Forbidden / Shayne Topp

Forty: No Blessing

"It's great seeing you here again, sweetie, and I'm just glad you aren't upset this time," dad said to me. We were in his office and to hear him say that was a bit of a relief since I barely made myself decent. My makeup was light and my hair was slightly wavy, and even though I still felt shitty, I was faking it around my father who was telling me not to long ago I shouldn't be with Anthony, but tells Anthony otherwise.

"Yeah, a lot has happened since I last saw you," I told him. I sat in the chair that was in front of his desk and he sat down in his chair while looking at me with a smile. "I should go to that diner more since it's that good."

"I didn't expect the food to be, but even our waitress was really great. She deserved our tips," dad admitted. I raised my eyebrows and let them down instantly. Yeah, not the right time to bring up Shayne's ex girlfriend when I'm already feeling down about Anthony. "At least then, you weren't upset."

"No, but I was annoyed when you kept telling me how I needed someone like Shayne instead of Anthony," I told him. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Not to mention that I just found out two days ago that you told Anthony that he could propose to me."

"Ronnie..."

"What the hell, dad?" I asked him and sat up in the chair. "You tell me how I need a man like Shayne and not a man like Anthony since Anthony's life is going nowhere, but as you're telling me this, you told Anthony he had your blessing to marry me?"

"That was a few months ago before I knew all this shit was happening between you two," he stated.

"But why didn't you tell me?" I asked him. "You heard all the shit I told you in here about him and Miel, and then during our huge talk at the house and at the diner, you still hadn't brought it up that he would propose to me."

"Why would I tell my daughter that her boyfriend was planning on marrying her?" Dad asked me. I sighed and leaned back into my chair.

"Ex," I corrected. Dad looked at me confused and I just looked at him with hurt in my eyes. "We broke up."

"Sweetie, I'm sorry-"

"It's not your fault," I said to him. "I did something that you did in college and that got me in a lot of trouble."

"Veronica," Dad said to me.

"Lecture me if you will, but I already know I fucked up, dad," I stated. "I got drunk after I left here and I woke up naked in..." I hesitated, but took a deep breath and looked away from him. I couldn't face him when I said it. "Shayne's bed."

"What?" Dad asked me. "This happened after you left here?"

"I went to a bar and only drank a little, but Shayne came to check up on me since everyone at work had no idea where I was and he was able to find me," I admitted. "He just talked to me, related to me, and we just told each other how we felt. I didn't think after that night, something was going to happen between us."

"So when he came over that day to your house-"

"Anthony's house," I corrected.

"Whatever," Dad said. "When me and your mom were there, you and him were..." I nodded my head and dad cleared his throat. "Wow, Veronica."

"Anthony and I were going to work out our relationship, but my feelings for Shayne kept getting in the way of that and I just couldn't stay away from him. Hell, Tristan had to lie to Anthony for me a few times and that made me feel like shit," I said. "To know my best friend had to lie for me so I didn't get caught staying at Shayne's apartment shows how awful I really am and don't deserve happiness."

"No, that just shows that you should've left Anthony a lot sooner," dad pointed out.

"I honestly couldn't, dad," I said. "I wanted too, believe me, but I couldn't find the words to tell him it was over or to even tell him what happened that night with Shayne after we left the bar. Your words kept clouding my mind and I knew it would've been right to tell him, but he just had this fear of losing me and I was just scared of letting go. I was scared that I would lose him as one of my best friends than losing him as my boyfriend and it didn't help that apart of me really hoped that our relationship would work out, but it didn't."