Just Breathe

Chapter Eleven

Lia wasn't sure what was more humiliating - the fact that she was bleeding from being slapped, or the fact that it was almost certainly confirmed in every party goer's mind that she was just a kid in big trouble with her parents. She felt dozens of sets of eyes on her, watching and judging her every expression and movement. Never before had she wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear more than she had at that moment.

Completely humiliated and at a loss for what to do, she ran towards her bedroom. Ran like the little kid she still obviously was.

Sound didn't reach her ears, but she was almost certain everyone was whispering and laughing at her plight. In reality, the party-goers were temporarily stunned into silence both from the resounding slap delivered to Lia's face and the fact that one of the world's biggest stars was standing in the doorway.

Even despite their drunken stupor, most assessed the situation and decided bolting for the doors was the best move. Lin didn't even try to stop the stampede of drunken college kids running for the door or fire escape. Frankly, he didn't care at this point. His daughter was obviously upset and bleeding. She'd clearly lied and messed up big time but his fatherly instincts kicked into gear first.

Ayden and Lin locked eyes for a few moments, the elder's silently communicating that the younger better not move if he knew what was good for him. He'd trusted Ayden with his daughter for over three years and tonight he'd failed.

Lin bee lined for his daughter's bedroom, not even bothering to knock. He'd missed her early years and the chance to patch up her scratches and scrapes. He knew he had few opportunities in her life when he could swoop in and be dad and he certainly wasn't going to let her down.

Not knowing where else to go, Lia had crawled out onto the fire escape. As a kid, she would find her way out onto the grated structure of any building when she felt trapped. It was, quite literally, her escape from whatever was bothering her.

Lia cried softly, wiping away at her tears as she heard her father climb out of her window. She wouldn't look at him, curling her knees up and burying her face in her arms. Already feeling completely disgusted with herself, she didn't think she could bear to see the disappointment on his face.

She felt a tissue being set between her fingers. She took it and held it to her lip. Somehow, her dad's kindness made her feel even worse. Lia knew he must feel betrayed and pissed, but still his first concern was her well-being. The harsh sting seemed to return full force as she gently dabbed at her swelling lip.

They were silent for several long minutes, just the sound of Brooklyn traffic around them. The twinkling lights of Manhattan were always a sight of comfort. As she slowly managed to get herself together, she peeked out at the familiar skyline, letting it remind her that she was small in the world, and so were her problems.

Finally, Lin broke the silence. "What happened?" he asked simply.

Lia sniffled and wiped under her eyes again. Her makeup was surely a mess. "I know you hate me right now," she began, feeling she deserved it.

"I do not hate you," Lin quickly corrected her, glancing over. She still wouldn't look at him. "I will never hate you, no matter what you do. What happened?"

"Ayden really wants to get into STA, so he invited a bunch of frat boys over to impress them," she explained, the emotion in her voice still causing it to shake. "It was only supposed to be a few people, but apparently word got out and it ended up being, like, forty."

Lin nodded, thinking back to his high school years when he always felt like he was in competition with his classmates. At Hunter, everyone was a genius so it always seemed like he had to fight to stay relevant. He'd never felt like the smartest kid in his class, so he fell back on his humor and quick words to keep up. On top of that pressure, Lia also had the added weight of being the child of a celebrity.