“Shit, Alyssa, is this man, Mr. Kostas Papadopoulos, really your father?”
I can only nod.
“And your real name is Marissa,” says Blake.
I’m not liking the cold look in his eyes.
“Jesus Christ. What’s going on here?” he asks but already he’s distancing himself from me.
“It’s not like you think,” I say, hating the need to explain. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“Marissa is my daughter and three years ago she ran out on her fiancé.”
I stand up then and I’m in my father’s face so fast even he’s surprised. “I never said yes. I never once said I’d marry him. You picked him and just expected me, your precious daughter, to marry whoever you picked out. Not once did you listen to me. I will never be your pawn.”
I shove past him but his hand snakes out and holds me fast. “You are my daughter and you are coming home with me.”
“No I’m not. I’ve changed everything. My name, my identity, my entire freaking life to escape you. I will not go back to that.”
“I will make you come back,” says my father, with a cold calm that has me shaking more. “I found you once so where are you going to run now? You know I’ll find you.”
“No you won’t,” says Blake. “And unless you want us to call the cops I’d release her. Alyssa, shit, I mean, Marissa’s past the age of majority. She can do what she wants with her life.”
I’m so stunned he’s standing up for me that I almost stumble when my father actually listens to him to let me go.
“I take it you’re Roy’s grandson. Well if you know what’s good for you you’ll stay out of this,” says my father.
Blake doesn’t bat an eye. “Yeah I’m Roy’s grandson, but like I said earlier Marissa doesn’t have to go back home with you if she doesn’t want to.”
“Do you have any idea who the hell I am?” asks my father, in his quiet, controlled voice that screams inside me louder than a yacht’s horn announcing to everyone to get out of its way.
Blake takes a step toward my father and the urge to place myself between the two men shocks me.
“I know exactly who you are. It changes nothing.”
“Should change everything. I can make your life a living hell, boy.”
Blake laughs. “I’ve lived through hell so go ahead, bring it on.” His eyes, those soft hazel eyes of his that have always conveyed how much he enjoyed being with me, give me a good once over. “Alyssa, do you want to go home with your father?”
Not Marissa. Not that name and for that alone, I crack a sad smile. “Nope. Done with that life.” And for the first time I realize I truly am. I might have left years ago without a plan but I’ve got one now.
“Well then we’re going to enjoy the rest of the party.”He turns back to my father for just an instant. If I were you I’d take a good look at the photos in the “ballroom. Those are the work of your daughter.”
And just like that Blake takes hold of my hand and steers me out of the restaurant. The urge to look back, to see if my father, the man who haunted me for the past three years is still there, threads through me but I ignore it.
I feel his warm hand on my bare back. “Well that was interesting. You okay?”
“Not really.”
“Well that’s completely understandable. Why didn’t you tell me?”
I don’t want to have this conversation now so I turn the tables. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth about why you came up here?”
“What?”
We stop walking and I turn to him. “I’m not the only one who’s been lying. You came up here to buy this resort and why? Why did you feel the need to lie to me?”
He runs a hand over his face like he’s trying to wipe away his feelings, but I read in his eyes he’s not happy with my little discovery. Well fuck that. Guess this night can’t get worse.
“It’s complicated.”
“Complicated. How about I lay this out for you. Carol, and yes I know exactly what she does, has worked for my father for years. My gut says you’re trying to get Mr. McCaid to sell this place for less than market value and then you’re going to rip it down for something else.”
It’s the something else that makes his eyes flare. And just like that I get it. I’m on the right track.
I know my voice is loud but can’t help it. “Christ, Blake, you can’t do that. This place means more than what’s underneath it. This place is a home. It’s a community. Don’t do it.”
He removes his hand from my back and I realize then I’d been leaning on him for guidance in more ways than one.