Edge of Chaos | Dad's best friend | 20 Squad BOOK #1

Twenty-Four | Mya

Daniel Harrelson reminds me a raging bull as he barrels out of the ballroom and into the hallway.

I know better than to go after him right now; he wouldn't listen to a thing I had to say and it's not like there's anything I can say that would make a difference.

But still I chase after him, walking as fast as my heels would allow me before I'm stopped by my mom.

I turn my head to look back at her, trying to read her expression. I can see the thousand questions she has turning in her head and the disappointment in her eyes and it pains me to know that my decision was hurting everyone around me.

"Mom?"

"Just give him a minute Mya, he's going to need some time to work through this." She tells me.

"And what about you?"

"I'm still processing this." She admits, before walking over to a nearby bench that was in the hallway. I follow behind her and sit down as well. "Tell me everything."

"Aren't you gonna go after dad?"  I wonder, glancing away from mom to stare in the direction my dad just stormed off in.

"In a minute. You know as well as I do that it's best to give your dad a minute to calm down. I'll talk to him in a sec. I want to talk to you. How the hell did this happen Mya?" She says.

"I promise it's nothing perverted," I start off by saying. "Deacon didn't take advantage of me or pressure me or anything like that.  It's just the more time we spent together the more attracted I became to him. He's not like guys my age; he's established, he's an amazing father and he's just a good man. You don't know what it's like dating in my days mom; guys just want sex or to waste your time talking for a year expecting you to do girlfriend or wifey material things just for them to say we're getting to know each other or we're not putting a label on it." I inwardly groan thinking about how much time I wasted dating in high school and in college with guys who didn't want anything serious and we're just going with the flow. "Growing up and seeing the love that you and dad shared, there was no way I was not going to want that for myself and I feel like I found that with Deacon."

"Oh sweetie, I think it's wonderful that you think you found someone to love the way I love your dad. But are you sure about this? Deacon is old enough to be your father. Now don't get me wrong, he is everything you said he is, but you have to think about this. Deacon is a father to not one but two kids- he's always going to put the needs of his daughters before you. Are you ready to deal with that long term?"

"If he didn't put his kids needs before me he isn't the man I think he is." I reply. "I'm not playing some kind of fantasy in my head mom. I know what life would be like with Deacon and it's all I want."

"And is it what he wants?" My mom wonders.

"I think so," I sigh heavily. "Sometimes he looks at me and I can see he has feelings for me but he hides them because of all the reasons you said. I just wish he thought I was worth it."

"Honey, you are worth it. Whether Deacon sees it or not. You deserve the life and the love you want."

"How are you so okay with this?" I ask, staring at her in awe. Most mothers would be outraged and disgusted by their daughters being involved with men twice their age.

"I may have stopped by last week to drop off a gift I brought for Victoria and let myself in with the key Deacon gave your father a few years ago. You guys sounded... busy."

I'm mortified that my mom heard me having sex. No wonder she was giving me looks the day Deacon and I came over for dinner.

"And Because I know the kind of daughter I raised. And because I just want you to be happy. It doesn't matter what that looks like to me or even your father. Or anyone else for that matter."

"I love you mom."

"I love too you honey." My mom tells me before pulling me into a hug.

The two of us stay together like that for a minute before my mom tells me she's going to go look for my dad. She was worried about what he could possibly do while he's still boiling in anger.

I look up at the sound of the ballroom door opening to see Deacon slowly walking over to me. The first few buttons are undone, his tie is loose and his right cheek is red and swelling thanks to my dad.

I stare at him a second longer before standing up to leave.

"Mya, wait." He calls out and despite knowing better, my body betrays me and I stand still.

"What Deacon?"

"I hope you're happy." He says, erasing the distance between us.

"What?"

"This whole thing just caused a shit show. I can lose my job for this, I definitely lost my best-friend and for what? Because I couldn't keep my hands off of you? God, why couldn't I resist you?"

"I didn't fucking seduce you David!" I yell at him. "The attraction we felt was two sided in case you forgot."

"Attraction or not, I'm the real adult between the two of us and I should've put my foot down from anything happening."

"I'm so sick of you making it sound like I'm a child who had no idea what the consequences were going to be if we crossed that line. Unlike you, I'm not scared of my father."

"I am not scared of Hondo." He tells me seriously.

"Then why didn't you tell him? The second we knew this wasn't just a hookup you should've told him what was happening." I say.

"Why Would I risk my friendship and my position at work for something that I didn't know was going to last a few weeks?"

"I'm not worth it." I say for him. He didn't say it out loud but it was obvious that's what he meant.

"Mya. I didn't mean-"

"Yes. You did. And it's okay. I get it."

"You'll move on and find a younger guy and you'll be happy. I promise."

My whole life I wanted someone to fight for me and to choose me the way I watched my dad choose my mom every day of my life and I thought I finally found that person in Deacon but I guess I was wrong.

"I know I will be." I say. "It's scary how fast it happens isn't it?"

"What?"

"How now I want nothing to do with you anymore."
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