When The Stars Align

Chapter 25

I heard James's words a bit shocked. Not that I was afraid of doing the test, I was sure Sarah was his, but I feared his intentions.

"James, does it have to do with Alex?" I asked openly. He stared at the landscape taking the bottle to his lips. "James..." I called his name and then he looked at me, resting the bottle on the table. "Answer me."

"Yes." He said defiantly looking in my eyes. All of a sudden they turned ice; I knew it was not directed at me but as I said his intentions scared me.

"I don't mind doing the test, you know that but the reason why you want to do it..." I spoke but he got up quickly and stood in front of me pointing his index finger.

"I don't want him near her, you got that Andrea? I want my legal rights as her father. If I see him around her or if I know you let him get near her, we're done."

"Are you out of your mind? Listen to me..." I said hushing. I grabbed his hand and pulled him down back to the chair, making him sit. "Sarah talked about her father tonight before we came here. She's hurt, she has stuff in her head that aren't true, she thinks you didn't care about her, do you want to make things even worse?" I tried to call his reason. James smiled and shook his head.

"What did I tell you? I knew she felt like that. You fucked up everything!" He accused me. "What did you say?"

"I told her the truth, obviously but she didn't believe me, she thinks I am just saying that to protect you. We need to give her time." James got up again and walked a bit around in circles and then he sat again. He was nervous and I held his hand with mine when he was near me again. "I know this is too much for you to handle. There's too many things for you to deal with in so little time but you have to trust me, trust me on this." I pleaded.

"You're right." He said calmer. "We need to give her time to get used to me, to grow some feelings, it won't be such a shock then. She's going to hate me the same way then." He said almost as a whisper and his voice even choked a bit. "She's going to hate me and it's not my fault. I didn't abandon her."

"She's not going to hate you because I won't let that happen. I will tell her the truth and she's a very clever kid, she will understand and then it's different because she knows you and she spent time with you."

"You're so innocent in this Andrea. Inside her there's this ghost she created and it's gonna be hard to let go."

"We're in this together now, be calm and patient. We're gonna make it."

"I still don't want her around him. Andrea, I am her father I have the right to ask you this."

"She likes him, she thinks that you never cared, it will be another stab in her heart. No one is going to take her away from you. You are her father, no one is going to take that away or change it. Put some rest in your heart and let's do things right and not imposing things on her that might hurt her even more." James looked away. I knew he was struggling with my words. "Look at me." I asked him and he did so.

"Don't let him be more important in her life than me." He asked squeezing my fingers.

"No, I won't." I assured him. "Now if you want to do the test I am ok with that just don't use that until we have talked to her. Then, you can give her your name but still don't force her anything, she will love you naturally."

"I hope that you're right. What do I have to do for the test?"

"Sarah made blood tests recently so you can go there and take yours too and ask for it. I will call her doctor tomorrow saying you're going there."