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

of that broken glass piercing through my heel one of those mornings after

rampage.

even flinch when I cried out in pain, he looked at me dead

day, his soulless eyes, and told the maid to help me. He didn’t come

day too.

Instead, he had me stay up alone in my room, crying my eyes out. My foot

that hurt that day,

fact that I

mother.

each other coldly, like we were not father

I did what he asked and made

of course, I

“You’re wrong dad,’

a while too. Always regarded him

words.

that reminded me of the past and the way he looked at me before mom passed

beautiful. It’s worth it. Those years you shared with mom, I was sure were

Do you regret meeting her?

life with her?’

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

to your mother Meredith.’ He tore

pain deep

do it all over again.” He whispered. “I’d choose her all

again. ■

My heart squeezed. I could hear the raw emotions

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

who he loves dearly. You’re trying to tear his family

this is a good idea? Why do you want to

to me. “Don’t you see I’m trying to help him Meredith? Yes. I

would choose her all over again,

unbearable. Love

hand, growing angry now that he was trying

“Love is beautiful. Every bit of it is beautiful. Every

because of

love with Grant, my father had tried his best

But Grant and I run away and never turned back.

thinks that

that it was his actions that drove me to do such a

and then he lost his

In a way, I understood his loneliness and how a dead mind

any action

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