had to say next.
“Well, Damien has kind of had a change of heart about it. Said he’s willing to give him a try.”
“Oh, that’s good news for you. You know how men are—butt heads a lot because they’re stubborn.”
I wished it were that simple. “Dad, the thing is…Damien has every right to feel the way he does. He’s not overreacting. His feelings aren’t unfounded. But…I feel like this man isn’t the same person he used to be. He’s changed. And I think he deserves a fresh start…because I love him.” I’d just told my father I loved a man, and my heart was about to explode with anxiety. I knew I would only have this conversation with him if I were going to get married, because I wasn’t going to bring a guy around unless that was the kind of future I pictured for us.
He dropped the spoon, taking the weight of my words with complete seriousness. “You love this man?”
I nodded. “Yeah…I do.”
“If you love him despite what he’s done, I’m sure you have a good reason. You’re a smart woman with impeccable judgment.”
My eyes softened so much I thought I might cry.
“I’m sure Damien agrees.”
Not in the slightest. “He wants to meet you. But I thought we should talk first…”
“Alright. I’m ready to listen whenever you’re ready to speak.”
“Well…” There was no way I could phrase any of this to make Heath sound good. He was the villain, no matter how I explained it. “We both know what Damien does. Heath has been an adversary—”
“His name is Heath?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
“Heath basically demanded taxes from Damien because he runs the city, at least underground. When Damien refused…they didn’t get along. And then to make Damien pay for his defiance…he took you.”
My father slowly understood what I was saying, the light of comprehension coming into his eyes.
“He had his men hold you somewhere until Hades came to rescue you.” It pained me to say all of this, to feel disloyal as I spoke.
He didn’t say anything, but he dropped his gaze, which wasn’t a good sign.
“Then Heath took me and locked me in a cage as part of a ploy to get back at Damien, but he let me go. He said he couldn’t go through with it. I didn’t see him again for a while, and when we bumped into each other, we just had the right chemistry. I told him I didn’t want to be with him, but he wore me down…and never told me what he did. I found out later—and left him. I didn’t want to be with a man who moved against my family like that. I tried not to care about him. But then I realized…he’s not that man anymore. He would give his life to protect mine, to protect anyone I loved. He’s different…and even Damien acknowledges it.” I waited for him to look at me.
He didn’t.
I was hoping this would go better, but I’d been too optimistic.
“I wanted you to know the truth. I didn’t want to lie about any of it.”
Nothing.
“But he’s not that man anymore. He’s saved Damien’s life, he’s saved mine… He takes care of me.”
My dad wasn’t a quiet guy. He usually had something to say, lived for the opportunity to have a conversation because he was lonely. But now he was silent, processing everything I’d said. “I’ve got to be honest, sweetheart. I was expecting you to say something completely different…”
“I know it’s a lot to take in…”
He was so disturbed that he pushed his lunch aside and rested his hands on the table, his fingers interlocked. His eyes were still down, deep in thought. “I wasn’t expecting this man to be a criminal mastermind.”
“That’s not all who he is…”
He shook his head slightly, sighing quietly.
Heath and I hadn’t gotten this far just to trip over the finish line. “Dad, he’s different now. I know what he did was wrong. It took me a long time to look past it. But he’s the man I love, the man I want to spend my life with, and it would mean the world to me if you could keep an open mind.”
His thumbs gently brushed together, his eyes watching his movements.
“You said I wouldn’t love this man unless I had a good reason, that you trust my judgment.”
“I know what I said, sweetheart. This is just a lot to take in at once. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to want a man like Damien, like the men in his world.