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“You’re saying that she felt guilty and hasn’t ever let it go,” I suggest.
“Bingo. She’s always been the smartest one in the room. But after that, it was like something changed in her. She cut herself off from a lot of the things that she used to enjoy. It all became about her career from then on.”
Nodding, I place my elbows on my knees and fold my hands. He goes on after we both look in her direction again.
“She means everything to you, you said?” he questions me.
I know Warren filled him in on the shitstorm yesterday. But I realize he probably has no idea that Blythe and I have been seeing each other behind closed doors or spending so much time together since she’s been home.
“Yes sir,” I say. “Everything.”
He purses his lips and ponders over what that means.
“She deserves better than me,” I say and I mean it.
“No shit. And if you put her in danger like that again I’ll bury you in my backyard,” he sounds like a prison warden now and sweat starts to bead on my forehead.
How do you tell the man sitting across from you that you love his daughter and you’re sorry that you almost got her killed without getting punched in the face? I’d take the punch at this point, honestly.
I take a deep breath.
“I love her,” I confess. He raises his eyebrows and crosses his arms. Blythe stirs in the bed but doesn’t fully wake up, so I go on. “If she gives me that chance, I’ll protect her. And I can promise you that no matter how messed up my past is, there’s no future that I see without her in it and I’ll fight for it. Even if that means convincing you and everybody else how much I mean that.”
The corners of his eyes soften slightly, but he squints and studies me.
“I’ll take her word for it, not yours. She’s smarter than you,” he says.
I chuckle. “That’s for damn sure.” I look over at her, then back at Wade but he holds his hand up.
“Save the corny lovey dovey crap,” he says. “I get it. She’s incredible. It’s no surprise you’re in love with her.” He smiles now that he’s talking about her, and my shoulders drop at least three inches. “Look. I hope she gives you hell for this. And then follows her heart. Nothing I say is going to change her mind. Just promise me you’ll take care of her from now on.”
I sit up taller in my chair and nod. “Yes, sir. I will, I promise.”
A silence falls between us, and thankfully the feeling that he might murder me starts to disappear. I don’t blame him, of course. And I’m sure I’ll have to win him over. But he’s right: if anyone is going to put their foot down and say I need to kick rocks, it’s not going to be him. It’s her.
Having her family on board is important to me though.
“You think she could be happy here?” I ask.
“I do. If she lets herself. If she opens up to the fact that changing direction or changing your mind about where you want to be and what you want to do with your life isn’t failure.” He rubs the spot between his nose and upper lip with the side of his index finger. “She hates change. But I think staying somewhere that she doesn’t belong could dull her light.”
My stomach feels like it dropped to my feet. There’s so much I haven’t allowed myself to think about the last few days, and what Blythe is going to do after her temporary stay in Westridge is over is one of them.
A nurse walks in briskly and flips on several lights. The brightness of her smile matches the now lit-up room. I’d hate her for coming in here every few hours to disturb Blythe, but I know she’s just doing her job.
We both stand and as I turn to go to Blythe, Wade catches my elbow and stops me.
“Don’t fuck it up,” he tells me.
He soothes the side of his daughter’s arm and kisses her on the cheek before he walks out of the room. I step closer to her once he’s gone and take her hand in mine.
“How’s she doing?”
“We’ve been over this, Mr. Sterling. I’m not supposed to be talking to you about her medical status and you’re not even supposed to be in here,” she whispers as she scans Blythe’s wristband and then types into the computer. “You’re not technically family.”
“Come on,” I roll my head back and tilt it to the side. “Please.”
The hand I’m holding squeezes back lightly and I look down in a rush. I sit on the edge of the hospital bed to get closer to her and I search her eyes as they sleepily blink open and shut.
