Definition of Promise

Chapter 6

Luke's POV

I watched as Michael buckled Sophie in her car seat that I hadn't noticed until now. Michael knew exactly what he was doing and it bothered me that he actually had that father figure. I envied him.

"Are you doing okay?" Michael cautiously asked me, getting into the car and starting the engine.

"Why did she pick the name Sophie?" I asked Michael, ignoring his question. He sighed as he took a single glance at me.

"She told me she liked that name."

"Anything else?" I murmured quickly, almost too quickly. I glanced sideways at Michael to see if he had noticed.

"Next time we see her, you can ask her yourself."

The ride back to Michael's house was quick and all I wanted to do was have a drink and sleep. After getting up super early this morning I was really tired.

I slowly got out of the car and started heading towards the door. I do have to admit that Michael's house was beautiful. I do wish I had a house like his and not an apartment.

"Luke, it time you start learning to take care of Sophie, so you get her out of the car and bring her inside."

I unhurriedly turned around and went to the backseat of the car as Michael unlocked his front door and let himself in. I opened the door and saw Sophie smiling at me.

"What's your name?" she asked, like she never saw me before.

"My name is Luke," I replied unbuckling her out of the car seat. I carefully picked her up and placed her on my hip.

"What's that on your lips?" she questioned, pointing her small finger at my lip ring. Her face looked so innocent and adorable as she asked the simplest questions. I couldn't help but let a small smile escape from my lips.

"It's a lip ring." I carried her into the house and placed her on her feet. She took advantage of her feet and ran over to Michael who was sitting on the couch, doing something on his phone. I carefully watched as she yelled his name and tried to jump onto his lap.

I sat down in the chair near the couch and just watched, curious to what Sophie was going to do next. Michael put his phone down next to him and turned all his attention to her. I watched as they interacted with each other.

I couldn't help but notice the similar features of mine that she had. Her hair was blonde, which I knew would turn into a dirty blonde as she grew older. She had big beautiful eyes as blue as the sea. Her face had two dimples when she laughed and smiled.

I couldn't believe that for the past three and a half years, I've been missing out on her. She was part of my DNA and I didn't even know she had been born until a couple of days ago.

"Have my parents ever meet Sophie?" Michael looked up from Sophie for just a moment and then back down to her. I wasn't sure if he was going to answer my question or not. I sat there waiting for an answer while he played with my daughter.

"No, they haven't," he simply informed me.

"Why not?"

"I think you should just ask Hayden for that one." Michael was starting to get on my nerves. He should know better. He knows I've been going through a rough time and that over the last three and a half years I had developed a short temper.

"Just tell me why," I commanded, trying very hard not to raise my voice.

"Sophie, do you want to go play with some toys in your playroom?" Michael questioned ever so kindly.

"Yeah! Do you want to play with me?"

"In a little bit." I watched as she disappeared into one of the bedrooms. "Luke I truly think you should just ask-"

"No. I want to know now!" I snapped. I clenched my jaw together as I waited for Michael to answer me.

"Because... she didn't tell anyone who the father was."

"Why the fuck would she do that!" I shouted, standing up from the chair. I started to pace the room, wondering why she would do such a thing. What was she afraid of?

"Dammit Luke! You are doing it again; making it all about you. She was just trying to protect you. You know that if the word would have gotten out, our band would have been destroyed. All of the girls would've gone crazy and we all would be getting a lot of hate, so she only told us and Thomas."

I didn't know how to respond to what Michael had just said. He walked out of the room and into the room Sophie had previously gone into. Again, Michael was right. I made everything about me and never thought of anyone else.

I was the one to leave Hayden. I was the one that made the band take a break. I was that person. The one who lost everything on the way they reacted. I had lost the only person I had ever truly loved. I had lost my career and had a bad reputation. I had even lost my daughter. She doesn't call me dad, she already has one.

Why was I even here in Australia when Sophie had a dad? Hayden found someone to love, and Michael is there to take care of Sophie. Was it to show me how much I suck? Was it to show me how much I screwed up? Was it to show me how worthless I actually was?

I had had it. I was going to pack up my things and fly right back to California where I belong.