Chapter Sixty-Two: A Father's Love

She blinked and open her eyes as a hand stroked her forehead. “Hey there.” Sunlight inched into the room and Jonathan’s frowned face stared back at her.

“Hi.” She quietly said as she blinked while she slowly remembered why she was here. She shot up on her bed but Jonathan braced her. “Dad.” Her head spun and she winced.

“Hey, easy Devon. You fainted downstairs so just take it easy.”

She stretched as her body reminded her of being slammed into the ground. “I’m fine.”

“Not dizzy? I’d still like to get you checked out and so does Jon. He’s sending his doctor over shortly.”

“He is? How did you get hold of him?”

Jonathan held her cell phone up. “Duh. He’s coming over once he gets back from uptown. I assured him you were ok.”

“Did you tell him why I fainted?”

“Yeah I did.” Jonathan nodded towards her living space. “Your father is in there. I hope it was ok to bring him up.”

Devon swung her legs off the side of the bed. “Of course. I just-” She pressed her hand on her forehead. “I just don’t know what to say to him.”

“Say sorry. That’s all you can do Devon. He’s here isn’t he? He wouldn’t be unless he cared.”

She blew out her breath. “I guess you’re right. Man.” She felt like she wanted to throw up again. Between that and crying this week she was in the running for the most emotionally unstable woman ever at this point.

“I’m going to go downstairs ok? You just call me if you want me back up here ok? I’ll let Jon up as soon as he arrives.”

“Thank you Jonathan.”

She waited a few minutes as Jonathan left and then crept down the stairs to the living area. She stood quietly at the foot of the stairs as she laid her eyes on her father. He still looked the same, just a little older. His hair had turned more salt and pepper than the light sprinkling of grey she remembered. His sturdy frame was still lean which would be due to her father’s love for working out. It came naturally in the police force but her father used to love it anyway and she used to love running on the beach with him. Even if he beat her each time.

He was staring out the windows to the city. She had a nice view, it was lower and smaller than Jon’s but it still was a view.

Her heart was in her throat but it was now or never. “Dad?”

He turned and managed a half smile, the green eyes weren’t full of love like they usually were. It was the hard cop stare she was used to especially in the last times that she saw her father. “Devon.”

She twisted her hands in her own. “Did you want some tea? If you still drink it that is?” She asked nervously.

He nodded then stared right through her. “Please. White with one sugar.”

She walked across the living room to the kitchen and made some tea. Her father stood in the doorway while she did. “You look good.”

She didn’t look at him. “I don’t feel good but thank you.”

“You always did like the big city dream didn’t you?”

She met his gaze and knew he meant it. “Yeah I did. It’s been fun-well amazing.” She replied.

“I can’t do this.”

She dropped her teaspoon felt her heart fall into her stomach. “Wh-What?” She didn’t blame him if that’s how he really felt.

“I am so angry with you Devon.” He raked a hand in her hair. “So angry but all I can think about is hugging the stuffing out of you.”

The tears spilled freely down her cheeks as she whispered. “Daddy.” His arms as thick as tree trunks wrapped hard around her and held her tight. Her fists balled up against the wool of his sweater and she closed her eyes. The strength of his embrace was something she’d never thought she’d get again.

He stroked her hair and then released her. “You look good Dad. Older but good.”

He smiled and this time it reached his eyes. “Gee thanks.”

“I’m so sorry.”

His eyes left hers. “I know you are. You better make us the tea and then we can talk.”

She nodded. A few minutes later they were sitting in the living room. “I can’t believe you are actually here. Why did you come?” She couldn’t believe that within days her father was sitting here in the middle of New York City with her. It was both humbling and petrifying. “I thought you’d hate me for what I did.”

Her father took a sip of the tea. “Well I did go through that, I won’t lie to you Devon. Your betrayal did run deep. You did a silly foolish thing.”

She sighed. “I know. I wished I had the guts to come to you before I ran. I really do.” If that was the one thing she could have done better in this whole mess that was it. “I was so afraid of you and what you would think of me that I couldn’t face it.”

“Well at least one of you was locked up for what you did.” He took another sip. “The right one of you in my opinion.”

The words hurt but he was right. “Am I going to jail Dad?” She felt like she was sixteen asking if she was about to be grounded. The irony was completely weird. It was what she wanted to know. She could handle anything, losing the money--losing her salon knowing that she had Jon behind her. But the one thing she didn’t know how she would handle was going to prison.

He stared at his tea and then set it down. “You should be. But I think that’s unlikely.”

“Wh-Why?”

He clasped his hands on his knees. “Because they have no evidence you did it with Jared.”

“But I was there? It will be on camera?” She frowned not understanding what he meant.

“No, it won’t. You were covered anyway remember? I doctored the files and covered it up Devon.”

It was like an arrow in her belly. “What? Why? How the hell did you get away with it?”

He shook his head, his face as flat as stone. “I didn’t. I lost my job over it. They know it’s you Devon they just have no hard evidence that will put you behind bars.”

