Chapter 8: His Whole World

Rikki was confused to say the least. What had happened? Why was Liv so upset? It took Rikki a moment to move as she finally followed Liv out of the office. She slammed her door in a teenage fashion. Rikki could remember doing that a handful of times as well, specifically when she was upset with her father. What Liv was upset about was unknown to Rikki.

"Liv?" Rikki asked after she knocked on the door. She could hear the young girl crying on the other side. Rikki could rarely remember being so upset about someone else being upset. She wanted nothing more than to at least understand what had made Liv so distraught.

"Go away!" Liv shouted from the other end. Her voice wavered and Rikki could tell she was really, really crying. As soon as the words came out of Liv's mouth, Zane had bounded up the stairs. He likely heard Liv's door slam. He locked eyes with Rikki as the two adults both wore looks of confusion and pain.

"What happened?" Zane asked Rikki.

"I don't know." Rikki replied. "She seemed fine and then she ran off."

"I can handle this." Zane told her. "Why don't you go wait in the main room?"

"But Zane-," Rikki started.

"Rikki, please." Zane cut her off. "She's my daughter."

Rikki saw a level of care and sincerity in his eyes she hadn't seen in a long time. She wondered if she had ever seen it to this magnitude. Zane wasn't afraid to show her he cared back in the day but it was clear Zane didn't care about anything above Liv.

Rikki gave him a nod. "Okay."

She excused herself to the stairwell. She wasn't going to sit in the main room and hope this all blew over. She wanted to be able to hear whatever Zane could fish out of Liv. Rikki stopped at the landing, pacing the small area as she heard Zane knock on the door asking for Liv with seemingly no response. Rikki wondered if Zane would came down the stairs and give Liv some alone time until she finally heard the door open.

Liv just wished the knocking on her door would stop. It would eventually, she had been in this situation before. Her dad would give her alone time if she needed it. She desperately wanted him to leave her be but she didn't know if she could talk to him without losing her cool right now. It was best for everyone she stay in her room.

Liv finally flipped over from her facedown position on her bed and tucked her legs under her chin. Tears still fell freely from her eyes but she wasn't sobbing anymore. Her dad was still banging on her door, requesting she open it and talk to him. She still wasn't ready. What if he confirmed her fears? What if he admitted he and Rikki were dating? What if he admitted to replacing her mum? She needed to work up more courage to do that. Her mum always helped her the most when she felt weak. Liv spotted one of the photo albums her dad gave her on her desk. It was one she couldn't remember ever seeing. She reckoned Zane had taken the others. Maybe he was showing Rikki so she knew the role she was expected to take.

Liv stood and flipped the album open. There was a reason she had never seen this one, the images were those of her dad. He looked like he was about her age now in the photos. He hadn't met Hannah yet. This photo album would do her no good but she decided to flip through it anyway. Maybe there was something in here that would help her feel better.

Several of the photos were of Zane doing typical teenager things. Some were of her grandfather and Zane. Those photos always looked so stiff and forced. She knew Zane didn't have the best relationship with his father but it wasn't bad by any means either. She continued flipping the pages to see him by a pool, surfing and riding dirt bikes. She came across an image of him with who she assumed were his friends. Rikki was in the image too. Liv felt her blood boil. She took a deep breath knowing this image didn't confirm anything new. She knew they were friends when they were younger. There were two other guys and two other girls Liv didn't recognize in the picture. She shook it off and she continued flipping through the pages.

Liv came across a page that took her breath away and all but confirmed her suspicions. The image featured only Rikki and Zane. They were standing outside a building with Rikki's name on it with their arms around each other's waist and shoulders. She continued to dig deeper. She posed like that for pictures with many of her friends, it didn't mean they were dating. The next page confirmed all she needed. She felt tears start to run down her face again and an anger take over her. She didn't care if she opened the door to her father and all hell broke loose. She didn't care if she would have to run away from home. Nothing mattered.

Liv ripped the photo out of the album, stood from her bed and approached the door her father was still on the other side of. She flung it open and was met with a look of surprise from him.

"Liv-" he started.

"Don't." Liv cut him off. "I… I just… I don't understand how you could do this."

"Do what?" Zane asked. "Liv, could you please just tell me-"

"I thought you loved Mum!" Liv exclaimed. "Or at least respected her. Now look at what you've done!"

"What are you talking about?" Zane asked. If he was confused when he opened the door, he was even more so now. "Of course I loved your mum-"

"Then would you care to explain this?" Liv said shoving the photo to his chest.

Zane took the photo off of his chest to look at it. It was one he hadn't seen in a long time. He remembered when it was taken too. He remembered being so happy. He remembered thinking he was going to marry the girl in the photo, the one his lips were on as they stood outside of their brand new restaurant. The photos were taken for an ad in the paper. He and Rikki were at the height of their relationship and got cared away. The photos of them kissing weren't used in the ad but he did request to take them for himself.

"Liv," Zane started, following her into her room. "This was a long time ago."

"How do you explain the hug I walked in on today?" Liv asked. "Or the hugs you have been sharing for the neighbors to see? Can you blame me for thinking the obvious?"

Zane sighed. Liv thought he and Rikki were dating. No wonder she was so upset. Hannah had just passed and while Zane couldn't deny some of his feelings he had for Rikki were still there, it was too soon for him to start dating.

