The Heart's Melody | ✅

Chapter 12: Trust

Tobias looked in horror toward Andrew who looked at him like he could kill him with his bare hands. Andrew's gaze shifted from Tobias to Tris and he felt her shrink back and shake slightly. Protectively, the young man pushed her behind him shielding her from her father. Usually, Tobias wouldn't think that Andrew would hurt her, but the way he just looked at her made him reconsider. No matter what would happen next he wouldn't allow her father or anyone else to lay a finger on her.

"Tris?" asked Andrew, his voice low and grave.

"What is going on?" Natalie asked confused. They all stared at the two men trying to figure out what was going on.

"Explain yourselves," ordered Tris' father, his voice final. Tobias decided to come clean. It would have happened eventually and he didn't want to lie to Tris' father.

"Andrew, I'm in love with your daughter," Tobias said and silence fell. The only sounds that could be heard were the usual sounds one would expect in a hospital, followed by some grunts and groans from the two women in labor they all came to support. Natalie looked from Tobias to her husband and then to Tris. Evelyn had a similar reaction. Tobias couldn't tell what others did or what expressions their faces held, because he kept staring back at the man in front of him.

"In love?" Andrew asked. "Tris, is that true?" he asked and tried to see his daughter. It was only now that Andrew saw her standing behind Tobias. He wondered if he was the reason why his baby girl hid in fear. "Tris?" he asked again, his voice a lot softer than before. Tris took a deep breath. She knew there was no reason denying it and she wasn't ashamed or anything. In fact, she was more than proud; proud that Tobias chose her and proud that she was mature enough to be in love for the first time. Yes, she was infatuated before, but she was never in love. Whatever she had with those other guys paled in comparison to what she felt for this man who so selflessly stood up to her father defending her and their feelings for each other. Tobias was nothing but a rock those past couple of months and she was an adult for crying out loud. Why would she hide from her father?

"Yes, it's true. We're in love," she said stepping next to the man she loved and grabbed his hand holding it firm in hers, while staring at her father. They all remained silent again. Andrew looked from his daughter to the young man she was standing next to trying to understand what was going on.

His little girl couldn't have said that. Surely he must have misheard her. She was too young for that, wasn't she? And he? He was too old for her. He could pick any other girl, but not his precious baby girl.

"Dad, I know what you're thinking," she said.

"You're psychic now too?" he asked sounding more sarcastic than he wanted. Tris frowned.

"No, but I know you. You have this wrong impression about me."

"Well, then show me the real you, because clearly I don't know you," he said a little loud.

"Alright. You think that I'm too young to date. I could be fifty and you would still think that," she said. "But guess what? I'm not. I started dating when I was thirteen, had my first kiss then and my first boyfriend. Why have you never met him? Good question, dad. Because, geez, I don't know, you're paranoid and controlling and never let me do shit unless it's some bullshit you pre-approve because Shauna or Caleb did it first and I can't get hurt or something. Wanna know something else? I'm not a virgin anymore. And no, it's not because of him. I lost it to Al McIntire when I was fifteen. That's not all. I also had a few one night stands since I got to New York. And you know what? I love sex. I do. I'm really good at it too," is what she wanted to say but kept all of that still hidden inside her head. "I'm an adult, dad, and I'm capable of making my own decisions. But you know something else? I love Tobias, because he is the first person other than Lynn, Mar or Uri who saw me for me. He saw me at my best and he saw me at my worst and he didn't flee, he didn't judge, he just held me, comforted me, loved me for me. I haven't told you anything because I never could. It always seemed I had to fit a certain profile with you to be accepted and loved by my parents. And I'm sick and tired of this shit. You either accept me and my decisions or you can stay the fuck away from me," she yelled now and turned on her heels strutting toward the exit. Tris felt overwhelmed and couldn't keep her frustrations hidden inside anymore. She knew she had hurt her father and she regretted her words as soon as they left her lips. But it was too late. She said those things and she won't be able to take them back.