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Chapter 71

She's your little baby, she's my soulmate
I don't want you to worry, she'll be so safe right here

— The Neighbourhood, Single

. . . .

Harry's POV

The second I open the door, I wish I hadn't, "What the hell are you doing here, and how did you find out where I live?"

"I want to see my daughter, and I know that you dated my sister-in-law. What? Are you going to date my wife next?"

I clench my teeth as hard as I can, desperately forcing the words I want to say to the back of my throat. He glares at me, eyes squinted, jaw clenched—basically matching my own expression. I can feel the hatred radiating off of him in deadly waves and they're coming right at me.

"Violet doesn't want to see you." I cross my arms over my chest.

"Then let her tell me that to my face."

"No, I won't. I won't let you belittle her again."

He sighs, irritated clearly. "Will you just let me see my daughter?"

"No. Were you not at that dinner? She walked out of that house heartbroken that the man that she thinks so highly of disapproves of how she's living her life and who she's living it with," I say. "You may not believe me, but I value Violet more than you think."

"What you say are empty words to me."

"Think what you want, but I don't care what you have to say about my relationship with Violet, but she does, and you broke her heart the other night."

It seems like nothing I'm saying is making any sense to him. He stares past me into the house and when I turn around, Violet's standing there in one of my sweatshirts and a pair of her shorts that show off her gloriously long legs. Her thick hair is tied back into a low bun with tiny strands hanging beside her face. Her awe-inspiring hazel eyes are red and her cheeks are flushed red from where she wiped away her tears.

"Dad?"

"Violet, I wanted to talk to you, but your boyfriend refused to let me see you." He narrows his eyes towards me and takes a tiny step towards Violet.

"It's okay, Harry."

Violet's father pushes past me to get to his daughter. Meanwhile, I take a seat on the sofa. Lilly runs out with a few of her toys in her arms. She climbs up onto the couch with me and shoves one of the dolls into my hand to play with her.

"Violet, I came here to apologize for my behavior at dinner the other night. I never should have spoken to you the way I did."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. You said a lot of hateful things to him when you didn't even know him. I love him and you couldn't even respect that."

"I know, and I'm sorry..."

I stare absentmindedly at the man—and, to me at least—the apology seemed empty and forced. Besides, he was looking at Violet when he did apologize—not to me. It's not like I want an excuse for some faux, lame-ass vindication from the man that hates me more than Emma ever could. I don't need him to like me, either.

Violet interjects his apology and folds her arms, "Not to me."

He looks back and forth from me to Violet to Lilly running her fingers through her doll's hair, then back to me. His Adam's apple bobs and he licks his lips before turning his body to face me. Taking a deep breath, he rolls his eyes slightly before saying, "I don't like you—"