Princess

Chapter 47: Safe

Ariadne

The world was blurry. And everything hurt.

If I was still in that fucking basement again, I was going to kill someone.

I adjusted to the blinding light from the tall windows showing off New York.

Groaning, I rolled my neck. It was odd being a patient in my own hospital, but alas. People who were kidnapped by deranged Italian mob bosses couldn't be choosers.

Warmth covered my left hand where Damon was clutching it, passed out with his head resting on my upper thigh.

A smile crossed my face when I looked at him. So beautiful, so angelic, so perfect. I was overwhelmed by his sheer existence. Like no matter what happened, if I had him by my side, I was invincible. Like I never needed anything other than him to be happy.

And he loved me.

What a surreal feeling that was.

"Hi angel," my father's voice resonated through the room. He leaned over to press a kiss to my forehead. I expelled a breath. "You scared me."

"Sorry, I'll try not to let it happen again," I croaked.

A rare smile crossed his face—the one that looked so much like Christian's. He shook his head as he brushed the hair out of my face, unshed tears in his eyes.

"I'm okay, Dad."

"I'm so sorry, Ariadne," he rasped.

"Dad, don't. It's over now."

I had never seen my father so broken in my entire life. Not once. It looked like seeing me in pain was killing him. I clutched his hand tightly as the truth settled in me: he did care.

"You remind me so much of your mother. Every time I looked at you, it was a reminder of her. And I feel so goddamn guilty because I had so much time with her. And you never did."

"Dad—"

"And you hate me for her," he whispered. "You hate me."

"I don't hate you, Dad. Or at least, I don't want to. I'm tired of feeling like this. I'm tired of feeling like I'm the kid you didn't want."

His eyes flared. "That's not true."

I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment. "We have a long way to go, you and me. But I want to get there, okay? I want us to be better."

Dad's hand covered my free one. "I'd like that."

Squeezing his palm, I mulled the question in my mind before I asked, "Did you love her?"

Silence filled the room for a moment before he nodded. "I did."

"And did she love you?"

He smiled gently. "Catherine loved everyone. But yes, she did love me. She wanted me to be happy."

"And are you?"

He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. "I'm getting there." He flicked a tense gaze away from me for a moment and I knew, in an instant, what he was thinking about.

"You're thinking about Christian, aren't you?" The son he never got along with. My mother's fiercest protector. The CEO who was so much like his father that he hated himself.

He chuckled. "You are too smart. Just like her."

"You and Christian have ways to go too."

"There's no destination for us, angel," he said, with a heartbreaking look in his eyes. "We're not going anywhere."