neck and squeeze her as they walk away.
That’s a good friend if I ever saw it.
“You should go,” I speak up.
“What, are you jealous or something? What is your issue with me?”
“That you hurt the woman I love and you’re going to do the same to her daughter. Angela left me with a responsibility I am not going to take it lightly.” I take a step towards him and Micah takes one as well.
“She’s not yours.”
“The hell she’s not,” I growl back. “She doesn’t need you, Micah.”
“And what, she needs you? A pathetic widower that’s trying to hang onto the memory of her mother through her? She’s not Angela.” He yanks his sunglasses from his face and points a finger towards me. “Maybe you should go. Since you’re the only one here not related to her by blood.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Pamela states. “He’s her guardian. Something that Angela and Stassia both stated. Angela died while Stassia was still a minor. While she’s eighteen now, Dominic has been more of a father to her than anyone, he deserves to be here. You do not,” she barks. “If she wants you here, fine, but I’ll be damned if I let you stand here and insult the man that was here when you weren’t. Sit your ass down and be quiet or don’t come around.”
“Did you honestly expect we’d welcome you with open arms given everything we know about you?” I ask. “Do you honestly think Stassia, who’s a very intelligent woman would just let you assume that dad role? It’s not that simple. That title is earned. She doesn’t trust you and neither do we.”
Stassi rejoins us and I’m pleased to note that she stands next to me. “I didn’t mean to cause such a thing.” She lowers her face sadly and shakes her head. “This is my graduation day; this should be about me.”
“It is, honey,” Pam speaks up.
“No, it’s about my birth father, who I called while I was under the influence mind you, and didn’t even expect to come.” She looks at Micah. “You said you were busy and then I didn’t hear from you.”
“I said I would move some things around and that I would be there. I never said busy, Stass.”
“Already in the running for that father of the year title, I see.” I shoot daggers at Micah, hating that he even insinuated to Stassi that he wouldn’t be able to make the most important day of her life thus far.
“I really threaten your sweet little place in her life, don’t I?” Micah growls and Stassi takes a step forward.
“You can’t. No one can replace Dominic in my life. That’s what it seems you aren’t getting. I don’t need a father. I thought you wanted a shot at being in my life. I thought we could be friends at first, and maybe one day, years down the road, we could talk about a more familial place in my life. But the spot of father is spoken for.” Stassi is visibly shaking at this point so I pull her back into a hug.
Micah runs his hands down his pants and shakes his head. “Congratulations again, Stassia.” Without another word, he turns on his heel and walks away.
Her head moves off of my chest and watches him walk away with a devastated look on her face. “Well, it’s not the first time he’s walked away from me.”
* * *
“So, I was thinking about heading to Charleston this weekend. Go to the house? We’ve been cooped up in here since the start of summer and I think we both deserve to have some fun.” Dominic decided years ago that he wanted us to have a beach house, a place we could go every summer and unwind. Somewhere not too far, but far enough that it was truly a vacation when we made it down there. I stopped going two years ago because I cared less about the quiet beach and more about throwing a party since my parents would be out of town.
“You want me to come with you?” I look up from my Kindle. It’s the third book I’ve read this week, but seven years late, I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about Christian Grey. Three books and three sleepless nights later, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’d definitely let him take me for a spin in the red room of pain. Marriage, though? Eh, pass.
“Yes, Stassia I do. I don’t want you