It was the middle of the day, and her dad normally went to
work so much later. She’d texted him earlier, saying that she’d
be at the house. He came rushing out of the living room as
soon as he heard her bag hit the floor.
Her mouth dried out as her dad rushed forward and wrapped
his arms around her. There was no noise in the house. Nothing.
No white noise from the TV or music playing. He’d been
sitting in the living room waiting, watching the street for her.
Haley’s heart ached. All she could think about was Claire.
About the ruined expression on her face the night before when
she’d told her everything. Not just about the restaurant, but
about her previous life.
She’d been forced to marry a man she didn’t love. What
kind of childhood did she have? Her father sounded like a
brute. She’d rebuilt herself from the ashes of everything. What
Haley’s dad had done to Claire was so much worse than just
the spoiled seafood, which she still couldn’t quite grasp,
because that man was mean and conniving and cruel, and she
didn’t know her father to be any of those things.
Haley let her dad hold her. She let him caress her hair, his
hands exploring the strands like he almost couldn’t believe she
was there and real. The past was a long time ago, she thought,
but the present refreshed it. She couldn’t be with Claire
because she was her father’s daughter. She couldn’t pretend
that she wasn’t a part of him, and he wasn’t a part of her, and
Claire could never make her peace with him. Haley couldn’t
pretend it was any other way. She wasn’t a kid anymore. She’d
grown up in the month she’d been gone. She no longer
innocent and naïve.
“Haley?