Page 96 of His Son's Brid
Then footsteps. Heavy, fast. Coming up the stairs.
I barely have time to step back before my door slams open so hard it hits the wall.
Dad stands there, and I've never seen him look like this. His face is purple with rage, veins standing out in his neck. His hands are clenched into fists, and there's blood on his knuckles.
Blood.
"Dad?" My voice comes out small. "What happened? Are you hurt?"
"Am I hurt?" He laughs, bitter and harsh. "You're asking if I'm hurt?"
"I don't understand..."
"Is it true?" He's advancing on me now, and I back up instinctively. "Tell me it's not true. Tell me Axel Santego is lying through his teeth."
Ice floods my veins.No. No no no.
"What did he say?" I manage.
"Don't play stupid with me, Aurora! Is. It. True?" He's shouting now, spittle flying. "Is he the father of your baby?"
The world tilts.
He told him. Axel told him.
"Dad, let me explain..."
"So it IS true!" His voice breaks on the words. "Jesus Christ, Aurora. Axel? You slept with Axel Santego?"
"I didn't know who he was! I met him at a club, and we..."
"And you WHAT? You fucked him? Got pregnant by him? By my best friend? By the man I trusted more than anyone in this world?"
The words hit like slaps.
"It wasn't like that! I didn't know he was your friend. Didn't know he was Leo's father. We didn't use last names. We just..."
"You just what, Aurora? Had a one-night stand? Multiple nights? How many times did you spread your legs for him before you bothered to ask who he was?"
I flinch like he hit me. "Dad..."
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" He's pacing now, hands in his hair. "Any idea at all? You've destroyed everything! My friendship with Axel. The alliance I was building. Your reputation. Your future!"
"I didn't mean to..."
"You didn't MEAN to?" He whirls on me. "You didn't mean to fuck my best friend? Didn't mean to get pregnant by him? What DID you mean to do, Aurora?"
"I just wanted..." My voice breaks. "I just wanted to feel something. To have something that was mine. To not be the obedient daughter for once in my life."
"Well congratulations. You succeeded. You had your fun, and now you've destroyed everything."
Tears are streaming down my face now. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know..."
"Sorry doesn't fix this!" He's shouting again. "Sorry doesn't undo the fact that you're carrying that bastard's child! Sorry doesn't fix the twenty years of friendship you destroyed!"
"Don't call him that."
The words slip out before I can stop them.
