Alive with Me

Chapter 22

Lia

I closed my eyes and breathed the smell of the ocean.

Oak Island, North Carolina has been home for me for the past month since I walked out on Nate. The people here has been kind and welcoming. Much like in Colorado.

I miss it there.

Who am I kidding? I miss Nate.

He sends me messages everyday, but I never answered one of them. I could easily get rid of the phone he gave me, but I couldn't find it in myself to do so.

It's the only way I stay connected to him. Somehow reading his messages comforts me.

I decided to come here, just a few miles where I was found because I figured that this is the last place Carlos would think I'd go. This is the last place he would look for me, because who would want to come back to the place that holds so much history?

"Ma'm" Diego, my guard said, as he walked over to me, interrupting my thoughts.

"It's your dad," he said.

"Thanks," I said, and took the phone from him.

"Hi dad," I said.

"Hi principessa. Is everything okay over there?"

"Yes, dad. Everything's okay."

"That's good. Nate contacted me again," he said.

I closed my eyes. "Dad... I..."

"Honey, why don't you talk to him," my dad said.

"I can't dad."

"Did he do something? Because if he did you can tell me and I can..."

"No, dad. He didn't do anything," I said. "He's... "

"You love him," my dad said. "And he loves you," he added.

"Dad..."

"Oh hell... I'm not good at this. This is your mom's expertise," my dad grumbled.

I laughed. "How can you say that, dad? You're so good at loving us. Especially mom," I said.

"I wasn't always good at loving your mom. Especially in the beginning," he said. I could hear the regret and remorse in his voice even after all these years, though I don't know what he meant.

I frowned at that. "What are you talking about dad? I never even heard or saw you and mom fight. Not ever. I mean yeah, mom gets frustrated with you sometimes, but that's only when you're driving her crazy with your protectiveness, and even then, that barely lasts a minute cause you hate to see her upset."

Dad chuckled. "That's true. But I was talking about when your mom and I first got together," he said. "You were very young then and your mom and I had just gotten married. I refused to acknowledge my feelings about your mom because I felt guilty..."

"About Cassandra? My other mom?" I finished for him.

"Yes. I was young when I met Cassie and I loved her. I truly did, but that was a young man's love. A love that wasn't tested. A love that didn't get the chance to grow, and I felt so guilty because what I feel for your mom... Arabella is so deep that it consumed me. I loved her the moment I laid eyes on her and fell deeper in love with her when she made you smile and laugh that first time you met," he said.