Chapter 3

Era

He released me and tucked his hands inside his tight jeans. "I'm sorry, it took me days to come over. I just need to deal with something so I won't be facing any hassle when I get back to work."

"It's okay." Giving him a small smile, I fished around for the keys inside my bag and twisted them into the doorknob. When the door opened, I invited him in.

I stepped inside the apartment and hung the keys and my school bag on a hook beside the door. Without looking at him, I rushed to the comfort room. Leaning on the wall, I sighed, preventing myself from texting Mom. I wanted to ask her to come back. I had no idea how to entertain that man. Should I talk to him first? Offer him food? Or question where his ass has been these past years?

Oh, Mom. This is the worst thing you've ever done.

Shaking my head, I opened the faucet to wash my face. When I went out, I spotted him lounging on the couch like he owned the place. He had his shirt off, and his legs were resting on the sofa couch as well. I bit my lips and walked through the living room as quietly as possible to grab my bag.

"Mind if I watch TV?"

I turned to him and shook my head. "No."

"Thanks." He grabbed the remote and pressed it. I heard some different sounds from the constant flipping through the channels until it stopped to something that I think was CW. "I just can't miss this final episode."

I raised an eyebrow. He was watching my favorite TV series! Though I wanted to sit on the couch, I chose to walk to my bedroom.

"Hold a second, Era."

I almost squeaked when he clutched my hand and pulled it until I found myself slumped on the couch.

"Can we talk? I want to know more about you. There's a lot of things we need to talk about."

"Why?" I asked, turning my head to the TV screen.

"I want to be close to you, be your friend and dad."

"You're already my dad. I have no choice. I couldn't change that. But a friend? I don't know. Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to my room now." I stood up without looking at him.

I didn't feel guilty about my attitude towards him. He deserved it. I should be hating him because he dumped my mom.

Hours passed by, and as I glanced at the wall clock, my stomach growled. Great, it was already eight in the evening. When I was about to get up, I heard Henry calling my name after a series of knocks.

"Era, will you open the door, please? I cooked something for you.

So he can cook? Maybe that was his way of making it up with me. He needed to please me so he could stay longer with me. But why? If he wanted to be a good father, he should have done it before.

Okay, I would give him a chance, but I bet that the dish he prepared was gross. He wasn't the cooking type after all. "Be there in a sec!" I got off the bed, checked myself in the mirror, and dashed out of my room.

A couple of minutes later, I took my seat at the table, but I had to bite my lips to prevent myself from drooling. Shit, these are all my favorites!

"Don't just stare at them. Here, try this," Henry said as he picked a slice of roast pork and placed it on my big empty plate.

"Thanks." I smiled and took a small portion of the meat.

"How is it?" he asked, tilting his head. He seemed to be a bit worried.

I chewed and chewed. Oh my. This is the best-tasting thing I ever tasted! "Well, it's not bad. It's not that good either." I shrugged my shoulders, then sliced another portion. And another... and another.

"Well, at least you're eating. You have already eaten half of your food," he beamed, shaking his head.

"I'm just so hungry. I can eat anything on my plate," I lied, then swigged the glass above my plate. The lemonade was sweet, but I could feel the heat creeping into my face. He must have seen me frowning at my glass. "Um, what's in this drink?"

"That's a lemonade punch. The base liquor is vodka together with lemon. And about the crown pork roast, it's the best-selling dish in my restaurant."

"Restaurant?"

He lifted his head and nodded. "I'm a chef in my restaurant. It is five blocks away from your school, I guess."

So he knows my school? And he's a chef?

I bowed my head and wiped my lips with a tissue beside the plate. That explained why the table was formally set like in a fine dining restaurant. "The food is great. It tastes expensive and classy."

"Oh, really?" he chuckled. "Wow, thank you for the compliment."

"But you don't have to prepare delicious meals for me every day. I don't want to end up gaining weight."

He gazed at my face down to my chest—it made me feel uncomfortable. "You're tall and naturally attractive. I think you'll still look sexy and hot, even if you become a bit curvy."

I choked.

Me, sexy and hot? It was a compliment for me, but Henry was my dad, and I didn't think fathers should shoot those adjectives at their daughters. Right?

"T-thanks," I stared down at my plate.

But maybe I inherited my height from him. Henry was so tall. Maybe he was more than six feet. He was also blonde like me. But the hue of my hair was more pale.

Surprisingly, our conversation over the meal went well. We talked about so much stuff. I also found out we shared a lot of things in common, favorites included. He was smart, with a unique sense of humor.

When we finished the meal an hour later, I insisted on washing the plates.

"Need help?" Henry asked when he entered the kitchen.

I turned over my shoulder. "No, it's fi—" My breathing almost stopped when I saw him almost naked. He only had a pair of boxer shorts! I looked back at the plates, or else they might end up broken on the floor. Clearing the lump in my throat, I whispered, "I'm almost done here."

"You sure? I can rinse the pots so you can take your rest now. I don't want you to stay up late since you have class tomorrow."

I hid a smile. How thoughtful. Hell, I was beginning to admire and like him. I was just a bit confused about the way my body reacted to his gestures. I grew up in a home without a male figure around, so being with this man was a new thing to me.

"I can do this, Henry. I mean, Dad."