Lustful Hearts
Chapter 90: Rеunіtеd

I awoke with a start a while later to hear strained voices in the background filtering through the gap in the door. My eyes flashed to the door wondering what the commotion was.

Joel walked back in seconds later frowning when he noticed I was awake. His concerned look was enough to send a shiver of fear right through me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, staring at Joel and then at my mother when she walked through the door with an equally sombre expression on her face.

Joel took my hands, stroking them soothingly, which only aided in fanning the fear flames inside.

I winced as I tried to sit up. Joel helped to guide me so I was in a more comfortable position. My mother walked nearer the bed, but the grave look she wore and the hesitant look in her eyes had me instantly feeling uneasy.

"Izzy." Her eyes flashed to Joel's as she sat down on the bed.

Oh god.

"What's wrong?" The silence and grave looks passing between both of them was enough to send my panic levels soaring.

She slowly licked her lips like she was composing herself over what to say. "Your dad is here, he's outside. He's been here quite a while, but we never told you. He arrived while you were still in the coma." My eyes widened and snapped to Joel, he clutched my hands tighter witnessing the look of disbelief in my eyes.

My dad was here?

After all this time?

"He's here?" I just about managed to croak out. He was actually here?

My mother nodded, she eyed me warily, almost hesitant to carry on.

"Yes, and he wants to come in to talk to you, to make amends for all the years he missed. Izzy, he cried when he saw you. He broke down, he was practically inconsolable." By the look in my mother's eyes, every word she spoke was true.

Joel quickly intervened, pressing his lips up against my forehead, leaving them lingering for several moments while I shook in his arms.

"Izzy, he just wants to talk. He thought he'd lost you. He just wants to make things right. I think you should speak to him, baby. I know in your heart of hearts that's what you want too."

A tear slipped down my cheek, and he brushed it away, kissing me one last time before he stood up. He unlinked my fingers, breaking all contact and left me alone.

I took in a deep breath, and my eyes remained closed, the creak of the door soon alerted me of his entrance. Another tear trickled down my face before I even attempted to look at him.

I felt his warm touch as his arms wrapped around me. My body stiffened at first, and he made to move away, but I pulled him in tighter, feeling that sense of security I had been without all those years.

It was like no time had passed, but the sobs that quickly followed were those of grief for the loss of love I had lived without so long.

His lips pressed against my hair, feeling his body shake with silent sobs while we lost ourselves completely.

"Dad," I managed to croak out. His arms pulled me in even tighter while we both shook, tears cascading down our cheeks as emotion seeped out through every pore.

""I know, baby girl, I've missed you so much too."

We clung onto each other for several minutes, taking comfort in the moment we had both waited so long for. He eventually moved away, and his eyes rested upon my tear stained face.

"Izzy, I thought I'd lost you. All those wasted years, not a day went by I didn't think about you and Mike. How I wished I could have turned back the clock to have done things differently. I love you both so much. I know I have a new family now, but there wasn't one day that I didn't grieve for you both."

"I know, Dad. The blame isn't entirely yours, we had a hand in it too." I frowned at my words. It wasn't all his fault, and I didn't want him living with the guilt.

"Hey, I'm the adult here, I should have done more. I should have told you how I felt instead of locking the pain away. God, every birthday was like torture. I'd take a long drive and just spend the day by myself, sitting on the beach wondering how you both were. Those days were unbearable, knowing you no longer needed me, that you didn't care if I was a part of your life anymore."

My eyes flashed to his at his words. "Dad, I missed you every single day, but it was hard after what you did to Mum . . ."

His face dropped, and his eyes glazed over. "I know, I was stupid. It was just one of those foolish mistakes you make in a moment. I never realised the impact it would have. I wasn't happy with your mother, I stayed for you both but after a while I needed something more."

Dad, please . . ." I pleaded.

"I know you don't want to hear and I'm not trying to justify it, but sometimes you take comfort in others, regardless of how wrong it is. If I'd known it meant losing you both then I'd have never strayed."

I swiped away the tears that were tumbling down my cheeks. "It was the deceit more than anything that was unforgiveable. I never thought you'd be capable of something like that. The values you instilled in me, it was suddenly like you were a stranger, like I never really knew you at all. That's what hurt the most, you were no longer the dad I loved."

He broke out into a sob, and I pulled him near, my fingers stroked his hair as he cried hard into my neck. All the years of misery were unleashed in that one moment.

I felt the tears trickle down my own face, crying for what I had lost but I knew from this moment on things were about to change for the better.

Eventually the tears subsided, and we were composed enough to talk, our words began to flow more smoothly between us. I almost didn't want him to go, but I knew Joel would be eager for a recap.

He had barely left when Joel came bustling into the room, his eyes wide in expectation, scanning my face for clues to how it had gone.

I smiled holding out my arms, and he quickly crossed the room encircling me in a hug. "I'm fine, Joel, it was just so ..."

"I know, I can see where you get your emotional side, it certainly isn't from your mother."

We both laughed. My mother rarely cried on any occasion, I definitely took after my dad's side that way.

"He's coming back tomorrow. We didn't have chance to fully catch up, we spent so long crying." I chuckled, thinking back to us both bawling like babies, but I felt the reconnection between us.

The part of me that I had thought was dead after losing him all those years ago was now brought back to life. The fact he lived thousand of miles away would still be a major barrier, but with technology the father/daughter bond would still exist.

I'd still be part of his life no matter the distance that existed between us.

Food arrived shortly after and Joel only too willingly helped me make my way through each course. My mother left, giving us the space we needed, and much to Joel's discontent, I made him read the rest of our book. Completing it, we were left with a hangover.

Joel started to flick through my list for what to read next, but I explained to him how a book hangover worked. I needed time to get over it, there was no point starting a new book when my head was still living in the other.

We curled up watching rubbish television and not long after I felt the effects of the day take its toll.

Joel snuggled in closer, and I nuzzled my face deeper into his chest, falling asleep with a contented smile on my face.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

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