Filmed_ An Alpha Bad Boy Romance(75)
“Noah,” a voice called out.
I froze, a jolt of fear running through me.
“Who’s that?” Linda asked.
I looked in the direction of the voice. My entire body tensed, my hand grasping white-knuckled against the plaque in my hand. I wanted to use it to bash his face in, to break his nose and bloody his eyes. I couldn’t believe he had shown up, despite everything.
My fucking dad stood off to one side of the building, his face serious.
“Noah, can I speak with you?” he called out again.
“Who is that?” Linda repeated.
“That’s my dad,” I said.
I felt her head snap up at me and saw her shocked expression out of the corner of my eye.
“What’s he doing here?” she asked.
“I don’t fucking know.”
“What are you going to do?” I could hear the fear in her voice.
“Wait here.”
I slipped my arm out of her grip and began to walk toward him.
“Noah, wait,” Linda said, pleading.
I stopped and looked back.
“You don’t have to do this. We can just leave,” she said.
I shook my head. “It’s okay, dots. It’s going to be fine.”
She nodded softly, wrapping her arms around herself. I smiled at her, and then turned to walk over to my dad.
He was wearing a long black trench coat over an expensive-looking suit. His face was hard and serious, staring daggers at me. I had no idea how he heard about the movie, but clearly he knew something was happening if he had known when and where to appear. I walked over to him and stopped a few feet away.
“What are you doing here?” I said.
“I can’t come support my boy?”
“No, you can’t. Not anymore.”
He stepped closer, rage rolling from his tensed muscles. “Don’t speak to me that way, Noah.”
“I’ll speak to you however I want.” I stood my ground as he stepped closer.
“Who’s that girl?”
“That’s my girlfriend. That’s Linda Lewis.”
He stopped, and I savored the surprised expression that overtook his face. He obviously thought that he had me trained, even though we hadn’t spoken since the funeral. I could see him wrestling internally with the truth.
“So you’re throwing your life away, then,” he growled at me.
“No, Dad. I’m starting my life without you.”
He blinked at me, then laughed. “Starting your life? You have nothing without me. You are nothing without me, you little shit. Your mother would be so disappointed in you.”
I got in his face. “Bring her up one more time, and I’ll break your fucking nose.”
He sneered. “You have a spine, but you’re still an idiot.”
“No, Dad, that’s where you’re wrong,” I spat at him. “I talked to our lawyers, and you know what they told me? They said that you can’t touch my fucking trust fund. They said mom willed it directly to me, and since I am over the age of eighteen, that money is legally all mine.”
His face hardened again as he digested that information. “Bullshit,” he said.
“Not bullshit. You have no fucking control over me anymore, you sadistic piece of shit. You’re an embarrassment to her memory. And you’re out of my life now.”
“You think you can do this, you little fuck? I’ll tear you apart.”
“Get out of here and never come back.”
He laughed. “If I leave, you can kiss your trust goodbye.”
I shook my head sadly, and felt the anger slowly drain from my body. He didn’t get it. I realized in that moment how pathetic he was and how desperate he was to control everything that I did. He was a weak man and always would be, and I was finally free of him. I turned and took a few steps away, catching sight of Linda. She looked worried, and was hugging herself tightly. I gave her a weak smile to reassure her.
“Noah,” she called out, her face terrified, and she reached out one arm.
My vision went nearly black as something slammed into the back of my head. My body felt heavy and everything was dizzy. I stumbled a few steps forward, barely managing to stay on my feet as a dull pain pierced my skull.
“You little ungrateful fuck,” my dad roared, coming at me again.
He had caught me from behind, and I had no real chance to defend myself. I spun, putting my hands up. I managed to take most of his next punch in the hands and arms, but he kept coming. He landed a vicious punch to my gut, doubling me over.
“Stop it,” I heard Linda scream, almost from a distance. I could barely breath, the wind knocked out of me from that last punch.
“Shut up, bitch,” my dad growled at her, then shoved me onto the ground.