His Fairy

16

Chapter Sixteen - Greed

A Week Later.

I exit the airport building with a hopeful feeling only for it to diminish when I spot only a driver with my name on a card waiting for me. I shouldn't have expected my dad to come get me, he usually only does it if Abel is with me and my brother is currently waiting with Noah since I plan to leave Florida the same day. After Evie's attack I got my dad to reschedule my flight and Abel decided to stay with me longer while keeping up with college work remotely.

I walk over to the man and confirm my name before we get into the car and drive off towards home. We only live an hour away and I use the time to take in the scenery with music blasting through my headphones since I can't seem to calm my mind otherwise. I text Noah and Abel back telling them that I've arrived. My leg bounces the closer we get to the gates and I feel like I'm going to faint as I pay the driver. I hate confrontation of any kind so this is like my worst nightmare.

But I know this is something I must do to save myself from being bound to a life with no joy. I think back to the time where dad had taken me to Ohlsen Industries and the expectant looks shot my way, waiting for me to say that I'll consider this partnership. Talk about peer pressure except none of them were my peers. Well, apart from Ryan.

I'm not even sure why I agreed to consider this deal. It came soon after my mother's death so perhaps I felt pressured to please my father after constantly feeling like I was failing him, never doing anything right after taking his wife away from him. From then on me and Ryan just went on with our lives with the knowledge that we'll end up together in the future in the back of our mind. Since there was no attraction to each other we rarely spoke and when we did it was always about the businesses.

I think back to the time when I saw Ryan at that initial meeting who looked bored out of his mind and not the least bit interested in me. Nobody ever was. After the accident I became a bit of a loner because nobody wanted to be friends with the sad girl. At first it hurt that nobody liked me or wanted to get to know me...until I got used to it. But I couldn't stop my thoughts from chipping away at my confidence and self-esteem.

Was I that unlikeable?

Am I not doing a good job at pretending to be okay? I don't cry anymore and sure I don't smile either but why did I lose the little friends that I had? Do I deserve it for killing my mom?

Why have I never had a boyfriend? Am I unattractive? Do I need to change myself? But then...how can someone love me when I can't even love my true self?

I had pushed those thoughts deep down and ignored them, shrugging them off...until I found Lilah who wanted to be my friend because she liked me. Until Noah who wanted to be with me because of who I am. Until I became part of a group of people who made me realize that I'd like to live a joyful life doing what I want, loving who I want rather than being in a marriage with someone who will never care for me and be unfaithful. Because man oh man has Ryan been the typical playboy hopping from one bed into another faster than I can blink.

I deserve more. I've done nothing to anyone to be in misery and tears all the time. Everyone is worthy of happiness and love. I want it too.

Walking up to the keypad I punch in the code and make my way up the driveway. I glance at the sitting room's window and curse under my breath when I find my dad sitting in his usual armchair. I drop my duffle bag by the door and walk into complete silence.