daddy's girl ❥ luke hemmings ✔️

17. "kiss me"

A couple of fans come up to me and they take pictures, chatter excitedly about the tour. I smile back and I laugh and I ask them how their days have been. In return, they blush, and my heart swells with a sense of pride.

Two seperate cars come to collect us in the evening, one to take Holly back to her apartment and the other to take me back to the hotel room. We say our goodbyes with an awkward hug, me trying not to wince as the strong smell of her perfume hits me, and I open her taxi door for her like a gentleman.

I get into the passenger's seat of my own assigned vehicle, fingers tapping nervously against my knee. I promised Sophie I'd be home early today. I texted her an apology a couple of hours ago, but she didn't reply. All I'm hoping for is that she isn't too mad at me. I hate it when she gets angry because she ends up ignoring me half of the time and I can't stand not hearing her voice for more than a second.

The drive to the hotel is short and I bolt out of the car after throwing the driver a hundred dollar bill. I never found it weird how often and how carelessly I do that until Sophie pointed it out to me. Apparently I just have a lot of money to waste and it makes her laugh because 'Daddy's a nice man'.

I'm not nice now, though, and not because of how I almost knocked a hotel staff member down in a haste to get to the elevator. I'm not nice because I let my work get in the way of a day I was supposed to spend with my daughter.

She's not your daughter. Again, Brain? Really?

I reach my floor and as soon as I step out, air is filtered into my lungs and I find it easy to breathe again. With long, brisk steps, I make my way to the hotel room.

My hand is placed securely on the handle, ready to fling the door open when I hear the sound of hushed voices.

"...Don't say that."

I pause, before frowning, and taking a step back. She's awake?

She should be in bed, with the lights off, alone. She shouldn't be up and speaking to someone whose voice doesn't sound like any of her friends, which would put my mind to ease at least. She shouldn't be with-

"But it's true."

"No it's not, Chase."

Chase. My confusion grows and my expression becomes even more irritated as I stand there, absolutely dumbfounded. I feel like I should just make my way in, yell at him to get out and leave her alone, but then he starts speaking again and I have to hold myself back.

"Admit you don't love me anymore."

"I do love you." What the fuck?

"In what way?"

It goes silent. Again, I'm so puzzled that it takes a while for their conversation to make sense, for the pieces to fit together.

My stomach does a flip because I'm dreading Sophie's answer, regardless of how this is all news to me. I never even knew they spoke to each other. I knew he found her cute and that she found him attractive at one point, but I just dismissed it as a little crush that would blow over with time.

Waiting for her to reply is complete agony. I can't see Chase, but I assume that the look on his face mirrors mine, for we're both anticipating the wrong answer.