Forbidden Christmas

CHAPTER 17: The Return

Derek Pov

I sat in my truck outside the estate for twenty minutes before I found the courage to go inside. The driveway was full. Catherine's rental car. Jason's BMW. Melissa's SUV. Everyone was here.

Everyone except me, for the past three days.

Three days of hiding in a hotel. Three days of Sophie not answering my calls. Three days of Maya's silence cutting deeper than any words could.

Catherine's last text had finally made me come back: "Sophie needs you. Stop being a child and come home."

My ex-wife was right. Which was humiliating.

I grabbed my bag and walked to the front door. Took a deep breath. Went inside.

The house was warm, decorated, full of Christmas music. It looked perfect. Like a holiday card.

Catherine sat on the couch with Sophie, both of them laughing at something on Sophie's phone. My daughter looked happy. Relaxed. Nothing like the crying, devastated girl I'd left three days ago.

Maybe she didn't need me after all.

"Derek." Catherine stood up, walking over. She looked good. Yoga and meditation agreed with her. "You made it."

"I said I'd be back before Christmas Eve."

"Cutting it close. It's Christmas Eve." She lowered her voice. "Sophie told me everything. We need to talk."

"Not now."

"Yes, now. Sophie, honey, your dad and I are going to chat in his office."

Sophie finally looked at me. Her expression was cold. Closed off. "Whatever. I don't care."

The words hit like a fist to the gut.

Catherine pulled me into my office and closed the door. "Sit."

"I don't need a lecture from you."

"Too bad. You're getting one anyway." She crossed her arms. "You're an idiot."

"Thanks. Very helpful."

"I'm serious. Sophie told me about Maya. About how you two have feelings for each other and instead of handling it like an adult, you ran away."

"I was trying to protect Sophie."

"From what? From seeing her father happy? From watching you have a real relationship?" Catherine shook her head. "You didn't leave to protect Sophie. You left to protect yourself."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it? You're so terrified of being hurt again that you sabotage anything good before it has a chance to work."

"This coming from the woman who left me for a guy named River."

"Yes. And I was wrong. I hurt you and Sophie because I was selfish and stupid. But at least I was honest about what I wanted." She stepped closer. "You're doing the same thing, Derek. Running from something real because it scares you. But you're not being honest. You're hiding."

"Sophie hates me."

"Sophie is hurt. There's a difference. She feels betrayed because you lied, not because you have feelings for Maya."

"She called it disgusting."

"She was in shock. She's had three days to process. I've talked to her. A lot. She's not as angry as you think."

"She won't even talk to me."

"Because you left. You proved her right about you always choosing work over family. Except this time, you weren't even choosing work. You were choosing fear."

I sank into my desk chair. "I don't know how to fix this."

"Start by talking to your daughter. Really talking. Not running. Not hiding. Actually being vulnerable for once in your life."

"And Maya?"

Catherine's expression softened. "Sophie told me about her. About her father leaving. About how she struggles with abandonment. And you, the one person she let in, you left her too."

The guilt was crushing. "I know."

"So fix it. If you actually care about this girl, stop being a coward and fight for her."

"What if it's too late?"

"Then at least you tried. Which is more than you're doing now." Catherine headed for the door, then paused. "For what it's worth, Derek, Sophie thinks Maya is good for you. She's just hurt that you lied. Fix the lying part, and the rest might work itself out."

After Catherine left, I sat in my office staring at nothing. My phone was full of missed calls from Marcus about the project. Texts from Sophie that I'd been too afraid to read. Nothing from Maya.

I pulled up her contact. Typed: "I'm sorry."

Deleted it. Typed: "Can we talk?"

Deleted that too.

Finally settled on: "I'm back. I know I don't deserve it, but can we please talk?"

I hit send before I could overthink it.

Three dots appeared immediately. My heart raced.

Then they disappeared. No response.

I tried again: "I was wrong. About everything. Please."

Nothing.

I set the phone down and went to find Sophie. She was in her room with Catherine, both of them wrapping presents.

"Sophie, can we talk?"

"I'm busy."

"Please. Five minutes."

Sophie looked at Catherine, who nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

My daughter sat on her bed, arms crossed. Waiting.

"I'm sorry," I started. "For leaving. For lying. For hurting you."

"Okay."

"That's it? Just okay?"

"What do you want me to say, Dad? That it's fine? It's not fine. You and Maya have been sneaking around behind my back. Lying to my face. Making me feel like an i***t for not seeing it."

"We never meant to hurt you."

"But you did. You both did." Sophie's eyes filled with tears. "Maya is my best friend. The one person I thought I could trust with anything. And you're my dad. I thought I could trust you too."

"You can trust me."

"Can I? Because it seems like you only tell me the truth when you get caught."

