When Stars Cross

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

"What the hell, Jordan?" I spat. I didn't curse often. Fowl words only slipped my tongue when I felt that it was absolutely necessary, and this was 100% unavoidable.

"I'm sorry! He called me super early this morning, looking for you. I couldn't lie to him, I just said that you came straight to my house after leaving yours. He just wants to make sure you're alright Sammy, you owe him that." He argued softly. I couldn't even deny that he was right, and we both knew it. I sighed heavily, and thought about my next move. My dad could be here any minute, and to say I wasn't prepared to see him was an understatement. I had no idea what I would say to him, and not even the slightest clue about what he was going to say to me.

"Hey, don't worry," Jordan said sympathetically, rising out of his chair across from me to lift me into a tight hug. "Everything is going to be fine, trust me."

Jordan's strong arms wrapped around me completely, engulfing me into his fresh scent and warmth. He crouched to meet my height and buried his head in the crook of my neck, and I instinctively hugged him back. I felt safe in his embrace, and I let myself relax in his hold. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, causing me to jump and immediate dread to wash over me. He untangled himself from me, and looked into my eyes. "Just remember what I said." He murmured thoughtfully, before turning to go answer the door.

"Wait!" I objected, causing Jordan to turn around. I took his shirt that was still draped over me, and tossed it to him. "Please put this on before my dad gets the wrong idea." I muttered. Jordan nodded, and slipped the black tee over his head before heading to the door. I smoothed the fabric of my black dress, and proceeded to violently finger comb my hair. I hastily wiped under my eyes for any smeared eyeliner, and let out a shaky breath. The less of a hot mess I looked, the better. I knew if my dad would question me if I looked even the slightest bit disastrous because of his caring nature, and that was the last thing I needed. I didn't know how I was feeling, and I didn't know how I would reply when he asked.

I heard Jordan open the front door, followed by the sounds of a mumbled conversation between them. Their footsteps echoed softly until the reached the kitchen where I stood biting my nails nervously. Jordan entered the room first with an unreadable expression on his face, and my dad followed behind him. I scanned over my father slowly, and I absentmindedly let in a sharp breath.

"I'll be in my room," Jordan stated softly, and exited the kitchen without a sound.

He looked absolutely exhausted, and guilt immediately washed over me. His eyes looked sunken, and his hazel irises were so dark that they were almost black. His hair was slightly unruly, and an Angels sloppily thrown on. I was used to him in button-down shirts, and suits, so his causal look threw me off completely. I had never seen him like this, and my heart ached for him. He missed his wife.

Janet and my dad had met fresh out of college. They were both attended Stanford all four years, and pursued business majors without ever crossing paths. Right after their graduation ceremony had ended, my dad was in a rush to get out of the parking lot and crashed into Janet's parked car.

He always had a love-stuck gleam in his eye when described how furious she had been. She kicked and screamed, and even threatened to sue him for every penny he owned. He said that  that was the exact moment he knew he was in love with her.

"Squirt." He mumbled sadly, making his way over to me with his arms extended. I met him halfway, closing the embrace. He practically crushed me in his hold, and I let out a strangled sob. I hadn't even realized I was crying, and my dad's hold only got tighter. The tears kept flowing uncontrollably, and I'm sure we stayed like that for at least 10 minutes. Me just crying into my dad's T-shirt, and him holding onto me for dear life.

We separated after I had finally calmed down, and sat down at the same breakfast table Jordan and I had eaten at minutes before. There was still scraps from our finished meal, and leftover food practically spill over the countertop to our left. I saw my fathers gaze scan over the various breakfast foods that littered the kitchen.

"Who cooked all of this?" He asked, his face scrunching as if he was thinking about something.

"Jordan." I said simply. A sad smile pulled at his lips.

"He's a good guy. I wasn't sure if I liked him at first, but I think he might just be the best thing for you. Do you love him?"

I felt a slight blush creep up on my cheeks at the mention of my feelings for Jordan. I had never had a talk like this before with my dad, not even when I started dating Matt. He was gone for most of the year I had spent with him, and didn't have time to ask many questions.

"Yeah, I do." I admitted, biting my lip. He nodded lightly.

"I loved your mom a lot, even though we fought it most of the time. Don't be like me. Being stubborn is only going to make you regret all the time you wasted." He proclaimed almost bitterly. I nodded my head, showing him that I understood what he was saying. I knew exactly what it felt like to regret the time you had wasted, because I had done avoided Jordan for so long. Now, I was making it a point to never let another second pass without making the most of it.

"I quit my job. I've missed too much, Sam. Moments, memories, things I will never get back. I need to dedicate this time to be the best father-"

"You have been better than anything I could ever ask for, dad." I interrupted. I didn't want him to feel like he had done an inadequate job of raising me just because he was away most of the time. The weeks he was with me made up for all the time he wasn't.

A pained expression danced across his features. "Sam, I didn't even know you had been casted in one of the biggest movies of the year. My co-workers had congratulated me on your success, and I had no clue as to what they were talking about. I didn't know your mother was battling with cancer until her final days. I can't continue to be unaware of what's going on in my families life. I refuse."

I didn't know what to say. He had missed a lot lately, but I had never held it against him, and I never would. I knew my dad's career was one of the most important things to him, but it was nice to know that I was finally number one.

I gave him a soft smile. "I love you dad."

"I love you too."