noted Inger there, her eyes narrowing on him.
But his attention focused on who was with her.
Elsa.
On sight of her, his lungs hollowed out.
She had shadows under her eyes, looked like she hadn’t slept in months, but she wasn’t gazing at him with hurt or fury.
Nope.
All he saw was indifference.
Fuck.
“Go inside, Elsa,” Oskar ordered.
She was Elsa. She didn’t go inside.
She came to stand between her dad and Oskar.
“I think you should go,” she said to Hale.
“I’d like the chance to talk to you.”
“I believe you’ve said all there is to say.”
“I’m in love with you.”
Inger gasped again. David made a low noise. Oskar growled.
Elsa stared at Hale with her lips parted in shock.
“My dad never touched me,” Hale declared. “Not true. Twice. I remember twice. Once when he hugged me after I got up on my board the first time. And the other was when he was giving me advice on women. I remember everything about that moment because I was twelve and he was treating me like a man, sharing manly advice, and I loved that. I loved sharing time with my dad when he was like that. It didn’t happen often. I know now it didn’t because it was an outfit that didn’t fit. He felt uncomfortable trying to wear it. Like an imposter. But mostly I remember that moment because he touched me. Even though Tom and Genny were always affectionate, touching, hugging, any way they could share they loved you, Dad wasn’t like that, and I didn’t really understand how much I missed it. I needed it. Its absence was a way of life, but I still needed it. I also didn’t understand why he didn’t do it.”
He took in a breath.
No one on those steps moved, but he had everyone’s attention.
Especially Elsa’s.
