Sipping my drink I greet Kyle the bodyguard before pushing my way into the apartment.
This whole day has been so bad. The photos in my backpack haunt me. Did Roan take them? Did one of his workers? The one taken at school was obviously taken by one of my classmates which just proves even in class I am not safe from him.
I drop my keys in the bowl, shrugging off my coat seeing as November is approaching, and then I kick off my Ugg's. They really tied my outfit together today.
Black baggy sweatpants, black baggy sweatshirt, black Carhart beanie, and then the hideous yet insanely comfy tan boots.
I dressed the way I felt. Sad. How would you dress if you were scared? Blue? Navy? I don't know.
When I walk into the living room after dumping my bag on the couch I lift my gaze to see my father with my puppies under his arms. He's standing in the living room like he's been waiting for me.
Fuck.
I think I am going to cry.
I didn't want him to see. I didn't want to give him another reason to be disappointed in me.
"I can ex-" I start but get cut off.
"What's their names?" He looks down at them scratching Spoons ears. I look down and rock back and forth on the balls of my feet.
"Um, Fork and Spoon." I mumble, keeping my teary eyes downcast. I hear him walk over, yet I don't look up until I feel a hand lifting my chin up.
"Which one is Fork and which one is Spoon?" He questions me placing the dogs on the ground and wiping a tear that betrayed me. He looks apologetic.
"Fork is the boy and um, Spoon is the girl."
"I got them each a bed, collars, and bowls. I got the basic puppy food and some small treats for training. We will need to get them checked up at the vet just to make sure they're heal-" I cut him off by wrapping my arms around his torso. I let my tears fall soaking his shirt. He wraps his arms around me and kisses my forehead.
"Thank you." I sniffle. I missed hugs from Dad.
"I am so sorry Maggie." He apologizes. Why is he apologizing I am the disappointment? I pull away and look up at him. I wipe my tears with the back of my hand, sniffling a bit.
"Don't be sorry Leonardo, I am sorry." I look down and grab my backpack. Throwing it over my shoulders I see his upset look but ignore it not wanting to get on his nerves any more. I see Spoon following me with a little hop in her step.
Throwing my backpack on my bed I pull out my books and start with my math homework.
-
Fuck.
Fork stands at my feet whining but I can't take my eyes off Maggie's door. Her closed door. She never closes her door.
She said that she doesn't want any 'bad vibes' trapped in her room.
I really hurt her. She could barely look at me. She didn't call me Nardo. She called me my birth name. She's never called me that unless she was joking.
I told her not to call me Nardo in the heat of the moment. I didn't mean it.
How do I fix this? She went to her room so maybe she wants to be alone? But Fork is still down here with me. Maybe I should bring him up to her?
I gently pick the fluffy boy up patting his head. He kisses my cheek before I knock on my girls door. I hear a faint 'come in' so I open the steel door knob. There she is on top of her bed doing homework with her text book open and a calculator in hand.
I shouldn't bother her for too long.
She looks at me with her big brown doe eyes, she looks so sad. I don't like when she's sad. I don't like that I made her sad.
I clear my throat before approaching her bed. I put Fork down next to a sleeping Spoon. "I figured Fork wanted to be with you."
"Oh um, thank you." She says as she clicks her pen a million times. Nodding I decide to leave her be seeing as she's doing math homework. Right before I leave her room I look back at her with a small smile.
"By the way Maggie, good job on your Math test. Eighty percent is amazing, you should be proud, I am." With that I close her door heading down to my home office.
-
Maggie hasn't left her room since she got home and I need to find out what she wants to eat for dinner. Taking a deep breath I open her door. Sure enough I see her with her back towards me practicing Italian.
"Mi chiamo Maggie- uh, fuck."
"Kiddo." I softly chuckle hearing her Italian. She whips around and gives me a sheepish smile. "What are you up too?" I don't mean to bother her but it used to be that she would always come to me and make conversation. I just really enjoy hearing her talk about everything and anything.
I really don't know how to make things right. But I'll keep trying.
"I um, I have this Italian presentation in a few days. It is an all about me speech." I nod listening to her, I go over to her desk that she doesn't use and pull out the pink gamer chair I bought her.
"Let me hear it, I can help." Nodding her head at my suggestion she pulls the paper up.
"Mi chiamo Maggie. Vivo con mio padre –oh fuck I am terrible at this."
"How about we go get dinner and then we can work on it afterwards? Maybe a break will do you some good." I stand up tucking her chair into her desk. She silently follows me out of her room. The sound of Fork and Spoons paws hitting the hardwood indicating that they are following us.
"What are we eating?" She asks me as she sits on her barstool. I am currently pouring dog food and water into the puppies bowls.
"I was thinking I can order some Greek food?" I suggest, it's her favourite food after all. A month ago all of us got together and went to a Greek restaurant.
"Yes please. Can I have the Gryo, rice and pita?" She gets excited her big grin that I like to call my Maggie smile spreads across her face and her eyes light up with excitement. I missed this.
"Of course, do you want souvlaki?" Rapidly nodding her head I chuckle and place the order. Turning back towards her I apologetically smile at her.
