The Girl He Craves

Meredith’s pov

He hauled in a shaky breath, his eyes swimming with sadness. I had hit him with the

past, something that could potentially bring out the man he once was.

’She’s dead.” He whispered, pushing the photo away. “The dead can’t speak.'”

I blinked in sadness, pitying the man he is now today. “But they can still see and hear.

If mom was here, she’d smack you upside your head and then nurse your wounds.”

He clenched his fists, turning away from me completely.” Is this why you came here?

To remind me of why I’m actually doing what I’m doing? Look at me, Meredith.” His

eyes snapped up to mine suddenly and I had to take in a very sharp inhale as

emotions swam through the windows of his soul.

Father was in more pain than I realized.

’I’m a shell of a man because of her. I can love no other, I have a permanent hole in

my heart because of her. Love is selfish Meredith, the pain is unbearable. I tried to

save you from it too,” He looked over my shoulder at Grant.

He continued. “But I was too late. I need to save my grandson before it’s too late.”

I shook my head, reaching out for him. My heart ached for my father. A man who once

believed love was the answer to everything now made love his enemy. It was painful

and tormenting to watch him become this person.

When my fingers touched his hand, he flinched. His eyes swept to mine in shock. I

don’t remember the last time I held my father’s hand or the last time I voluntarily stood

this close to him.

After mom died, our father-daughter relationship was swept up and tom into shreds.

He would come home late from work, smell of booze, and trash the entire place.

I can recall listening to a few bottles shattering on the wall. I can even remember the

feeling of that broken glass piercing through my heel one of

rampage.

didn’t even flinch when I cried out in pain, he

the maid to help me. He didn’t come to see me

day too.

my room, crying my

that hurt that day, my

day I came to terms with the fact that I lost my father the same day I lost

mother.

coldly, like we were not father and daughter

asked and

I met

wrong dad,’ I

in a

my words. There’s a flicker

and the way he looked at me before

Those years you shared with

happiest you’ve ever been. Do you regret meeting her?

life with her?’

watch his adam’s apple bob as he swallowed and croaked out. “No.

comes to your mother Meredith.’ He tore his

deep

had to go back I’d do it all over again.”

again. ■

squeezed. I could hear the raw emotions

‘Don’t you think you’re hurting her now that you’re trying to hurt

a son, a woman who he loves dearly.

a good idea?

you see I’m trying to help him Meredith?

and would choose her all over again, but the pain of losing

unbearable. Love

growing angry now that he was trying to justify his absurd

is beautiful. Every bit of

because of what I had

fell in love with Grant, my father had tried his best to change my mind so

could marry into the Muralo’s. But Grant and I run away and never

thinks that I had abandoned

he didn’t realize that it was his

wife and then

I understood his loneliness and how a dead mind and heart

any action they take,

I cracked. ‘I’m sorry for leaving you the way I did. I’m