I sat down on the edge of her bed, careful to keep distance. "You're right. I should have been honest from the beginning. I should have told you the moment I realized I had feelings for Maya."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I was scared. Scared of losing you. Scared of you hating me. Scared that choosing my own happiness would destroy yours."

"So instead you just made everyone miserable by lying."

"Yeah. That about sums it up."

Sophie was quiet for a long moment. "Mom told me about her leaving. About how it messed you up. Made you afraid to let anyone in."

"Your mom talks too much."

"She's right though. You're so scared of getting hurt that you hurt other people first."

The accuracy of it stung. "I know."

"Do you actually have feelings for Maya? Real feelings? Or is this just some midlife crisis thing?"

"It's real. More real than anything I've felt in years. Maybe ever."

"That's gross."

"I know."

"But also kind of sweet. In a weird, uncomfortable way." Sophie wiped her eyes. "I've been talking to Mom and Melissa. They both think you and Maya could actually work. If you stop being an i***t about it."

"Melissa thinks we could work?"

"She's the one who saw it first. Said the chemistry was obvious."

"Great. So everyone knew except you."

"Apparently." Sophie looked at me directly. "Do you love her?"

The question hung in the air. Heavy. Important.

"I think I could. If she'll give me another chance."

"Then you need to talk to her. Because she's been locked in her room for three days. Won't talk to anyone. Barely eats. She's as miserable as you are."

"She won't respond to my texts."

"Then go knock on her door. Actually try. For once in your life, fight for something instead of running away."

I stood up. "Are we okay?"

"No. But we will be. Eventually. If you stop lying."

"I promise. No more lies."

"Good." Sophie paused. "And Dad? If you're going to date my best friend, there are rules. No kissing in front of me. No talking about your relationship to me. And absolutely no details about anything physical. Ever."

"Deal."

"And you have to make her happy. Because if you hurt her again, I'll take her side. Best friend code."

"Understood."

I walked to Maya's door and stood there for a full minute before knocking. No answer.

"Maya? It's me. Can we talk?"

Silence.

"I know I don't deserve it. I know I messed up. But please. Just open the door."

Still nothing.

"I'm not leaving this time. I'll stand here all night if I have to. I'll camp outside your door. I'll make a scene. Whatever it takes."

The door opened a crack. Maya stood there in sweatpants and a hoodie, her eyes red from crying. She looked exhausted. Broken.

"You left," she said, her voice raw.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"You called us selfish and stupid."

"I was wrong."

"You broke your promise. You said you were falling for me and then you just ran."

"I was scared."

"I don't care." Her voice broke. "I don't care that you were scared. Everyone's scared. But you don't get to make promises and then disappear."

"You're right."

"Stop agreeing with me. I want you to fight. I want you to tell me I'm wrong. I want you to…" She stopped, tears streaming down her face. "I want you to stay."

I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. "I'm staying. I'm not leaving again. I promise."

"You promised before."

"I know. And I broke it. But I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere." I took a step closer. "I was wrong to leave. Wrong to call this a mistake. Wrong to let my fear control me. You were right about everything."

"I don't want to be right. I just want you to stop running."

"Then I'll stop. Right here. Right now. I'm done running."

Maya looked at me with those eyes that saw everything. "What changed?"

"Catherine told me I was being an i***t. Sophie told me to fight for you. And I realized that three days without you was worse than any fear I've been carrying."

"Catherine's here?"

"Long story. But yes. And she thinks we could work. Sophie thinks we could work. Even Melissa, apparently."

"What do you think?"

I closed the remaining distance between us. "I think I'm falling in love with you. I think I want to try this for real. No more hiding. No more running. Just us, figuring it out together."

"With Sophie knowing?"

"With Sophie knowing. She's not happy about it. But she's not completely against it either. She just wants honesty from now on."

Maya's hands twisted together. "I told her everything. When you left. I was so angry I just... I told her."

"I know. Sophie said."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"No. You were right to. I was running. You called me out. It needed to happen."

"But now she knows. Everyone knows. There's no going back."

"Good. I don't want to go back." I reached for her hand. "I want to move forward. With you. If you'll still have me after I've been such an idiot."

Maya looked down at our joined hands. "You really hurt me."

"I know."

"You can't do that again."

"I won't."

"Promise?"

"Promise. No more running. No more lies. Just us, being honest. Even when it's hard."

She finally looked up at me. "This is going to be complicated."

"I know."

"Sophie's going to have rules."

"She already told me. No kissing in front of her. No relationship talk. No details."

"Can you handle that?"

"I can handle anything as long as I have you."

Maya's lip trembled. "That's really cheesy."

"I know. But it's true."

She stepped into my arms and I held her, feeling her shake against me. Relief. Fear. Hope. All of it mixed together.

"Don't leave again," she whispered.

"Never. I'm staying right here."

We stood like that for a long time, just holding each other. Knowing this was just the beginning. Knowing there would be more challenges ahead. But also knowing we'd face them together.

Finally, not running anymore.