"Maggie I am so, so, sorry." Her eyes seem sad as she shakes her head.
"You're right, I mean I never think before I do things, I am all over the place, and I am really annoying. I am going to fix all of that though so don't be guilty for just speaking the truth."
"I didn't mean what I said kiddo." The thought of her changing herself because of me makes my heart burn like lava.
"Why did you say it then? Because it really really hurt." He glossy eyes look up at me and it takes everything in me not to start crying.
I made a promise to myself to never hurt her. To never make her feel lonely or sad. Yet I did it and now the terrible sight of my daughter crying is my karma.
I look away from her the guilt that is clawing at my heart coming at me full force as I think about her words. I walk around the kitchen island to where she's sitting and squeeze her into a hug.
"I am so sorry Maggie. It was wrong how I reacted to the situation. I over reacted because I was worried for your safety. I will do whatever I can to make you understand that you're not a disappointment, that you do not annoy me. I really missed you the past week my baby. I am very sorry.
She starts shaking her head in protest against my chest but I just squeeze her tighter continuing with what I need to say. "I am your father and not only was my reaction wrong but the way I handled my guilt about the whole situation was wrong too. I should've made amends with you that day, not a week later. You deserve better than that."
"You didn't mean what you said?" She questions, her voice muffled because she has stuffed her face into my chest.
"No, I didn't. I do however need to emphasize how important it is that you think about your safety before doing things. So if you want to go on a walk by yourself? Call me and I'll arrange guards in the distance to keep an eye on you. I was so worried about your safety, I still am. You need to tell me everything now okay?"
"Okay, I am really sorry that I broke your rules and put myself in danger."
"You didn't know what went on that morning. Don't apologize. Just please promise me that you won't endanger yourself anymore."
She nods her head against my chest. She pulls away from me a bit looking up at me with her fearful eyes. "I promise. But, you were right to be upset with me though."
I sigh because I thought I got it through to her that I was in the wrong. She needs to stop blaming herself. I start shaking my head and as I am about to protest she continues to speak. "I was being followed that day." I step away from her my eyes widening, the feeling of fire running through my veins.
"What do you mean?" I inquired. Could it have been him?
"Hold on I will show you." She jumps off the stool and speed walks up to her room. A second later she comes out with her backpack in her hands. She plops her bag down next to my feet and starts searching through it looking for something.
"Here." She hands six photos to me. I cautiously take them from her shaking hands and give each stomach twisting photo a look. "That's the one I wanted to show you." She refers to the photo I am stuck staring at.
It was her walking home on the day she ditched. I know it's that day because I always remember what her outfit is when she leaves the house just in case.
It's just a parent thing.
The constant fear for your child's safety. Yet my fear is amplified compared to the average parent. Instead of worrying about some creep pretending to be my friend at the school pickup, I have to worry about whether or not she will be shot, or worse taken and tortured by a psycho Ukrainian mobster.
"I-I didn't know I was being followed." She stammers making my heart hurt. I couldn't even imagine how scared she is. Plus me being absent the past week hasn't been helpful.
I pull her back into my arms. "It's okay sweetheart. I am around now. You will be okay. I will protect you." I soothe her hair down hoping the action will help calm down her nerves.
"L-look at the next photo." She moves away from the hug refusing to look at me as she bends down giving her puppies some attention.
I listen to her and flip to the next photo. Darting my eyes down to Maggie's exact outfit it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the photo was taken in one of her classes today.
"Maggie..." I drag out giving her an apologetic look. Not only is she being stalked outside of school but also in her very own classes.
"I know Leonardo." She sighs.
"Don't call me that. Call me Nardo." I beg her. I want us to go back to the way we were. I would do anything to go back to that.
"I thought you hated that name?" She looks up at me. I rapidly shake my head plopping myself down on the ground next to her.
"At first yes. It's grown on me. The person I love the most in the world calls me it. There is nothing that person could do to ever annoy me. I need you to tell me everything. Whether it is if you're being followed or if you want to share every single detail about your day. It will never annoy me and I will always be around to listen."
"I love you Dad." She moves so she's resting the right side of her body against my left arm. I move that arm to wrap around her shoulders pulling her closer to my side.
"I love you more my girl." I kiss the top of her hair before moving my vision down to our laps where the dogs have situated themselves. "And because I love you I need to keep you safe. To do that I will need to get you some body guards. Also I need you to figure out who took that photo."
"You said that something really upset you that day? Was it bad?"
"A section of my Mafia tried to overthrow me the second I walked in. I found out a little later that Roan was seen in New York right near your school." I feel her shiver under my arm. Maybe I shouldn't have told her.
"We can't catch a break." She yawns. Shaking my head with a deep chuckle I kiss the top of her head one more time before answering with a deep sigh.
"No we can't."
-
IT IS MY BDAY TODAY!!!
Thank you for all the love I have received for my two books in the past few months!
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
I will try and post another chapter tonight because why not? But it will be in a few hours because I have homework 🙄
Lots of love to you all 💕