"Im going to go find that bastard." I say. "No." She says. "Dont be stupid Zade. Last year me would have said lets go and beat him up. But is that gonna help?"
"I want last year's Vee back then." I say and she chuckles.
"Hi boss." Jack says appearing. "Youre late." I tell him as he runs past me.
"Come. Ill come with you." She says and I sigh getting into my car. "Being sensible doesnt suit you." I tell her and she laughs. I know I should probably not be hanging out with Veronica. Her laugh, her smell it was all bringing me back to my feelings for her. But my selfish self, was feeling crap and Veronica was the only one that was making me feel better. I drive to the Italian restaurant where I know he was. Ive seen him a few times, made sure he was staying away. He looked normal and better but he never made attempts to find Zara or me again. Even now that he had his shit together which had pissed me off even more.
"Zade just remember this might hurt Zara even more if you do something stupid." She says to me. I just nod at her. Since when was she so sensible. Last year she would tell me to fuck him up.
I watch her climb out the car and slide her phone in her back pocket of the skinny jeans she wore. The restaurant was closing and he was outside putting chairs away. He looked up and blinked a few times.
"I had a feeling you would come." He says. The man looked like me. You wouldnt be able to tell he was on heroin and crack most of his life. He looked healthy and well.
"Really? That didnt stop you from opening your mouth to Zara did it?" I ask him grabbing his shirt shoving him against the wall. He just looked at me with fear. My own fucking father.
"Let him go Zade." Veronica says calmly next to me as she sat down on one of the chairs. I let him go and he looks at Veronica.
"Youre the girlfriend?" He asks
"Ex-wife, complicated." She shrugs. "Anyway..."
"You think you can just tell her what you want?" I ask him
"Im her father Zade. Yours too."
"Youre not." I say. "Youre the man that couldnt be a man and take care of his family. I was raising her all these years. I was making sure she was safe in those foster care homes they dragged us around."
"And I am glad you did Zade. Im glad my son picked up the pieces. But we have fucked up and are now trying to make ammends and you have stopped us for years." He tells me.
"Zara is my little sister. You think I want to see her hurt or in your stupid little games?"
"What games. Jesus Christ Zade. We just want to see her and get to know her... and you."
"Too late. Stay the fuck away from her." I tell him. "Ill happily do time to protect her." I shove him back into the wall. Veronica gets up and I leave following her back to the car.
"Fuck." I say annoyed. "How fucking dare he. How dare he just come in and just get away with this?" Veronica stands infront of the drivers door stopping me from getting in.
"You wanna calm down before you start driving?" She asks. "Look Zade forgiving people is hard. Letting go of shitty people and their shitty behaviours and accepting they might be better now is a big gamble."
"A very big gamble." I say and she just looks at me. "But Zara is a grown woman. She can make her own choices. Give her the freedom to make her choices."
"You know she hates you right?" I ask
"As long as she loves you it doesnt matter." She says. I look at her and just chew my bottle lip. I lean in closer to her closing my eyes pretending everything is fine and okay... her fingers reach into my neck. I hated myself for still loving her and I hated myself for putting Hannah in this.
Chapter 33
Start from the beginning
