AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Tony, don’t.” Her mother lay a soothing hand on her father’s arm, threw Lili an affectionate look, and dipped her maternal gaze to the ziti. Eat up, that’ll fix it. Lili had already lost her appetite. A heart-rending breakup and parental recrimination beat Atkins every time.
“Dad, if I could go back to that night in O’Casey’s and do it over, I—” She faltered.
What would she do? Not goad Jack into losing control? Ignore that surge of power she felt when he looked into her eyes with such hunger? No, she wouldn’t change a thing. Kissing Jack in a crowded bar would remain with her as one of the most precious experiences of her life. It was the first step toward becoming new Lili. No one could take it away from her, least of all her father.
“Well, we cannot turn back time, Liliana.”
“No, we can’t, Dad, but we can move forward.”
“Tony, she’s right,” Marco said, sounding bored. “These days, it’s all about social media, online promotion, tapping into new user markets. Lili’s shenanigans have brought us a lot of attention. We need to build on that.”
Oh, that was just too much. Lili turned on him, fury finally overriding her sense. “Yes, let’s build on it, Marco, but next time, I’d appreciate it if you ask before you turn me into a marketing sensation.”
The atmosphere at the table frosted over as both Tad and her father ossified, their glacial gazes zoning in on Marco.
“Marco, explain,” her father said.
Throat working convulsively, he raised his hands and looked around. “You think…? No way. I didn’t put up the video.”
“Then, who?” Lili asked, baffled.
“No idea. I might have encouraged the girls to be a little overzealous during the TV taping but that was it.” His eyes locked on Lili’s, pleading for understanding. “Honestly, Lil. I’d never have done that. I mean, we’re friends. We’re more than friends.”
Her mind floundered and tears smarted her eyes. Down was up, east was west. Nothing made sense anymore. Swallowing her emotion, she forced her thoughts back to the present, aware that her father was watching her closely.
“I need a glass of water,” she mumbled, and fled to the kitchen before she lost her composure completely. She gripped the sink to prevent her body from folding in half.
Jack was gone.
Since driving him away, her heart had been stuck on a frenetic techno beat. Cardio without the fat-reducing benefits. Now it felt curiously dead, like it had given up the ghost after all that effort. She missed the pain.
A heavy footfall echoed behind her and she turned, expecting Tad leading the charge on Operation Comfort Lili. Surprise at seeing her father made her gulp.
“Piccola,” he said.
Just that one simple word and she burst into tears. No one called her that anymore. The nickname that meant ‘little one’ lost its cuteness factor somewhere around the sixth grade. Her father’s hard strength enveloped and soothed her through her crying jag. For a wonderful, long time.
“Say the word and I will kill him. I know a guy.”
A semi-hysterical laugh ripped from her. Above the stress of her mother’s illness, the restaurant, and her strained bond with Tony, she had forgotten he had a sense of humor. How close they had once been and how alike they were.
“Dad, it’s not his fault. I know you didn’t think much of him, but he loved me very much. More than anyone ever has.”
“Not more than anyone.” He dropped a light kiss on her forehead. “If he loved you so much, why is he not here fighting for you?”
She couldn’t quite summon her usual front-it-out smile. “Maybe you scared him off.”
“He did not seem the type to scare easily,” he said. “I tried my best but he insisted on defying me.”
How could she possibly explain how inadequate she had felt in the face of Jack’s all-encompassing passion? Her father would dismiss her fears as unworthy of a DeLuca though his tacit dismissal of her ambitions had gone some way to keeping her wounds festering for as long as they had. Still, blaming her problems on her daddy issues was a little too movie-of-the-week for Lili’s taste.
Her father picked up the conversational slack. “He said I’m too hard on you.”
Even now, an allusion to Jack defending her made her tingly and aware, like he was in the room supporting her in everything she did. Her champion, standing at her shoulder, encouraging her to be strong. She parted her lips to disagree, but her mouth had other ideas.
“You are.”
He gave her a long look and she held his gaze. “Please, Dad, talk to me.”
