If Loving You is Wrong

22: Close Call

           

Liana was in her room a while later when the door knocked and after giving the knocker permission to enter, her father walked in.

"Daddy!" Liana practically screamed as she jumped off her bed and ran into her father's arms and hugged him tightly.

Hands down, Leonardo Vargas was her most favourite person in the entire world.

Her father was everything to her and as she breathed in his familiar smell of aftershave and a hint of the whiskey he always had a swig of when he got home from anywhere; she felt at peace.

She loved her mother and siblings of course but Liana and her father had a special bond that no one in their family could deny. She was Daddy's Little Girl through and through and nothing and no one could ever come between them.

"Hello my darling girl!" he said as he kissed the top of her head. They stood there for a few moments just hugging until, Leonardo stepped her away from him to look down into her face.

"You look well," he said approvingly. "Are you behaving?"

"No," she said with a smile as her father laughed,

"Of course you're not. Come, tell me about your travels."

Liana took her father's hand as they left her bedroom and made their way downstairs.

They walked the large carpeted hallway slowly, past her brother and sister's rooms and her parents' rooms and a few spare rooms before they got to the top of the stairs. Liana talked his ear off about school and Saima's engagement,

"Almasi?"

"That's what she said. Do you know him?"

"I know his father yes. Good people,"

"Well that's good, I don't want Saima rushing into anything and especially not with someone who isnt worth her time."

Leonardo nodded as they reached the bottom of the sweeping staircase and continued their leisurely walk to the family room.

"You always were very smart Liana," she rolled her eyes at him in good spirits.

"You think I'm good at everything,"

"You're my daughter, of course you're good at everything!"

"Ever humble dad!" Leonardo winked at her.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" she asked as she noticed her mother sat on the couch going through her phone.

"When are you going to find someone special?"

Leia Vargas looked up then and rolled her eyes at her husband as Liana jumped onto the couch beside her and kissed her cheek,

"Hey Mama,"

"Hello baby, what rubbish is your father talking about now?"

"Why's it rubbish that I wish to know when my daughter will have a relationship?" Leonardo laughed as he took a seat on the chair opposite.

"I would have thought you'd want to keep your darling youngest daughter all to yourself for a little while longer." Leia teased while Liana chuckled to herself.

As long as her parents were joking about her romantic status, they wouldn't actually ask her any serious questions.

What would she really say? That she was sleeping with some man more than ten years older than her, that they weren't in a committed relationship because she'd only known him the relationship equivalent of five minutes?

She might have had a revelation after their little argument in Italy but now in the cold light of her parents gaze – her father's gaze – she couldn't tell him what was going on with Antonio. She couldn't allow her father to be disappointed in her.

"Liana will always be my youngest daughter, no matter who she ends up with. She deserves nothing but the best,"

"We talking about the little princess again?"

Liana didn't get on well with her older sister at the best of times but she was ecstatic that Luisa had chosen to enter at that very moment.

Luisa took the seat beside their father and he kissed her temple sweetly,

"Behave Luisa," Luisa rolled her eyes but said nothing so Liana poked her tongue out at her.

"Mama!"

"Grow up, the both of you!" Leia snapped making Liana giggle.

"So...where's Andro?"

"Currently on his way back here if I got through to him on the phone yesterday."

"Where is he?"

"Thailand,"

"Thailand!" the rest of the family chorused but Liana just shrugged.

"I told him he had to get back because things were going bad with the group and he said he'd be back."

"Whats going on with the group?"

"Nothing to worry your pretty little head about,"

"Bite me!"

And so Liana's parents explained what was going on with the family business and Leandro and his arranged marriage. They would all have to be in Aldovia soon for the wedding. As they discussed things, Liana's phone vibrated and she took it out to see a message...from Antonio.

She tried not to react too much at his having got in contact and of course because her family were with her.

She opened the message and read:

I was wrong. Again.
I want to see you but I can no longer do so.
Its best we stay apart.
I wish you all the best in your future endeavours

Antonio x

Liana could have screamed if she wasn't with her family but instead she had to remain calm. She wasn't going to get angry because this, she could now see was just another one of Antonio's pathetic games that she refused to play.

She was going to get to the bottom of his erratic behaviour once and for all. He wasn't going to worm his way out of an explanation with cryptic answers that got her nowhere.

"Daddy,"

"Yes Liana," he said looking over at her. "I just got some news from school and need to be back sooner than expected. Can I borrow the jet?"

"Liana, you know we don't use it frivolously." Leia interjected

"Is school frivolous? A commercial flight will take too long."

"I don't know why you bother Mama, you know he's going to give it to her." Luisa scoffed but Liana just ignored her.
"Daddy!" Liana whined,
"Luisa, be quiet. Of course you can use the jet sweetie," Liana poked her tongue out at her sister who flipped her off instead. "I'll be using it too."

"Where are you going baby?" Leia asked,

"I need to meet with Antonio Sabbatini about the Aldovian deal. He recently got back to New York so we set up a meeting."