Page 25 of Daddy's Little 1
“That’s the last fucking punch you get, best friend or not,” Roman growls, moving toward my dad.
“Stop!” I scream, running forward and putting myself between them, facing my dad.
"Brenna, get dressed and get in the car. Now!" Dad orders.
I shake my head. “No.”
His eyes narrow. “What do you mean, no?”
Roman drops a protective arm around my shoulder. “She’s twenty-one now, James. She’s not a little girl anymore, and she makes her own decisions." His voice is steely, his gaze steady.
God, I never wanted it to come to this.
"You may be legal, but you're still my daughter. I left you in his safekeeping, and he took advantage of you!" Dad says, ignoring Roman.
"No! He didn’t. I wanted this. Him. I have for a long time. Hitting him before letting either of us explain doesn’t solve anything. Roman is your best friend. He hasn’t taken advantage of me. If anything, the opposite is true because I wanted him. I’ve always wanted him, and I always will,” I admit with a sob as the realization of what I’ve cost the two men I love more than anything settles over me.
“We both love you, James,” Roman says quietly, “but this isn’t some casual fling. Your friendship means a lot to me, but Brenna means more, and I’ll always fight for her.”
My dad’s eyes widen before he turns and paces in a small four-step line. He rubs the back of his neck, messing up his perfectly styled hair.
My heart breaks. I want to reach out and hug him. I know he's worried about me. He’s doing what he’s always done—looking out for me. Protecting me. But I don’t need protecting. Not from Roman.
Dad stops and stares at me. He opens his mouth several times only to shut it with a snap of his teeth. Finally, he says. "You have to choose."
"What?” Did I hear him right?
"You heard me. Leave now and come home with me. I'll get your things, and you'll never see him again. You'll go back to school and find an appropriate boy your age who wants you for the right reasons."
I'm horrified. "You can't—”
He raises his hand to stop me from saying any more. "I'm not finished. If you don’t come with me now, you won’t see me again. Because I can't see you with him. Not like this. You'll be out of my house and no longer my responsibility. You'll become his.” He jabs a finger at Roman.
“You stupid arsehole,” Roman says roughly. “Don’t make a decision you’ll regret. Take some time to calm down, and we can all talk—”
Dad’s eyes are flat, his mouth set in a hard line. “I don’t need time.”
I close my eyes as the first tear falls. This is my worst nightmare. My dad is stubborn. He’s serious. Two traits that have made him so successful.
Nothing I say will change his mind. Not today, at least. So, I need to decide if I’m walking away from Roman or watching my dad walk away from me.
I look at Roman. Blood trickles from his lip and a cut on his cheek, his expression tortured. He squeezes my shoulder, letting me know he’s here for me.
My heart skips a beat, and I want to scream. But I know what I want. Who I want. I know how this is supposed to work. And it'll hurt, so I rip the Band-Aid off quickly.
"I love you, Dad. But I’min lovewith Roman," I whisper, holding my dad’s furious gaze and pleading with him to understand. "He makes me happy. Please don’t deny us that."
His face pales. Silence stretches between us until, finally, he shakes his head and walks back the way he came.
And I know he's gone for good.
ChapterTwelve
Roman
"Areyou sure I don't need to take you somewhere?" Brenna asks as she hovers over me in her bathing suit.
Guilt tears at my insides. She’s sacrificing her relationship with her da for me. I ignore her question to ask one of my own. “You sure you made the right choice?” I ask, the words torn from me.