Chapter 20
Alex POV
I scrolled through my phone, pretending to listen to Bella’s chatter, but my mind was somewhere else. Julie.
“Look at her,” I muttered under my breath, staring at her picture that had just popped up on my screen. I couldn’t help but remember the way she looked when I saw her at the restaurant with a man beside her, making her giggle like a ten–year–old.
“Living her best life while I was rotting in jail. Unbelievable.”
Bella paused mid–sentence and stared at me. “What?” she asked, but I waved her off.
She kept talking, but I couldn’t focus. “Months in that cell because of her,” I whispered, gripping my phone tighter. If it weren’t for Bella and her family, I’d still be rotting in jail. Her dad pulled strings, paid my fine, even invested in my company. I owe them everything. But Julie? No. She ruined me, and now she gets to laugh and smile.”
“Alex“” Bella’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “Alex! Are you even listening to me?” she asked, folding her arms.
I blinked, quickly shoving my phone into my pocket. “Sorry, Bella, Just… caught up with work.”
But she wasn’t buying it. “No, Alex,” she said, moving closer to me. “I’m not letting this go. You’ve been acting weird for days. And don’t tell me it’s work–it’s Julie, isn’t it? Because ever since we saw her at the restaurant, you haven’t been yourself. Are you still in love with her or something?”
1 chuckled at her words. “Love Julie? Are you serious right now, honey?” I scoffed.
“You should know by now that I feel nothing but hatred for her. How can I be in love with someone who made me spend months in prison? You know what? I can’t deal with this right now, I’m off to the office,” I said as I stood and pecked her already protruding tummy.
I didn’t bother waiting for her response as I grabbed my keys and headed outside. Once I got into the car, I took a deep breath, gripping the steering wheel.
I pulled out my cigarettes and lighter, smoking four sticks before hitting the road. The calming effects of the smoke lingered for a moment as I drove aimlessly, with no destination in mund:
My car seemed to drive itself to Julie’s house. I didn’t even remember how I got there, all I knew was that I was parked outside, staring at the familiar structure that once meant something to me.
Then I saw Avery. She was walking back from school. She had grown so much since the last time I saw her. When our eyes met, for a moment, I thought she might ignore me or, worse still, pretend I didn’t exist. But to my surprise, she paused and just stared at me.
I got out of the car, casually popping a mint into my mouth as I leaned on the door. I waved at her with a smile.
“Dad!” she cried as she ran toward me and jumped into my arms.
I caught her, holding her tightly as she hugged me.
“I missed you so much,” she said, still not letting go.
I held her for a few moments longer before gently pulling her back, patting her on the back
“I missed
you too,” I said, forcing a smile. “Daddy’s here now, and I promise I won’t leave you again
She smiled through her tears, and I smiled back at her.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” I said, pulling her into another hug.
“Do you feel like grabbing a burger?” I asked, stepping back. “Your favorite cheeseburger?”
Her eyes lit up. “You remember?”
“Of course,” I said, chuckling. “Why would I forget my little cheeseburger queen?”
She laughed, wiping her eyes. “Let’s go!”
At the restaurant, Avery didn’t waste any time. The moment we sat down, she launched into a rant, telling me about everything that had
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10:02 PM P.
Chapter 20
happened since I’d gone.
“School’s the same boring place, but my friends are kind of annoying,” she started. “Oh, and guess what? I told Ms. Harris her new rules were dumb, and she gave me detention. Can you believe that? Ugh, and Mom didn’t even back me up! She just gave me a speech about. how disrespectful I’ve been and how I should respect elders.”
I nodded absently, sipping my water as she continued.
“And then there’s this girl, Casey. She thinks she’s better than everyone else because her dad bought her a new car for her birthday. I told her if you were here, you would’ve bought a bigger car than hers.”
Avery barely stopped to breathe as she talked nonstop. She moved from her friends to her teachers, to random things about her favorite TV show,
I checked my watch. It had been over an hour, and she was still talking.
And don’t even get me started on the cafeteria food. It’s like they’re trying to kill us. One time-
“Avery,” I said, cutting her off mid–sentence.
She looked at me, clearly annoyed. “Wait? I wasn’t done.”
“I just… I wanted to ask about your mom,” I said.
“Mom?” she scoffed. “What about her?”
“How is she doing?”
Avery frowned.
“Oh, please, don’t get me started on that. Mom barely understands me. She calls my tantrums disrespect. I hate her right now, Dad.”
This was getting interesting. “And why do you say that?”
“Because she doesn’t understand me like you do, Dad,” she said. “She’s always too busy or too strict. And guess what–she spent the night away from me! She was taking care of some guy or whatever. Can you believe that? Some guy!”
I couldn’t help but smile. Maybe Avery was my way back into Julie’s life–to make her pay.
“A guy?”
“Yes!” she said. “She barely even cares about my tantrums anymore. She used to, but now it’s like she’s totally ignoring me.”
I leaned back in my chair, processing her words. Avery hated Julie.
Before I could respond, I heard a scream. I turned my head, and there she was
Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy DaisyNovel. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.