Page 86 of Only You
“It still doesn’t make sense why she hasn’t been home. I got up last night for a bottle of water, and I looked out the front window to see if her car was there, and it wasn’t.”
“As I said. I’m sure she’s very busy.” I scrolled on my phone.
“Dad?”
“Yes, kiddo?”
“I like Hannah and I’m sorry I tried to get her in trouble with you. If she left because of me?—”
I stopped scrolling and looked at my daughter. “She didn’t leave, Lucy. And even if she did, it had nothing to do with you.”
“So, then you admit that you did something to her. Because I remember the night she watched me after Mara had to leave for the airport. You said you were going to talk to Hannah because you forgot to tell her something. It’s been since that night she hasn’t been around. What did you say to her?”
I stared at her blankly for a moment because I didn’t know what to say. I certainly wasn’t discussing this with my eleven-year-old daughter.
“We had an adult conversation, and that’s all you need to know.”
She climbed out of the pool, wrapped the towel around her, and sat in the lounger next to me.
“If you hurt her feelings because of me, Dad?—”
“Lucy, it had nothing to do with you. I’m just not in the right headspace to be seeing someone right now.”
“So, you did tell her you didn’t want to spend time with her anymore. Didn’t you?”
“I’m a very busy man, kiddo. Between my work here and in Chicago and you, I don’t have time to deal with anyone or anything else.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call seeing someone you really like ‘dealing’ with someone. You make it sound like she was a problem.”
“No, sweetheart. She wasn’t a problem at all. I can’t divide my time equally right now. That’s all, and it’s not fair to her. I thought you didn’t like Hannah?”
“It wasn’t that I didn’t. She’s really nice. I was just afraid that if the two of you got serious, she would take you away from me. But, after talking with her, I know that’s not true.”
“You told her that?”
“Yeah. She said you love me more than anything, and nobody could ever take you away from me.”
“She’s right. I wish you would have told me how you felt instead of saying things that weren’t true.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” She looked down. “If you find time to include her in our lives, I’m okay with that.”
“I appreciate it, sweetheart.” I held out my arms, and she leaned over so I could hug her.
CHAPTER 29
Alex
I hoped Lucy wouldn’t have noticed that Hannah hadn’t been home. I’d wondered where the hell she was over the last few days. I texted her a couple of days ago, and she never replied. Getting up from the lounger, I went into the house and grabbed the spare key to the guesthouse. I knew I shouldn’t have gone in there without her permission, but she left me no choice.
Inserting the key into the lock, I opened the door and stepped inside. Walking up the stairs, I entered her bedroom and looked around, noting the pristine look of the room. I opened her closet door and saw that her two suitcases and most of her clothes were gone.
“Fuck!” I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “Hey, Lucy,” I shouted as I stepped back into the house.
“Get your shoes on. We’re going into town.”
“For what?”
“I need to pick up a file from my office.”