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Nikki.
She was probably wondering where he was.
He needed to get there.
He’d told her he would always show up for her and here, on one of the most important nights of her lifeagain, he wasn’t there.
He hit the wall of the shower with the palm of his hand.
It wasn’t fair to her and it damn sure wasn’t fair to him. He didn’t need this right now. He hadn’t needed anything from that man in years.
When he got out of the shower, he didn’t care to see if his dad was still there, he just continued to get ready.
He had to focus.
Shower, get dressed, get to Avondale.
He left the bathroom in a towel and grabbed his dry-cleaning from the kitchen counter where he’d left it.
His dad was watching football on his television.
Of course he was.
He got dressed, attached his suspenders, grabbed his jacket and headed back into the living room.
“I’m leaving,” André said, slipping his jacket on. “Don’t be here when I get back. The door locks automatically when you leave.”
“André,” René stopped him, standing up.
André stopped and faced his father. “What?”
“Where are you going? What’s so important?”
André narrowed his eyes at the older man who once held so much weight in his words that André doubted in every single one of his choices. Not anymore. All he saw now was a man who never knew what he was doing and was now at a place in his life where he had no one and nothing to show for it.
“The woman I love is waiting for me.”
René flinched.
“She’s remarkable. Intelligent in a way that frightens me sometimes. Funny; kind; creative, and she loves me. I will always put her above everyone else. Every time. Without question. I didn’t once before, and it was the worst mistake of my life.” André looked René up and down. “Be gone when I get back. I will call you in a few days. If you answer, and if you’re interested, we can discuss having something of a relationship.”
He didn’t wait for a reply and allowed the door to slam closed behind him.
The drive to Avondale felt like it took an eternity. He hit every light; traffic was diabolical. He saw why once he got close enough. The rain had washed out a section of the road and traffic had to be rerouted.
“You’d think they’d never had to detour before,” he muttered as he navigated the clogged streets, trying to get to his destination.
Nikki.
He could only imagine what she must think of him at that moment. The biggest, most important thing in her career and he was ninety minutes late.
“Fucking hell,” he hissed looking at the clock on the dash even though it had only been two minutes since he last looked.
“Please, please, please,” he prayed out loud. He had no other words to add to his prayer, just emotion.
He hated himself in that moment. Hated that she would even have to doubt him. Hated that he’d introduced thoughts of him never being there for her. Hated that his father could still mess with his life without invitation. Hated that Nikki wondered where he was. She should never have to wonder. She should be able to count on him.
But he would apologize, and even though he was late, he was still coming.
