CHAPTER FORTY THREE

LIAM POV

"Are you hungry?" I asked curiously while watching Tatia flickering through the TV channels looking for something to watch.

"I guess I could eat something."

I rolled my eyes at her.

"You're such a picky eater how does your mother even handle you 24/7?"

"Well my mother knows me better than anyone else. I hope I can have that kind of relationship with my dad when I find him."

She sighed deeply and turned off the TV.

"I'll only eat something if you cook it yourself. We've been eating takeaways since I got here and that's getting boring."

"That's gonna be a challenge Tatia because I don't know my way around the kitchen."

Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"That's not a problem, I can teach you the ropes. I've watched my mother cooking in the kitchen a billion times."

"But watching someone cook doesn't make you experienced either, don't bother showing off because you're just as clueless as me."

"Then I challenge you."

I stared at her in disbelief.

"To what?"

"A cooking contest."

A chuckle escaped my lips.

"A cooking contest?"

She nodded quietly.

"I want to prove you wrong."

"Okay fine I'll play along but will I get when I win?"

"Hmmm anything you want I guess."

"If I win you're going to tell me your mother's name."

She rolled her eyes at me.

"You're getting obsessed with my mom or something?"

I shook my head negatively.

"Well not exactly, let's just say I'm curious."

"Okay but if I win I want you to take me out for ice cream so do we have a deal?"

She offered me her little hand.

"We have a deal" I muttered quietly and grasped her hand firmly.

A few minutes later I placed an hourglass on the kitchen island.

"This is the time we have to finish preparing each of our meals in exactly an hour."

"I would finish my dish in thirty minutes. I don't need that extra time."

"There's no need to brag, just prepare yourself to lose because I'm going to win."

"Ha, keep dreaming."

Tatia rushed around the restaurant collecting the ingredients she needed for her dish. She tied her blonde hair in a messy bun and wore an apron.

Her eyes locked when began whisking the eggs in a bowl she was holding.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" She asked with a frown on her face.

"You just remind me of someone who used to be special to me."

"Well I'm flattered but we have exactly an hour to finish cooking or maybe you're letting me win? That wouldn't be fair."

"You're right, letting you win easily wouldn't be fair. I'll just have to try harder and beat you fair and square."

I placed a non-stick pan on the stove and began cutting a few vegetables.

"What are you cooking?"

"Actually I decided to bake a cake instead."

"A cake? That's actually very impressive."

"Thanks, my mother taught me she's good at baking stuff but stop stalling. I know what you're trying to do."

I chuckled softly.

"Damnit."

Tatia cocked a brow at me.

"What is it?"

"Cutting onions is hard, it's making me cry."

She burst out laughing.

"Well you'll get used to it."

I groaned in annoyance and tossed the onion's I cut into the flying pan.

"What are you even making? By the choice of your ingredients it doesn't look very appealing."

"Don't be too quick to judge, besides I make the best omelets at least for someone who used to think so."

"You mean your girlfriend?"

"Ex girlfriend."

I felt a sharp pain in my finger and the knife fell to the ground.

Blood began dripping.

"Shit."

I turned on the faucet and began to clean my wound.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, I just cut my finger, it's a small cut."

Tatia walked over to me and began examining the cut.

Suddenly her expression turned into anger.

"This doesn't look like a small cut."

"Wait here I'll go get the first aid kit."

Before I could protest, Tatia left the kitchen.

She had abandoned her cake and came to check up on me. I thought she really wanted to win this contest. I didn't want to slow her down.

A few minutes later Tatia returned back with the first aid box. She opened the box and applied some ointment on my wound. When I winced in pain she glared at me.

"This wouldn't have happened if you didn't challenge me."

"I know that you're angry but instead it sounds like you've started crying about me am I right?" I teased.

"Stop talking, '' she muttered quietly.

"What about your cake? If you're here helping me it won't have enough time to bake."

"You're more important than a silly contest."

Tatia placed a bandaid on my cut finger.

"I'm done."

I smiled at her.

"It feels much better thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I'll help you finish making your omelet."

"And I'll help you finish making your cake."

She smiled at me.

"Okay."

We changed positions.

"I bet that your mother is proud to have a daughter like you."

"She won't be proud of me when she finds me. I'm sure that she'll be very angry with me."

"She has every right to be angry Tatia you ran away from home you didn't give her much of a choice."

"Maybe I wouldn't have ran away if she had just told me the truth about my father."

"Instead my mother chose to keep me in the dark. I had to find out from other people that the man I used to call my father wasn't actually my real father."

"All the kids at school made fun of me. Do you know how humiliating that is?"

"I'm done with the cake, it's in the oven" I muttered quietly trying to change the topic.

The doorbell rang.

"I'll be right back."

I left the kitchen and went to answer the door only to find a man wearing a tailoring black suit standing in the doorway.

He smiled at me.

"You must be Liam right?"

I nodded quietly.

"Yes and who are you?" I asked curiously.

"My name is Brock and I'm Tatia's father."

"Her father?"

The man pulled out one a flyer that had Tatia's face.

"I got these made and they are all over the city. I was hoping that when someone saw her they would inform me but I had that you're the one who went with my daughter."

"She turned up at your club looking for me right?"

"Yes that's right."

"I know that you still don't believe me, that's why I came with evidence."

He took out a few photos.

"Check them carefully, these are Tatia's childhood photos."

True to his word this man had Tatia's pictures I guess that meant that he was her biological father. I was secretly wishing that he wouldn't turn up looking for her because I had grown so close to her these past few days. I wasn't ready to let her go.

"Is it okay if I come in?"

I stepped aside still feeling puzzled.

"Sure."

Once he was inside I closed the door behind me.

"Tatia there's someone here to see you."

Tatia came to the living room and the man smiled at her.

"You look just like your mother Tatia but you have my eyes and hair."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

There was something sinister about this man that just made me uncomfortable but if he was truly Tatia's father I couldn't keep him away from his daughter.

"Dad?"

He nodded eagerly and opened his arms.

Tatia rushed into his arms and Brock embraced her. A part of me wished that I was in his place. I wanted to embrace my child like that as well.

Tatia sobbed in his arms.

"I've searched everywhere for you Tatia. I can't believe that I finally found you."

"Your mother and I have been so worried about you when I found out that you were here I came immediately."

He released Tatia, wiping her tears away.

Brock stared at me.

"Thank you for keeping my daughter safe."

I gave him a stern nod.

"Don't mention it."

I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"Since your father is here you should go get your things Tatia, the two of you should spend some quality time together."

"Yes."

Tatia rushed upstairs and went to get her backpack.

A few minutes later Tatia returned with all her things.

She smiled at me.

"I guess that this is goodbye."

I opened my arms for her.

"Aren't you going to give me a goodbye hug?"

She rolled her eyes at me wrapping her arms around me.

"I'm going to miss you very much. It's a shame that I never got the chance to taste your omelet."

I released her and she kissed me on the cheek.

"I hope you find your daughter too. I think she's going to be a girl."

I nodded quietly, grasping her hand.

"Come on Tatia, it's time to go."

Tatia looked back at her father and let go of my hand.

Something inside me shattered.

Why did I feel this way?