Daddy Issues

Part Twenty-Five: Anywhere but Here

"Patrick..." Was all I could manage to say, but as he approached his father and me, the look in his eyes said that he wasn't surprised by this, almost as though he knew.

Holding up his hand to stop me from speaking, he shakes his head, "Don't even try to use those eyes on me, Avery. You've been fucking my dad and now you plan to play victim, right? That's how this works. Poor girl comes to New York and beds the rich man to get further in her career, I've heard the story before but I didn't know you were such a whore."

"Watch it," Alex says as he steps in front of me, glaring at his son. He holds me close behind him as he begins to speak, "Avery and I have known each other since before you two started seeing each other... We didn't mean for this to happen, it just did."

"Okay, you knew each other before, so why didn't you just speak up? Instead you both insisted on sneaking around behind my back!"

"Patrick, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you."

"Cut the shit, Avery. You settled for me until you could get the next best thing - the more successful Jensen. Don't act like you're innocent because you're a smart girl and you knew what you were doing," He stares at me for a long period before looking at Alex who is near silent, "Giving you a chance to be my dad was a mistake. All you have ever done in life is fuck over the one's that trust you."

I knew that came as a huge slap in Alex's face regardless of how true it may be, but the look on Alex's face said it all. The words cut deeper than he would ever admit and as he looks down at the ground, he clears his throat to respond, "I was young when it came to your mother and uncle."

"What about now? What's your excuse now?"

"My excuse now?" Alex chuckles lightly and looks back at Patrick who has the same angry look settled on his face, "I don't have an excuse. I met this amazing girl by chance and the fact that I seen her again was luck. Pat, I tried to stay away from her. I tried to respect your relationship but I have never felt the way Avery makes me feel,"

I stare at Alex, pursing my lips together and listening to his words. I can't let him take the fall, I was just as much a part of this as he was. Patrick is looking over Alex's shoulder at me and his brows are raised as though he's waiting for an explanation from me.

What can I say? Of course I have feelings for Alex, too. I can't deny that. But saying that to Patrick would only hurt him more so I stay silent instead.

The room was filled with tension and for a moment I drift away into my own thoughts. What if things had been different? What if I never started dating Patrick? But then I probably would have never seen Alex again. But maybe I would have. Who would really know?

"Pretty silent there, Avery." Patrick comments, "You can open your mouth for my father's dick but not when it comes to giving me the explanation I deserve?"

I can barely comprehend what Patrick had said before Alex's fist hits him square in the jaw which takes Patrick off guard. When he stands up straight he wipes the blood from his lip and charges towards Alex who is already prepared to fight his son.

"Stop!" I scream, trying to get ahold of Alex but falling short.

Punches are thrown between each of them and it seemed like a lifetime had passed before someone had entered the room, beginning to shout. I recognized someone from Klaus Conrad's office, a man, he ran towards Alex and Patrick. As he attempted to pull them apart another man ran in, and then another. The next thing I knew the room was filled with people and someone was pulling Alex away from Patrick.

Voices filled the room, screaming and questioning what was going on.

"Why don't you tell them, dad?" Patrick smirked at Alex, wiping the blood from the corner of his lip, "Tell them who the real Alex Jensen is. Tell them the kind of man you are. The kind of father you are."

"Patrick, please." I beg, wanting this entire moment to just disappear and hoping that Patrick would find it within himself to not humiliate us in front of all these people.

"Jesus Christ, Avery. Shut the fuck up." Patrick mutters under his breath.

The next voice I hear is the familiar voice of Hilary as she steps forward from the crowd and glares at her brother, "Don't talk to her that way, Patrick. Have some respect for women."

Hilary approaches me and stands in front of me as though to stand her ground against Patrick, but I was fully aware that I didn't deserve her defending me. I deserved whatever was coming from Patrick and the least I could do is take it like an adult. I made my bed, so now I need to lay in it.

"Hilary, I don't deserve you standing up for me. It's okay."

"She's right," Patrick chimes in, "She doesn't deserve your loyalty. But lets not get into that right now, I want dear ol' dad to tell you what's going on. Tell everyone, dad."

Alex looks at me as the person holding him back slowly lets him go. He pinches the bridge of his nose, looking down at the ground as he speaks, "It's complicated."

"Complicated?" A laugh escapes Patrick's lips and he laughs almost manically before saying the dreaded words. It was a slow motion moment when Patrick's finger is pointed at me and his eyes stare at his father, "You've been fucking Avery. How is that complicated?"

The entire atmosphere was different, it changed within seconds and everyone's eyes moved between Alex and me. Shocked expressions painted on their faces and Hilary steps away from me, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"You're kidding, right?" Hilary's eyes shift towards me, clearly disgusted at the information she just learned, "You're sleeping with my dad? He's old, Avery."

A hot tear rolls down my cheek when everyone's eyes are on me and I sniff, looking down at the ground as a bright light causes me to jump. I lift my head to see a camera pointing at me and then realization hits me that we're at a fashion show. A very public fashion show. There's photographers and reporters. Alex is a well known man in the business world and this would be all over the news.

"Put the fucking camera down!" Alex raises his voice and steps towards the photographer.

"Hey, man. It's my job to be here," The guy defends himself and my eyes move to Alex who looks furious.

I wonder if he's angry at me or if it's just the situation, but his life was crumbling at his feet and I felt like the blame. If he hadn't met me none of this would have happened, maybe if I just pushed him to back off more. But when Alex snaps out of his trance, he's walking towards me and taking his my hand in his before pulling me through the crowd of people that surrounded us.

"Alex?" I ask, "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere but here."

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