37
Luke
Lily grabbed my arm to prevent me from kicking Adam’s ass out of my bar.
“Don’t, Luke, please. Think of Charley,” she said as she tried to pull me back.
As I approached Adam, he put his hands up.
“Hey, Luke, I’m not here to cause any trouble. I just want to talk to Maddie.”
“Well she doesn’t want to talk to you!” I spat.
“Why don’t you let her decide that for herself,” he said as Maddie came walking over.
“Luke, pull back,” Maddie said as she looked at me.
“Maddie, you can’t be serious!”
As Lily pulled me over to the side, Maddie and Adam sat down at a table.
“Luke, take your own advice!” Lily said between gritted teeth.
“What are you talking about, Lily?”
“We just had a conversation about letting things go and moving forward. You told me that I need to talk to Brynn. Well, maybe it’s time you talk to Adam.”
“It’s different. There’s a little girl involved here.”
“I understand that, but he’s her father, and you at least owe it to Charley to listen to what he has to say.”
I rolled my eyes and turned away from her. She was throwing my own advice back in my face. Wrapping her arms around my waist, she asked me to please stay calm for her. I sighed, turned around, and kissed her forehead. I grabbed her hand, and I led her to the table where Maddie and Adam were sitting.
“Hi, Adam, I’m Lily Gilmore, Luke’s girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you,” she said as she extended her hand to him.
“Hi, Lily. It’s nice to meet you too.” Adam smiled as he took her hand and shook it.
Seeing him touch Lily made me sick, and I wanted to f*cking punch him right then and there. But, I promised I would stay calm for Lily’s sake.
“Would you like to explain why you just showed up here without calling?” I asked as I folded my arms and leaned back in the chair.
“Before I answer that, I just want to congratulate you on the bar. I was very surprised when I walked up and saw the sign.”
I didn’t say a word to him. I just sat there and stared him down as he continued to speak.
“I’m a changed man—”
“The f*ck you are!” I exclaimed.
Lily looked over at me and gave me a dirty look. “Watch your mouth,” she said with a serious tone.
“I’m clean, and I have been for over a year. I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, and I’ve quit smoking cigarettes. If you don’t believe me, then I can do a drug test for you.”
“Why this sudden change of character?” I asked.
“Because I hit rock bottom and almost died. I guess you could say I had an epiphany, because when I woke up in that hospital bed, alone and scared, I knew I couldn’t live my life like that anymore. So, I checked myself into one of the best rehab programs in the country and they helped me.”
“Then why the hell didn’t you come see your daughter like you promised her you would? Do you have any idea how you broke that little girl’s heart?”
Adam sighed and looked at Maddie. “The reason I couldn’t visit was because I’m a sponsor, and the person I’m sponsoring, who had been clean for six months, decided to shoot himself up with heroine the night before I was supposed to leave. I had an obligation to be there for him and help him.”
I got out of my seat and slammed my fists on the table. “You have an obligation to your daughter!” I yelled.
Lily grabbed my arm. “Luke, that’s enough!”
As I took in a deep breath, I sat down. I was angry that he would put a drug addict before his daughter, and I wanted to kill him.
“I understand you being angry, Luke; trust me, I do. After waking up in that hospital and realizing that I had almost died, the only two people I could think about were Maddie and Charley, and how I was given a second chance.”
“Wow,” Lily said.
I looked at her and rolled my eyes as she smacked me on the arm. “Stop it!” she spat.
“You’re full of shit, Adam, and I don’t believe one word of what you’re saying. You’ve done way too much damage, and you left a trail of tears and scars with Maddie and Charley, and I will not let you walk back into their normal lives and f*ck everything up!”
Suddenly, I heard a small voice from across the bar. “Daddy?” Charley said as she stood a few feet away from Adam.
“There’s my baby girl.” He smiled as he got out of his chair and held his arms out to her.
Charley ran to him and threw her arms around him as he picked her up and swung her around.
“Let me look at you,” he said as he put her down. “You’re beautiful, and you’re so grown up,” he said as he hugged her.
“Daddy, what are you doing here?” she asked.
“I came to see you and Mommy.”
I looked over at Maddie as she took in the moment between her daughter and her daughter’s father. I shook my head because I knew by the look on her face that she believed him, and she was going to let him back into their lives.
“Can I talk to you for a minute, Maddie?” I asked as I took a hold of her arm and led her to the back room.
“I know what you’re going to say, Luke, but there’s a part of me that believes him.”
“Damn it, Maddie! I knew this was going to happen.”
Maddie pointed her finger in my face. “Listen to me. I owe it to Charley to give her father a chance.”
“You can’t relate, Luke, because you grew up with a mother and father who loved each other and were there for you and Maddie,” Lily said as she walked up behind me. “Let’s go out to dinner tonight and have some general conversation; maybe you’ll be able to see things differently.”
“That’s a great idea, Lily.” Maddie smiled.
“What do you say, Luke?” Lily asked me as she wrapped her arms around my waist.
“Whatever. I have to go. I have work to do,” I said as I stormed off and went to my office.