22. Talia

Shit.

"Dad, wait!" Talia dove forward, clasping her hand around his slightly sunburnt arm and wrenching him back. He didn't even pause, so she dug her heels in, doing her best impersonation of an anchor.

It worked. Dad paused, giving her a patient look despite his anger. "He needs to leave."

"He needs to stay," she fought back.

Surprise flared on Dad's face.

I guess the last time he saw me I was in floods of tears about Jensen's actions.

Well, what she thought were Jensen's actions.

"You don't know the whole story," she explained.

"Which I guess he cooked up the moment I left the country. He's taking advantage of you—"

Her head tilted, reflecting her father's rage back at him. Jensen began to say something, but she held up a hand to silence him. "Do you really think I'd let him around my son without good reason? Do you really think I'm that shit of a mother?"

"Nattie," Dad began, squeezing the bridge of his nose. "You're a fantastic mother, but think of what he did. He's not trustworthy. He left you to raise Felix alone."

Talia shook her head. "He didn't." Her voice broke. There had been so many times she'd been driven to tears by Jensen's supposed abandonment. Even now, the relief was bone deep, but her grief remained. "I thought he did, but he didn't. He left me a letter. He wanted to see me again. He didn't abandon me."

Dad thumbed her tears away. "I don't want to be cruel, but where's his proof?"

"Jensen didn't tell me that. Quinn did. He's the one who hid the letter."

"Wait, what?"

"Quinn came in whilst I was sleeping and took it."

Frowning, Dad glanced between her and Jensen. "Why would he do that?"

"Because he's a manipulative little bastard who shouldn't be trusted with your daughter," Jensen snarled, stepping into the fray. "He's the one who left Talia alone in pregnancy, not me. And do you know what he tried to do the other night? He got her drunk and tried to fucking assault her. You're so concerned with me being untrustworthy you missed the giant red flag right under your nose."

Eyes blown wide, Dad sucked in a breath. "Is that true, cyw?"

Talia nodded grimly, sliding her phone out of her pocket. She pulled up the same sped-up recording she'd shown to Mia—the one of Jensen caring for her whilst she was asleep. "And this is what Jensen did when presented with the same… opportunity."

A little frown came over Dad's face as he watched. He shot Jensen a brief glance before giving Talia her phone back. "Are you all right? Did Quinn hurt you?"

"I'm okay," she nodded, finding it was the truth. If she remembered what happened, then perhaps her answer would be different. But she didn't, so it wasn't. "Thanks to Jensen."

Dad nodded, letting out a resigned huff. "I'm not saying I approve, because I don't. But thank you for looking after her." He gestured to Jensen's chest. "Can you at least put a shirt on?"

"I would, but my shirt's in there." Jensen tapped the washing machine under the kitchen counter, the clothes in it nothing but a blur of motion. "Felix chucked a load of sweet potato puree on me."

A hint of humour turned up the edge of Dad's lip. "Did he?" He glanced at Felix's closed bedroom door. "Is he down for a nap at the moment?"

Before Talia could answer, the flat's buzzer sounded. Someone was down at the front door. Pressing the button, she leant closer to allow it to pick up her voice. "Hello?"

"Hey, sweetie. It's Alison. Is your dad there by any chance?"

"He is, actually. Come up." Talia let go of the button, turning round to face him. "Come to think of it, how did you even get in the building?"

"Mia was coming out of the front doors when I arrived," Dad replied guiltily. "She let me in."

Ah. That would explain it.

It wasn't long before Alison's knock arrived, but when Talia opened the door Alison wasn't alone; there was another man with her, one who looked vaguely familiar. "Hey," Talia said, frantically trying to remember the man's name. "Come in."

Alison quickly took pity on her, her new tan flashing as she pecked Talia on the cheek. "How are you, sweetheart? This is my younger son, Aldous. I think you might have met him at the wedding."

Talia nodded. "I did." Briefly.

"And is everything… okay in here?" Alison asked, her voice suspiciously high. She smiled at Jensen standing in the kitchen, his arms crossed over his scarred chest, before giving Dad a knowing glance. "Everything's a lot calmer than we were expecting."

"What were you expecting?" Jensen asked.

Aldous shrugged, standing next to his cousin. "I thought you might need help, so I came. If you picked up your bloody phone you would have had a warning Euan was on his way round."

Quirking his lip, Jensen gave him a heartfelt smile. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry I disappeared, cariad," Dad exhaled roughly, squeezing Alison's hand. "I had a text from Quinn."

Jensen perked up. "Saying what?"

"That you were taking advantage of my daughter."

Jensen choked out something resembling a laugh. "And you believed him. I've known you for years, Euan. When have I ever given you the impression I'd take advantage of a young woman?"

Dad pointed at Felix's bedroom door. "I think we're a long way past impressions. There's physical evidence of your ability to make questionable decisions."

A fire blazed in Jensen's eyes as he stormed towards Dad. "My son was never a questionable decision."

A babble came from Felix's bedroom, turning Talia's head. "Speak of the devil," she muttered, opening her son's bedroom door. For once, Felix wasn't laying on the mattress—he was standing on it, his pudgy little hands firmly affixed to the cot's side. "What are you doing standing up, cyw?" she laughed, lifting him onto her hip.

Felix nuzzled into her, looking around as she carried him into the living room, clearly surprised to see it full of people.

"Hello Felix!" Dad grinned, his eyes lighting up.

"Do you want to say hello to Bampi?" she asked him, leaning him in Dad's direction.

But Felix only gave Dad a small wave before holding out a hand towards Jensen, letting out a little squeal.

A wide smile split Jensen's face. He needed no encouragement, scooping Felix into his arms and tightly clutching him in a hug. "You want to come to Dadda, Felix?"

Felix's hand went up, and for a moment Talia was sure he was going to smack Jensen right across the face, but instead he settled for a gentle pat and a happy giggle.

Well, at least he's getting out of his hitting habit.

Dad, on the other hand, merely stared at the father and son duo. "So what, you're going to waltz in and start being a dad?"

Jensen nodded, letting Felix crawl all over him. "Would you do anything less?"

After a few seconds of tense silence, Dad answered, "No. No, I would not."

"He's my son, Euan. I plan to be in his life." Jensen's gaze met hers, something soft and gentle lying just behind his eyes. "My family's life."

Talia expected her father to fight back, but he gave in. Perhaps it was the ordeal with Quinn, or the fact that even now Felix was happily curled around Jensen, reaching his hand out to Aldous next to him.

For some reason, Aldous hesitated, his hand stalling in mid-air. A moment later, though, he let Felix grip his finger, giving him a brief smile.

"That's your Uncle Aldous, Felix," Jensen told him, shooting a quietly hopeful glance at Alison.

"The better looking one," Aldous assured Felix, stroking his tiny hand.