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"Because of Ella?"
"That and…" She pauses and exhales slowly. "I need you to be a good father to Ella. She needs you, but you’re too far away even when she is close."
"I’ll do it if you stay."
"What does loving her have to do with me? You need to learn how to love your child. She’s your blood!" Anger laces her voice. A tear rolls down her cheeks, but she turns away from me and wipes it. "And I need you to go now and stay away from me. Please. I can’t get over you if you keep finding me."
I look at her. The hurt she’s feeling–and trying to inflict on me–taking hold of me. It’s hard, but I manage to whisper.
"I’m sorry, but I’ll never promise that."
15
JEREMY
"Quit watching her like a hawk, will you?" I turn and level my glare at Damien.
It's Ella's birthday party. I should behave properly and act like a father to her–a proper father who’s genuinely happy for his little princess, that is. But all I can think about is Chloe. She made me promise to be a better father to Ella. I don’t take orders or make promises that don’t involve increasing my net worth, but I did.
Like hell I did.
I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if Chloe had bewitched me. I mean, it would be more logical than whatever it is I’m going through right now. The only other possibility is that I truly love her, and I just can’t comprehend that.
But when it comes to Chloe, I’m a different person.
And now here I am, playing the gracious host, welcoming guests with a forced smile. This isn't my thing even when I’m thrilled about it–the parties, the laughter, the cheerful chatter. It's not me, and it's certainly not how I envisioned spending the evening. If it were up to me, we’d have had a quiet dinner ata nice restaurant, then I’d have spent the rest of the evening at work.
Anything but playing happy host while my daughter and her friends celebrate.
"Look at you, Jeremy. Father of the Year. Mr. Party Planner. Who knew you had it in you?" Damien says with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
I glare at him again, silently pleading for a moment of respite. "Can you not do this right now?"
He chuckles, undeterred. "Come on, man. You're practically the life of the party compared to the old you. I never thought I'd see the day. Let me enjoy this a little bit."
I shake my head, suppressing a sigh, and turn my attention to the new wave of arriving guests. How does one young woman even know this many people, let alone have this many friends? I plaster a fake smile on my lips as I welcome them.
The nagging thought of Chloe's absence has drowned all the greetings and laughter. She made it clear: be a better father–starting with attending your daughter's birthday–or there's no chance for us. She even made me invite some of my business associates to this party to show off how proud I am of Ella. What the hell has gotten into her, that she cares so much? I mean, I get that she wants Ella to be happy and all, but still.
So here I am, amidst the balloons and laughter and unrecognizable loud music, while my mind is elsewhere.
Chloe had better not bail on me after all this.
"Damien, get lost. I don’t remember inviting you." I spit at him.
"I know you forgot since you’re getting old, so I invited myself." He nudges me playfully, but I roll my eyes at him.
"Aaron, I didn’t know you had such a beautiful daughter," one of my business associates says, smiling at Ella. I makepleasant conversation, but I couldn’t recall what we talked about later if someone put a gun to my head.
"Isn’t he great? I was just telling him he’s up for father of the year," Damien says, slapping me on the back and laughing. I can’t believe the sonuvabitch is actually teasing me in front of our clients and employees. I let it slide, though, because Ella's smile is radiant. This is the first time I’ve seen her this happy since she started living with me. It makes me realize what a terrible father I've been to her.
Despite everything going on, my eyes are fixed on the entrance. I don’t want to miss it when Chloe eventually arrives. I catch Ella looking at the door as someone enters. It is almost time to cut the cake and she’s still not here.
Damien nudges me, a sly grin on his face. "Still waiting for your special guest, huh?"
"Oh? Are you expecting someone? Let me guess, Dad, a date?" Ella asks me, sounding almost hopeful.
"You could say that," Damien mutters. I turn around and silently order him to shut up.
