Notice me

CHAPTER VIII

Jethro laid somberly on the couch nursing his third bottle watching emerald rush around the house cleaning up where she thought necessary. He hadn't confronted yet, no matter how much the burning need thundered at his heart tenfold. Dacia had ignored his calls left and right but in a sick way he deserved it for doubting her loyalty to him.

He cared more for emerald then because she was the only living family he had left and at that time Dacia was just a face that kept popping up. They couldn't admit their feelings because they were just too stubborn but when word got out about their involvement everything changed. She was no longer a face that kept popping up, she was a girl worth fighting for.

To say Emerald was displeased would've been an understatement ,slowly but surely Dacia had claimed his heart with her name branded on top and their wasn't a thing he would do to change it.

"Dad I think it's time to go" she hadn't called him that since she was six and yet he couldn't decipher it whether it was her remorseful side (if she had any) or maybe there was a part two to this whole circus.

Was he the main act or Dacia?

"Emerald" he cleared his throat sitting up with his face completely vulnerable but she only felt fear. She took note of his sunken bloodshot eyes and the way his nose reddened.

"Yes" She was apprehensive. Had he caught on to what she did.

"I- I raised you like my own, sheltered you when you had nowhere. Emerald I've been with Dacia six years, would you believe that? We dated for five months and were official on August twentieth. She let me in when she had no one and I let her in when I was shattered- then out of nowhere comes this article. You know what it said" he gazed at her with burning hatred passing her dismissively to the open bar. "It said that I raped her and that your mother was so defenseless that she went to take you but I threatened to kill her so she left" his dark laugh had her cowering.

Tears looked at his eyes with the first memory he had of Dacia, their first kiss, their first dance, even their first time. "I have never degraded anyone like I wished I could now" he shouted approaching her slowly with agility in his steps.

"Dad-"

"I'm not your fucking father!" The bottle left his hand soaring to the other side of the room with his soul shattering amongst the now broken pieces.

"My brother died because of your crack whore mother and I had to raise you as my own, my whole life was ripped away from me and he knew it so he gave me his. She didn't want you Emerald, you were a nothing to her but a hefty check to cash in. He was sick and she was a hungry whore, put two and two together. You look nothing like me; you are nothing like me. I gave you the life neither he or I had and I made it better, I needed something no-one could never give me and Dacia ensured it. She was mine and I was proud to be hers" by now he was a blubbering mess on the floor his whole facade gone.

"I wanted to take you ring shopping with me so I could find the perfect ring for her, even take her to my parents grave to meet my family" emerald held a shaky hand to her chest. Her own breath failing her.

"My mother had to leave because you threatened her! You are my father! I know it" anger had her layer of disbelief spreading over her own unbelieved truth.

"You can take your shit and leave. I am officially ridding myself from you Emerald Johnson. Its that or you clean up your act and accept Dacia just as I did you"

"I'll be gone by morning" she growled

"You'll be gone but twelve tonight, you have an hour, be glad I didn't burn your belongings" he got up calling the chauffeur to take him to Dacia's mother's.

He waited until emerald had the first suitcase with his guard checking every piece of baggage to make sure she didn't take anything else. He gave them instructions to let her get her things packed and ready by twelve or throw her out with the items packed.

The chauffeur came quickly. He decided to call Zoe instead of Dacia. She nervously answered on the third ring.

"Hello"

"Zoe please put the phone to Dacia's ear I don't care if she doesn't want to speak to me I deserve the right to speak to her" he heard shuffling in the back ground until full silence.

"Jethro you are on speaker Dacia is also in the room"

"Baby I kicked her out and sent her on her way, I know where you are so don't bother leaving, the rest I have to say will be in the confinement of your room with just us two"
He hang up navigating the driver through all the nearest routes to her mother's home.

They parked at the sidewalk, be got out knocking on her door to be approached by her mother staring back at him angrily. "I don't know what you did that had my baby upset but do take well to that promise I made to you the first time we met" she widened the door for him to go inside.

He already knew where her old room was, he passed a flustered Zoe on the way up nodding at her in acknowledgement. Dacia's door was opened, he closed it behind him seeing her back face him with her angled towards the open windows.

Neither of them said anything the silence speaking far more than either of them ever could. He came behind her gripping her tightly in a bruising hug her whenever she tried to leave him. The painful sob only a reminder of what he struggled to keep together.

"I'm so sorry angel, I never meant for it to go this bad Dacia please believe me." He kissed her face pleading with him.

"You are so pathetic. I hate you!" She pushes him off standing face to face with the man she'd call her home.

He softly touched her cheek looking back at her equally glossy eye filled with raw untouched pain.

"I'm done with her, she's gone Dacia please. She was the only family I had left after I met you she became more of a responsibility, I didn't love her like I loved you. I had to take care of her, I never put her in front of you angel believe me" he leaned in slowly their breath mingling until their lips touched.

She pulled back so quickly and slapped him it had him shocked. Her anger burned like a wildfire. Taking him by the back of his neck she kissed him with all her pain, fear, insecurities...

He wrapped his hands around her waist drifting into the tethered love she offered.

Together they stayed in each other's arms silently sweeping away the remnants of their built up walls.

Thank you for reading 💝💞