“Daddy, I can’t go tomorrow.”
“I think it’s better you don’t go anyway. You know how I feel about being in the vicinity of that girl. Declan, can you be there at two-thirty?”
“Yes, sir, tell them I’ll be there.”
“Good, call me when you’re done.”
“Wait–” I try to intervene but my dad has already hung up.
“Why would you say yes? You know I want to be with you.” My voice breaks.
His face softens and he doesn’t answer me. When we pull up in our garage, he unbuckles my seatbelt and pulls me to him.
“Don’t cry. Don’t ever cry over her again. I said yes because I need to get this over with. I’m sorry you can’t come, but I’ll be in and out. I don’t want to spend any more time with her than I have to.”
“I jjjuuust want to be thhhere for yyyoouu.” I say between sobs shaking against his chest.
He rubs his hands down my back. “I know you do and I appreciate it, but it’s better you don’t come. Look at how she affects you. If I have it my way, you’ll never lay eyes on her again.”
It takes a few minutes for me to calm down but eventually my breathing evens out and I can talk. “I guess there’s really nothing I can do about it. But I swear to God Dec, if she seems the least bit unstable, you get out of there.”
“I will sweet girl. Now how much time do we have until your friends get here?”
“They’ll be here at five-thirty.”
“Great, let’s get inside and you can help me make the lasagna. You also need to read over the article. We made a few changes, I want you and Amber to approve them.”
“Are you making my lasagna?”
“Technically it will be mine, but you have to tell me how to make it.” He grins slyly.
I laugh at him and hop out of the truck. He follows me in with the groceries and we make dinner together. Even though I’m still worried about tomorrow, I won’t let Christie ruin anything else.
*****
Declan
I hate this. It is a bitch to get through security and they treat me like I’m here to visit someone I care about. I get a ten minute lecture on the importance of being sensitive to the patient’s needs and understanding the progress they’ve made since Christie came here. I’m not here on a fucking social visit. I’m doing this to see what the bitch has to say.
The door to the small room opens and a man leads Christie in. As soon as I see her, bile rises in my throat. Some may say she’s pretty, but to me, she’s the ugliest person in the world. Thinking about what she did and the pain she caused makes me want to cancel this meeting.
“Hello, Declan, how are you?” she asks softly.
“Christie.” I nod my head in greeting.
She sits down and tries to scoot her chair closer to me, but I get up and lean against the wall.
“Come on now, you won’t even sit by me?”
“Christie, why am I here? You have something you need to say to me?”
“I’ve been following your success. I know about the album, the tour, the single, all of it.”
“All public knowledge.”
“Come on Declan, after everything that’s happened, you don’t have to be so mean. I asked you here to apologize.”
“For which part? Going crazy, kidnapping my fiancée, beating her up?