Chapter 19 -- Vingt.
Chapter 19 -- Vingt.
"I know you're not fond of me—" Andre was immediately cut of.
"You are right, I could never be fond of a man who broke my daughter in every way possible..." Garreth
added before Andre had even said his whole sentence.
"And I'm here to correct my wrongs and be the man she deserves."
"You will never be the man my daughter deserves!"
Andre knew this was true and quite frankly it made him very upset. "That won't stop me either from
claiming your daughter as my wife. You weren't there when I married her your opinion isn't relevant to
me."
Garreth was shook, he couldn't believe that this— had the audacity to insult him. No one had ever
treated him the way Andre had and he wasn't going to tolerate it.
"Oh, you know damn well that if I was there you wouldn't have married my daughter or laid a finger on
her." Garreth scoffed at the thought, that he had just walked in on them doing whatever they were doing
he was so disgusted.
"Well it's a little too late for that.." Andre paused for a second. "Look I'm not trying to argue with you or
anything of that sort, infact I would love if we can be civil with each other." Andre said clearing his
throat. He didn't want to have meaningless argument with his father in law. Andre knew Garreth would
be around in Della's life for a long time and he wouldn't want them to have bad blood with each other.
Della had always wanted a father and now that he was present... she surely wouldn't let him go.
"Yes, we should be civil with each other. I don't know if Della has told you but Leith is actually her
boyfriend and she is trying to move on." He mustered a poker face when he saw how hurt Andre
looked.
"No, it can't be." He chuckled.
"They have been on a couple of dates, she wouldn't tell you that obviously." Garreth snickered
mischievously.
"Why are you so concerned with what we do?" Andre asked curiously.
"This is about my daughter and only about my daughter— I won't allow anyone to ever hurt her."
Garreth said giving him a death glare.
"I'm trying to make things right!"
"No buddy, just move on with your life." Garreth replied.
"Della is my life, I'm not moving on without her!" Andre replied aggressively.
"I have warned you, I will not be held responsible for anything that happens from here onward." Garreth
replied nonchalantly.
"Mr. McCarthy is that a threat?" Andre convulsed seemingly amused.
"Take it however you see it." with that he turned away. "Oh and I will be sure to tell Della that you said
good bye, I wouldn't want you coming in to disturb the love birds. Good Day Mr. Levetté." Garreth said
arrogantly shutting the door in Andre's face.
"Uhm—" Andre raised his hand then he sighed and turned to walk away. He didn't realise there was
someone listening in on their conversation. The door was slightly open and he couldn't really see who it
was—
"Hey, I'm sorry if we were too loud.." Andre said politely. He knew people might have overheard after
all, they were arguing in the hallway.
"It's alright, young man." The old man finally came into view, he had wrinkles and looked round about
his eighties.
"My apologies." Andre sighed grabbing his keys from the back pocket. This apartment building wasn't
in its best condition on the outside but at least it was nicer in the inside.
"You seem troubled son." He opened the door gesturing for Andre to come in. Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
"Uh, I must apologize, I really have to be leaving—" He said in a hurry, Andre didn't want to seem rude
but he couldn't stand being here any longer not if he wasn't with her.
"I have known Adela and Leo for about four years now, if my memory isn't deceiving me." The old man
added making Andre freeze in his stature. Anything to do with Della immediately interested him.
"You should come in, I'm Mr. Griffins but you can call me Rob." He heaved a sigh.
Andre looked at his watch, then hesitated for a moment but he decided to go with his gut and hear what
the old man had to say. When he entered the apartment he was greeted with a homely environment
and a lot of picture frames on the wall.
"I'm Andre..." He dreaded saying his surname for a bit. "Levetté."
"Tea?" Rob asked in a polite manor.
"Uhm, I just had-" He was interrupted.
"Of course, Adela makes the best tea." He chuckled taking a cup and sitting opposite the young man.
"and coffee!"
"She does." Andre smiled inwardly.
"You love her?" Rob stated sipping on his tea.
"Actually I'm such a fool." He answered instead.
"Aren't we all fools when it comes to love?" Rob shrugged at Andre who seemed to be having his mind
occupied by other thoughts.
"Adela has never talked about you, I always questioned her about the boy's father and she somehow
always seemed to avoid the question."
"She has always been like that, very quiet. She always keeps to herself." Andre muttered. "But in this
case she hates me so there's that, it really shouldn't come as a surprise!"
"Hate is a very broad word." Rob added. It wasn't hard to tell that he was from Texas because of his
accent.
"Her father thinks even worse of me and that's the most important person in Adela's life besides Leo
and if I can't win him over... it's as good as done." He let out.
"Alright, after what I just overheard I won't deny that." Rob snorted at the thought.
"I'm willing to help you, my wife left me thirty-four years ago. I know how it feels to be alone, to feel
guilty." For l the first time since their encounter he had a frown on his face.
"What happened?" Andre questioned.
"I cheated multiple times. She always forgave me until—"
He let out a sigh. "Until she couldn't take it anymore..."
"I'm sorry about that Rob." Andre said looking concerned for the old man.
"It's alright. Now don't make the same mistake. Adela..." He took a sip of his tea. "Adela is an amazing
woman. She takes care of me like I'm her grandfather. She is constantly here to check up on me, to
check if I have my pills, cook for me, do the laundry for me, take me to my appointments with the doctor
once a month, take care of me when I'm sick, take me to play chase in the park after she takes Leo
from his French classes. If there is any way I could ever repay her that would be bringing her back the
happiness she lost. She deserves to be happy and as much as she might try to deny it, you were her
very first love and she will always love you. She does—" Rob's tears were right below his wrinkled eye
bags. He really cared about her.
"My kids call me sometimes—they don't care really. They hate me enough for what I did to their mother,
I do not blame them." Andre was taken aback. Leo would surely hate him as well when he is finally old
enough to understand what happened between his parents.
He had no idea how lucky he had been to had even married her.
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