“God--Dad. Wow...you lost your job? But you love your job? God-I’m so sorry.” Instead of relief she felt guilt. And bucket loads of it.
“How did you get away without facing charges Dad, isn’t that illegal?” She felt that urge to be sick again. Her father risked his career and lost it for her. She did not deserve that.

“Your case would have been thousands of police dollars to chase. Honestly Devon the whole thing was a mess. By the time I had things swept under the carpet the police force just wanted it over.”

“But Jared-he knows I was there?”

“Yes he does. I did a deal with the prosecution and I got him out early and it was only on the provision he didn’t pursue you.”

“I doubt Jared would go for that? How in the hell did you convince him?”

“Let’s just say if he didn’t accept my offer - I would have made his prison years very hard to deal with. He got a nice cell, quiet prison with all the privileges.”

“He’s out now though?”

“Yes he got out over a year ago but that’s why I came here.”

“Why?” Oh god.

“My mate-Reg, you remember Reg, well he is still in the force and every once and awhile I get him to track Jared. Well he called me just two weeks ago and said Jared was off his radar.”

“What does that mean?” She asked scared of what the answer could end up being. Jared was here?

“Well it means nothing - he could be flying under the radar but...” Her father trailed off. “He may have seen you with your new boyfriend in the media. Honestly I thought until I saw a picture of you and Jon that he was coming here to meet you.”

“Oh god--you don’t think he’s here?”

Her father shook his head. “Honestly I don’t know. I didn’t know what to think. It wasn’t till you called me I realized, you have changed.”

She sighed. “I have changed Dad. Honestly. I did such a stupid thing. A really stupid thing and you lost your job! I don’t even know how to accept that. If I gave myself up-would that make it better?”

“No, giving yourself up would make it worse. They wouldn’t find the evidence. Just the self-confession and this whole mess would be dragged up. What I’m saying Devon is that if you stay in the US--you won’t ever have any problems.”

He may have handed it to her on a silver platter but she shook her head and stood up. “But I ruined your career, your life...”

“I won’t lie but yes, but look at it this way it’s an early retirement. Plus I’ve been doing some consultancy work for security firms. It’s nice. Honestly. Your mother loves me out of there.”

“She did always worry about you. How is she?”

He smiled. “She’s good. I haven’t told her about this. I am not sure how she’s going to take it.”

“So where does she think you are?”

“LA with this security company on a conference. Devon, I’ll sort her out but I need to know you’re ok here. Jared hasn’t contacted you at all?”

She wrapped her arms around herself. “God, no.” The little whisper of him crawled up her spine. Just his name was enough to keep her on edge. The thought of coming face to face with him now was horrifying. “Do you think he will?”

“I think he’d be stupid to but he was a stupid man.”

She sat back down on the couch and covered her eyes. “I was just as stupid believing him about everything. I just thought he loved me. Boy, how wrong I was.”

“Does Jon love you?”

She dropped her hands and smiled. “He does. Dad you would love him. He’s a good man who has done so much and gosh, he’s so humble about it.”

“I know who he is, I was surprised at first and I had wondered what the hell you had yourself mixed up with now. Drugs? Sex? But then I read about him and realized he wasn’t your stereotypical rock star at all.”

“We’ve really only dated for two months now but it’s been amazing. Even through all this.” She added.

“You told him, or did he find out? I got to tell you for someone that was on the run I was surprised when I saw a picture of you and him in a magazine.”

“It just happened and yes I told him, I couldn’t stand him not knowing when he’d given me everything. Did many people notice who I was?”

“Not really. Your hair well it's cut now and you looked so-well glamorous.” He half smiled at her and she knew it was a compliment.

“Well I am certainly not glamorous but I’ve learned to look after myself. Mum would be proud of the place here...” She trailed off. Would she even see her mother again? If what her Dad was suggesting was going to happen, that she would stay here indefinitely. What about her Mother? Maybe she would never forgive her for what she had done.

“How can you even look at me?” She asked abruptly. “I stuffed things up and you still looked after me?”

“You’re my daughter Devon. My only daughter. You made a horrendous mistake but after visiting Jared a few times in prison when I cut him a deal, I can see you were wound up with the wrong crowd. I should have done more to get you away from him. I knew he was bad news.”

She moved herself over to the couch her Dad was sitting on and took his hand. “Don’t you dare blame yourself. I wasn’t a child.” She clasped her hands tight over his. “You were right about him Dad. I was so stupid and if I could change it, any of it I would. I still can.”

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek. “We can’t change the past now Devon.”

“Is there any way you or mum will ever forgive me?” She asked in a voice like a five year old kid asking for an extra helping of dessert.

The tears shone in her Dad’s eyes. “I just want my daughter back.”

She choked on her words and embraced him hard. She closed her eyes as his arms wrapped tight across her back. If she could take it all back and make things right for her father, she would in a heartbeat.

She pulled away and her Dad nodded over her shoulder. Jon was standing there wrapped up in a leather jacket and scarf.

“Hey--I came as quickly as I could.”

She smiled and stood up to reach into his kiss. “I’m ok, just a shock and I fainted.”

“Jonathan told me.” His face was full of worry as swept his hand over her forehead.

“Jon, I want you to meet my father.”