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He blew out a breath. “I know.” He lifted his hands and unclenched them. “I know better than many what violence does to people. And yet I still did that. And because of it, you ended up getting hurt. It wasn’t supposed to be like that. I can’t stop thinking about it. The scene just keeps playing over and over again in my head. Benji. Hitting him. Seeing you hurt afterward.”
“I can’t say I agree with what you did with Benji. Maybe he was asking for it. Either way, I can’t agree with violence. But I think that goes without saying. What happened to me though was genuinely an accident. Nothing you had any control over.”
“If I didn’t throw a punch at Benji, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
“Well, stay here and think about why that statement is so stupid. I’ll be back.” I climbed out of the car. As I closed the door, I rolled my shoulders, trying to release some of the tension in me.
Before I could walk away, Justin climbed out. “I’m sorry, Cadence. I’m here. I’m present.”
I gave him a sharp nod and then turned to look at the building. I could see Dad in the window, reading something on his phone, a coffee cup sitting in front of him.
Justin reached out and firmly clasped my hand, as if to prove himself. His lips formed a tight smile that hinted at a mixture of emotions I didn’t have time to unravel. With a silent understanding, he guided me inside, weaving through the crowded people waiting for their drinks. The atmosphere was uplifting, but nerve wracking at the same time. The subtle pressure of Justin’s grip reassured me as we got into line.
“Want to wait with me, or go sit with your dad?” Justin asked, his blue eyes filled with understanding. He was giving me an opportunity to waste time before facing my dad.
My gaze shifted to Dad, who had turned his attention toward us, curiosity in his expression.
I sighed, tempted to stay by Justin’s side just a bit longer. “I’ll go sit with him. Get me a vanilla chai latte, please?”
“Of course.” Justin leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss on my cheek, the warmth of his gesture lingering as he reassured me. It was such a boyfriend move, and yet I hadn’t expected it. “You’ll be okay.”
A slight warmth rose within me, accepting his support. He was easily proving that he was here with me now and not lost in his head. That meant the world to me. “I know. You’re here.”
After pulling on all of the meager confidence I had inside of me, I went over to Dad. The scent of coffee and the murmur of conversations surrounded me as I took a seat across from him.
“Cadence.” He smiled, but then his eyes quickly fixated on the light bruising on my jaw. Nearly two weeks gave it time to almost heal, but there was still some discoloration there. It was so light that I didn’t expect him to pick up on it so quickly or at all. His smile shifted into worry. “How did you get that?”
“An unfortunate accident a couple weekends ago,” I said nonchalantly, downplaying what had happened. “It’s almost gone.”
He definitely didn’t believe me as his frown deepened and his lips pressed together briefly in dissatisfaction. “What really happened?” he pressed, his eyes searching mine for the truth.
“Dad, I’m serious. This was only an accident. Someone fell on top of me and accidentally hit me when he was trying to get back up. That’s all.”
Dad’s jaw tightened momentarily before he released a controlled breath. “Okay.” He reached for his drink. “I’m back.”
“I can see that.”
He grimaced, a hint of vulnerability breaking through.
I suppressed a sigh, feeling bad for being so curt with him. He deserved better than that from me, and the weight of that realization settled heavily in my chest.
“I know I may have sprung it on you, but I wanted to know if you’d consider spending Thanksgiving with me.”
“In Vegas?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” I asked. “I mean, why invite me now to go there?”
“I want to share my life with you. And I thought with everything that has been happening, it’d be a nice change for you. I’d love to spend the holidays with you.”
“I don’t feel comfortable with that,” I admitted. “I still don’t…” I couldn’t find the right words.
“I’m still too much of a stranger,” Dad offered, understanding my fumbling hesitation.
I slowly nodded. “I’m sorry.”
Dad swallowed hard. “Don’t be. I’m just trying to find time to spend with you.”
