Chapter 66 Disgusting's Situation
Elena
It’s no wonder I find him at the observatory. It’s daytime, and there’s not a single star in the sky, and yet my father comes here for comfort.
Taking a deep breath, I walk over to him. My heart sinks when I see the bottle of bourbon on the table. My father only drinks on the rare occasions when he’s incredibly upset.
“Elena,” he says, not looking at me. His eyes are fixed on the large telescope in the center of the room. “Do you know why we named you Andromeda?”
“Because my mother loved Greek mythology and the constellations.”
“Yeah,” he nods. “But also because in Greek mythology, Andromeda is one of the few women who had a happy ending. After Perseus saved her, she fell in love and got married. And when she died, she was immortalized as a constellation in the sky.
Your mother and I wanted the same for you. We wanted you to have a long and happy life. We wanted you to get married and have a family. She wanted nothing more than for you to have a happy ending.”
My hands clench into fists.
“My life isn’t over, Daddy.”
“No,” he says. “But it’s a pretty big mess right now, isn’t it?”
In a ranking of things a person has said that have hurt me, my father telling me my life is a mess would be at the top.
My throat tightens.
“I can change that. I will change that.”
“After your mother left us, I wanted the best for you. I wanted you to grow into an amazing woman, but you fought me every step of the way. So I let you be. I didn’t know how to connect with you, so I decided to take a step back. That was a mistake.”
“I went to Harvard. I got a business degree. I graduated with honors! I tried my best to make you proud!”
“Yes, those are accomplishments, but when did I tell you that I needed you to do all that? I asked you to go to college in New York City so you could be closer to our family, but you refused. I wanted you to study law, but you showed no interest. You always did what you wanted, Elena. I thought I was protecting you, but now I see that all I did was disappoint you.”
I feel like my heart is breaking.
"I hid the pregnancy and gave birth to a child without your knowledge. That doesn't mean I committed murder."
"In our world, Elena, we both know that what you did was much worse.
That's the thing about us Legans: when we're angry, we say things that are sure to hurt the other person. We can also be quite stubborn. But there comes a point where we cross that threshold. Where we just give up. I'm at that point now.
My father has never looked me in the eye, but I make sure to look him in the face when I say these next words.
"If I'm such a disappointment, you may never see me again. Goodbye, Dad."
When the tears start flowing, I don't stop them. I grab the phone to call Roman. Ironically, the person I thought hated me for so long is the only one I can turn to for help right now.
Roman and I made a mistake, but I'm tired of apologizing for what happened. I'm tired of apologizing for bringing my baby into this world and loving her. And I'm tired of apologizing for having feelings for him.
Always Be There
Russo
I tilted my head to the side, looking at her. Any conversation between us can't end in an argument. It would be unnecessary and utterly pointless. I sigh, heading for the towel I'd left on the table. I wipe away the sweat that's collected on my chest before turning to assess my future wife.
Her expression is tense, and her jaw is slightly charming. It's clear she'll continue to be difficult. And that's unfortunate. I was a fool to think this would be easy. Not that I could force her to submit.
"How did you enjoy the trip here?" I ask, trying to change the subject.
To my surprise, she relaxes slightly. Her expression brightens. "It was fine. Jason was nice. He didn't talk much."
"Yeah, he doesn't tend to socialize with people he doesn't know," I say. "He's dumb, though. You'll like him once you get to know him."
"Okay, good, because your cousin hates me." She said.
I wince. I don't have to ask which cousin she's referring to. "I can't help you with that, sorry. She hates me too."
"Why?" She asked.
I shrug. "A lot of reasons. Honestly, no one in my family particularly likes me."
She raises an eyebrow. "I'll let you know."
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll charm them in no time. The twins will like you." I said.
"The kids don't like you either?" She asked.
"Well," I drawl. "I killed their father. It was hard to overcome that gap."
"Oh, yeah," Rose says under her breath. "And my brother was the one who actually killed him. I think I screwed up."
That makes me laugh. "Don't worry, I talked to them, and they won't hold it against you. It might take them a while to open up, but they will. Maria even smiled at me today. And she said my name. That's progress."
"Okay," Rose nods. "So what now?"
"I haven't finished my workout," I inform her. "You can join me if you'd like. Maybe run on the treadmill. It's a great way to relieve tension."
Her lips pursed.
"I don't run unless someone's chasing me. Or unless it's for charity." She said.
Charity? Oh, my sweet little rose.
"I can believe that," I say, my lips twitching. "So what do you do for fun, Princess? Besides pottery, art, and charity, obviously. We might as well start getting to know each other."
"I'd like to rest now. I didn't sleep well last night. So if you could just put on a shirt and show me the bedroom I'll be using, I'd be so grateful," she says pointedly.