Don't Refuse Me, Daddy

Chapter 7 Love's Riddle

After we returned from the cemetery, I found myself rethinking my relationship with Tyrone. For years, we'd relied on each other, each the most important person in the other's life. But was there more to my feelings than just family bonds? Or was Evelyn right? Maybe it was simply the lack of male presence in my life that caused this confusion, with Tyrone as the only available focus of my sudden desire.

After my shower, I sat at my desk, determined to sort it out. I wasn't the type to let questions torment me for long; I'd rather face them head-on. Grabbing a notebook, I began to scribble my thoughts, the pen scratching against the paper as I wrote. Suddenly, I couldn't help but laugh at myself. How many people, I wondered, treated love like a problem to solve, reducing it to a list of steps and logic? Maybe I had read one too many books.

At the top of the page, I wrote: Step One: Determine if I actually like him.

This led to two sub-points: No. 1: Meet other guys I find interesting and see if I could like one of them instead, and No. 2: Spend some time away from him to see if the feelings fade.

A third point crossed my mind, but I quickly scratched it out. I was sure that I wasn't attracted to women. The second point, however, was a challenge. Since Tyrone and I had started living together, we'd never been apart for more than a day. I wasn't sure how to arrange time away from him without raising suspicions or what would happen when he was not around. As for the first point... well, that was an even bigger puzzle.

But an opportunity came sooner than expected.

The next day, I texted Abel to meet at a café so I could return his jacket. I picked it up from the dry cleaner and rode my bike to the café, where I found Abel already seated by the window. He was relaxed in a hoodie, his hair slightly tousled. I handed him the jacket in its garment bag and asked what he wanted to drink.

Pointing to the two coffees on the table, he smiled. "Looks like you'll have to get it next time. I didn't know what you'd like, so I ordered my usual."

By pure luck, it was my favorite—a cold Americano. I smiled.

"Guess we've got similar taste."

That afternoon, our conversation flowed effortlessly. Abel's taste in music and movies matched mine perfectly, and he was well-read, with endless topics to discuss. When he smiled, his eyes sparkled like gemstones, and looking into them, I felt my heart lift, like a balloon filled with warm air.

Maybe... just maybe, he could be...

But my thoughts were interrupted when Abel suddenly asked, "This might sound forward, but... who was that guy who picked you up yesterday?"

Pulled back to the moment, I saw the hesitation in his gaze, and I felt a pang of guilt. He didn't deserve to be hurt—especially not by me. And really, there was no need to hide anything.

"He's my guardian," I said simply.

Abel's shoulders relaxed, and he gave a relieved smile.

"Oh. He looked so young. I thought maybe he was your boyfriend. People were talking after you left since he had those flowers..."

"The flowers weren't for me," I replied quickly, taking a sip of coffee to hide my awkwardness.

"Zoey, is that you?" a sharp voice interrupted, and I turned to see a woman standing nearby, dressed up with delicate makeup and perfectly styled curls.

Her expression wasn't exactly friendly. The voice and face were familiar, though it took me a second to place her—Lisa.

I froze for a moment, unsure how to respond. Lisa looked unimpressed.

"Imagine running into you here, Zoey," she said.

"Yeah, I guess it's been a while since you left our place," I replied evenly.

"Oh, don't worry about that. Tyrone and I are doing just fine." She flipped her hair. "Did he mention it? We're going on vacation together."

"Vacation?" I echoed, surprised. Tyrone had never mentioned anything about a trip. He'd always taken me along on every trip he planned. "He didn't say anything about us going on vacation."

"By 'us', I mean me and Tyrone. Not you," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "Tyrone said he didn't want to bring any... extra people. You're too old to be following Daddy around, don't you think?"

Her words made sense, but it was the sneer beneath them that truly irked me.

"Lisa, I've got everything. Are we leaving?"

Another woman approached, her look and style almost a mirror of Lisa's, though she was slightly taller and perhaps more polished. She hooked her arm through Lisa's, her gaze falling on Abel, her eyes lingering with interest.

"This is my cousin, Christina. And this is my boyfriend's daughter, Zoey," Lisa announced loudly as if staking a claim. But her attempt fell flat; Christina seemed far more intrigued by Abel than by anything Lisa had to say.

Noticing her cousin's interest, Lisa turned to me again. "Is this your boyfriend?"

Before I could respond, Abel answered for me, "Not yet, but I'm working on it."

After they left, I stared at him in disbelief.

"Sorry for being so forward," he said, a bit bashful. "But Zoey, I really like you. Ever since I first saw you. Would you... consider giving me a chance? Or we could start by dating and see where it goes."