Eternal Longing ✓

25. Like Father, Like Son

FINLEY

My father has always had whatever the opposite of impeccable timing is.

"Come out, Jaya." I knock on the shut door, wishing I could kick out the man I owe for my being born and get back to playing with her.

"Uh, I'm fine right here. Thank you!" she responds with fake cheer, the horror in her voice palpable.

Knocking once more, I explain, "My father would love to meet you, sweetheart."

"You told him I'm here?!" Now the cheer's gone and I can't help but smile.

"Of course, I did. Now come out or I'll have to break in."

She opens the door in less than a second, wariness and anxiety clear on her face. "Are you . . . sure I should meet him?"

I want to dwell on how beautiful and pure she looks when she's scared, but my father is only a couple of minutes from running down the hallway and accosting her, so we need to move toward the living room right now.

Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I lead her out of the bedroom and down the hallway. She's trembling slightly and I rub her soothingly. The same way I need to ruin, hurt, and dirty her is the same way I have this internal necessity to take care of her.

"Why shouldn't you meet him?"

She looks up at me as if I'm crazy. "Um, I don't know, maybe because we're not . . . together or anything?"

Clenching my jaw at her words, I squeeze her closer to my side and declare, "You're meeting him."

My father is thumbing through his phone by the kitchen island and when he sees us from his periphery, he snaps his head up and greets us with a blinding, warm smile.

"Jaya." He walks closer to us so we're all standing in the middle of the living room and takes both her hands within his. "It's so great to finally meet you, dear."

Jaya looks taken aback by the giant of a man greeting her with such gladness. Though his hair is black and stricken with gray strands, his face is so similar to mine that I bet his friendly disposition is a bit jarring to her.

"It's so nice to meet you, too." Jaya recovers after a moment, the manners that have been instilled in her making it easy to do so.

"My wife couldn't make it as a result of an important conference, but she regrets it very much and sends her regards."

An honest smile grows on her face. "That's understandable. I hope to meet her soon, though."

"She will be delighted to hear that." He squeezes her hands once more before letting them go.

I gesture for my father to sit down on the couch and do the same with Jaya by my side. "So father, what brings you here?"

"I can't come to visit my only son now?" My dad grins in the way middle-aged men do.

"You didn't tell me you would be visiting," I reply dryly, not believing his words even for one second.

"Oh really? Must have escaped my mind." He frowns in thought, yet I know he's full of shit.

"We were on a video conference less than an hour ago. You didn't know you were on the way here or just didn't care to inform me?"

He waves me off and turns to look at Jaya. "Now let's talk about more interesting topics. How is New York treating you? Missing Texas?"

Jaya smiles and answers him, but as soon as she opens her mouth I'm too distracted by her moving lips to comprehend what she's saying.

Her lips are full and currently swollen from my assault, the bottom lip a pinkish hue that warrants my teeth to pull on it but I can't because she'd slap me if I were to do that in front of my father.