The Guarded One ✔

Chapter Forty-Five

When I land in New York, I'm immediately overwhelmed by old memories.

My chest aches at the thought of my father and his abuse. My mind races when I think about seeing Hayden and Jess after so long.

Am I making a mistake by coming back here?

My phone buzzes from my pocket while I walk through the prison doors.

It's my sponsor. Checking up on me as scheduled. I ignore his call and instead sign in at the desk.

The guard guides me into another room where I sit at a desk, picking up the phone that hung on the wall.

I sit there anxiously, tapping my feet against the floor rapidly while my heart beats so fast that it's making me feel nauseous. 

When the room feels with a loud BEEP, the door opens and the man I haven't seen in years takes a seat in front of me.

Slouching forward with his elbows on the counter, he picks up the phone and smiles with only one side of his face.

"Hi...Dad" I gulp nervously.

He has aged so much between these walls. His head is now shaved and the only hair I can see appears to me grey. He has lost weight around his face but his arms are larger then I remember.

"Jas" my father greets, "you're the last person I'd expect to see here..."

"Yeah well, don't get used to it" I drop my gaze to my fingertips, drumming against the counter. "I'm in town visiting friends and I thought..."

"You'd give your old man a visit?" He laughs, leaning backwards in his chair.

I exhale roughly, picking at my lips. "No one knows I'm here..."

"Not even Laura?" He raises his brows, "how is my old plaything?"

"Don't call her that" I grit my teeth.

Aunt Laura doesn't like to talk about her past. I know that she broke up some marriages. I've only ever heard the story from my dad about his time with her, an affair that took place behind my mum's back. My aunt has only ever alluded to the affair.

In all her stories, it's obvious that she knew him well, so well that she fears him like I do.

"Now she was a lot of fun" my dad reminisces, "she would do this thing with her tongue—"

"Stop" I beg.

"Your mum's sister used to get around back in the day" he continues, "she fucked everybody with a penis, although, there were some pussies along the way too, if I can remember correctly—"

I roll my eyes. "Did mum ever find out about you two?" I ask curiously.

"If she knew, she hid it well" Dad scratches the back of his neck, "so why exactly are you here? You haven't been gutsy enough to show your face around this joint since you wanted my spit for Isabel's kid"

That day was back in 2015 when I lied to aunt Laura, flew to New York and begged my father to take a paternity test. All to prove if he was Elise's biological father.

"I know..." I look down, "Angel just gave birth to a healthy baby boy...He looks so much like Elise's daughter...But I can't say that out loud 'cause nobody knows..."

He almost smiles. "Angel had a kid?"

"Sterling Jeffrey-Wood" I announce.

"I always did like Sam" he admits.

For a brief moment, I catch happiness in his eyes.

My father was always family orientated. He loved us kids more then any being or thing in the world. So what changed?