"Liv," Zane sighed, taking a seat on the opposite end of her bed. "I loved your mum very, very much. I still miss her everyday."

"Then why are you dating Rikki?" Liv asked.

"I'm not doing anything with Rikki." Zane told her. "Maybe we weren't completely honest about the nature of our friendship before but I didn't tell you because I didn't think it was important. Rikki is first and foremost here to help you, not to do anything with me."

"I see the way she looks at you though," Liv said with her saddest eyes yet. "It's the same way Mum looked at you. And you look at her like you used to look at Mum. I know I'm young but I wasn't born yesterday. I knew from the moment you guys saw each other again there was more than just friendship going on. I guess I just hoped I was wrong. And then I go to school and hear about how you might be dating from Lily Keller and I come home to you guys hugging… what was I supposed to think? What was I supposed to do?"

Zane quickly moved across the bed and grabbed Liv fiercely to him. She let out another bout of tears and sobs. Zane remembered how complicated he thought his relationship with Rikki was when they were teens. That was nothing compared to now.

"I don't know if I'm ever going to find someone like your mum again." Zane said. "But if I do, you'll be the first one I tell. And if you don't like her… well, I don't care how crazy I am about her, I'll dump her in a heartbeat. I'm not going to date Rikki or anyone without your consent. It doesn't matter if she and I still have feelings for each other, if you don't like it, I won't date her."

"Really?" Liv asked, removing her head from his chest.

"Of course." Zane replied. "You're my whole world, Liv. You have been for the last fifteen years. Ever since I first saw you with your bright red skin and misshapen head."

"Dad." Liv sighed and Zane let out a laugh.

"I mean it though," Zane said. "I would never do anything to upset you."

"I guess I always knew that." Liv said. "Things have just been so complicated lately."

"You're telling me." Zane replied. Liv moved out of his arms and she stood from her bed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Liv replied. Zane gave her a nod and went to leave the room.

"Good." Zane said. "Did you want to have a lesson with Rikki today or…?"

"I think it's best we put it off." Liv said.

"All right." Zane replied. "I'll let her know."

"Dad?" Liv asked before he could fully exit the room.

"Yeah?" Zane asked back.

"Thank you," she said. "For everything. I know the past few months have been really hard but I think you've been doing a great job."

Zane soon found his daughter hugging his waist. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, finding her somewhere between Hannah and Rikki's height. Talk about an absolute perfect fit.

"I love you, Dad." She mumbled against him. Zane couldn't wipe the smile from his face or the tears that suddenly appeared in his eyes.

"I love you too, sweetheart." Zane replied, laying a kiss on top of her head.

Once the hug was over, the father-daughter pair gave each other one last look before Zane quietly closed the door behind her.

Zane padded down the stairs to tell Rikki they wouldn't be having a lesson today when he ran into her on the landing.

"I should have figured you would be here." Zane said. "How much did you hear?"

Rikki looked lost in a trance. It took her a few seconds to reply to him. Zane wondered if Rikki had been impacted by the conversation too.

"Oh, sorry," Rikki said in reply. "I um… I'll get out of your hair since there's no lesson."

Zane shook his head. He couldn't please anyone. Did Rikki have feelings for him? His eighteen year old self would be so happy. His eighteen year old self was also selfish. He wouldn't care who his relationship impacted. Now, he knew he couldn't loose or damage his relationship with his daughter. He meant it, she was his everything.

"Rikki!" Zane called after her, meeting her at the front door.

"It's fine." Rikki replied immediately. "Can I just go home?"

Zane saw the tears swimming in her eyes. He made the right choice, he knew he did. Damn, seeing Rikki like this sure as hell made it feel like he was making the wrong choice.

"I… I just...," Zane started. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Rikki said with a shake of her head. "These things used to be so simple, right?"

"Yeah," Zane replied. "Yeah, they did."

"Well… I reckon I'll see you tomorrow." Rikki said.

"Yeah," Zane replied again. "I'll see you then."

Rikki felt the urge to give him a hug or even a peck on the cheek. Liv wasn't there, she would never know. Still, Rikki knew if she allowed herself to do that, it would only be a matter of time until the started kissing. Establishing barriers now would be easier than doing it later.

"And, Zane?" Rikki started before she opened the door. He simply looked up at her. "You're a really great father."

Zane's smile grew. Rikki was happy to see it. "Thanks."

Rikki nodded as she closed the door behind her and hopped into her car. Her apartment would likely be empty, Claire and Nathan were usually at work during this time. Still, she felt the waves and the moon pool calling her name. Rikki begged her tears to wait until she pulled into the beach parking lot. It wouldn't do her any good if she burst into tears while she was driving. She finally arrived at the empty beach. The sun was starting to set so most of the beachgoers were heading home if not already there. She barely made it out of her car when she felt her legs give out. She spent a moment crying in the sand. Life with Zane Bennett was always oh, so complicated.

Rikki finally gathered her composure and took off in the ocean. She enjoyed the feeling of the water on her face and tried to focus on that while she continued her trip to Mako Island. It wouldn't be the first night she spent crying in the moon pool and it sure as hell wasn't the first night she would be crying because of Zane. The moon was probably tired of her antics.