"I've been busy. That's all." Amy rolled her eyes dramatically, listening to the caller on the recieving end of the cordless phone she held to her ear. She wondered when it would ever stop. She wanted nothing to do with him anymore. So tempted as she was to hang up, she knew she couldn't. What good would it do anyway? It wouldn't change things. Nothing had changed.

"Busy? Doing what? You're not having sex with any of those filthy college boys, are you? Amy Gellar, why haven't you returned my calls? Are you having your mother cover for you again?"

She began pacing back and forth, a migraine starting to take form in her head. "No! Look, the reason I haven't called you is because I'm busy. I've got school work to do, and no, I'm not having sex with any college boys."

The man on the opposite end of the phone exhaled deeply, almost as if he were trying to control his temper. Suddenly, his gravely tone of voice became threatening with his next words. "Don't you use that tone of voice with me. I'm your father, and whether you like it or not, I'm still a part of your life. You can't shut me out."

Amy bit down on her bottom lip, holding back the tears that were rising to the surface. She wouldn't let herself cry. Not again. Not over this. She hated the way in which he had spoken to her. It wasn't the first time, and she doubted it would be the last. "Why..." She took in a deep calming breath, her voice breaking with emotion. As tempted as she was to deny that he was her father, she would not risk it. "Why do you keep calling me? Why are you acting this way to me?"

"I told you. I'm your father! I just want to know what the hell my daughter has been up to. You don't seem to give a damn about what happened to your dear old dad." He lowered his voice, that dangerous tone still present, "just because I live in New York, doesn't mean I can't come down there and see you. You may not want me back in your life, but I'm not going anywhere. You can't get rid of me as easy as you think. Whether you believe it or not, as angry as you make me at times...I love you."

He loved her? She stopped believing that a long time ago. This man was incapable of love. Old childhood terrors were coming back to haunt her. Her heart beat rapidly against her chest, as she began trembling slightly in fright. Her eyes shifted in either directions of her room, landing on the window beside her bed. The white silk curtains were drawn and wafted in the light breeze of the early evening. Suddenly, not feeling so secure, she strode towards the window and shut it. A soft sigh escaped her.

"Amy Gellar, when are you ever going to learn? Don't you remember what happened the last time you made me angry? You don't want to see me get angry with you, do you?" When she didn't answer, his tone got louder, "do you!"

Not being able to keep her emotions at bay any longer, she allowed the tears to stream down her cheeks. She wanted to hang up. She wanted to hang up and change her number. She was thankful that the man lived in another state, but the thought that he could get the next flight out to Florida filled her with horror. A horror she hadn't felt in years. "I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." Her voice trailed off as she choked back the tears.

"What are you crying about?" He shouted the next word, "Huh?"

She sniffled and took in a deep breath to calm herself. "Nothing. I'm not crying. I yawned and my eyes got watery. Listen, I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you. You're right. I shouldn't be acting like that to you. There's nothing wrong with you calling me. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." She couldn't keep her voice from breaking at her last words.

"My ears did not decieve me. I heard you crying, but you damn well better start showing me some respect. Your mother and I may be divorced, but it doesn't change the fact that you're still my daughter. The next time I call, I don't want to hear that tone out of you. You're not too old for me to still put over my knee. You hear me?"

Her heart constricted in her chest. Pressing her shins up against the bed frame, she found herself sinking down onto the floor, the phone still grasped in her slightly trembling hand. She brought her opposite hand up to wipe away the tears still rolling down her cheeks. She nodded her head vigorously, even though she knew he couldn't see it. "Y-yes. I'm sorry."

There was a moment of silence from the opposite end of the phone. An uneasy silence that made her throat close up and her heart pound in her chest. She swallowed the huge lump in her throat, her apprehension growing the longer the silence went on. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the man finally spoke.

"That's what I thought."

There was a click. He had hung up. The cordless phone slipped from her hand and she immediately broke down sobbing. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she buried her head in them. Her body shook with emotion. She couldn't believe that she had let him get to her...again. For so long she had tried to get him out of her head, but nothing would stop him from calling her. There was no escape. He wasn't her father anymore. Why was he still bothering her? He never was her father, and she would never think of him that way. After what he had done to her and her mother, she would never forgive him. She couldn't fathom how the man had thought of himself as a suitable father. She use to think it was a curse that she was born into this family.

That was, until today. Even if she and Christian Troy had gotten off on the wrong foot, suddenly things seemed more promising in her life. There was hope where there use to be distress. Something about this man made her feel secure. It was almost as if she had a purpose in this world. Finally. Although it was still early to tell, she had a feeling that Christian needed her in his life just as badly as she needed him. Suddenly, her sobbing died down long enough for her to lift her head up. Christian! The dinner date. How could she forget! Her eyes shifted towards the digital clock/radio on her nightstand. It was already seven o' clock. She only had a half an hour before he got here.

Placing a shaky hand onto her mattress, she struggled up to her feet and stepped towards her dresser, staring back at her reflection in the large mirror above it. She was a mess. She couldn't see Christian like this. He would see the emotion on her face and he'd probably get suspicious. He'd want to know what was going on. She couldn't allow that to happen. It was too early for her to tell him about her adoptive father. Then again, tonight was the night they were going to get everything out in the open. If Christian found out about the man and what he'd done, she didn't know if she'd be so willing to see his reaction. Who knew what he might say. Who knew what he might do. She needed more time to think about it.

Brushing a few loose strands of hair out of her face, she looked over her shoulder at the various shopping bags that sat on her bed. She had had more fun shopping that day than she'd ever had before. Having money in her pocket was definitely a great feeling. She never realized just how liberating it was. Christian was definitely a generous person, and she couldn't have thanked him enough for this. She couldn't thank him enough for coming into her life. Now seemed as good a time as any for her to find him. As much as she couldn't stop from thinking about her adoptive father, she had to will herself to put her mind on something else. This dinner with Christian should take her mind off it. At least for now. For God's sakes, she was going to have a good time tonight. Not one person was going to ruin it for her.

Turning on her heels, she shuffled back to her bed. Snatching a kleenex from the nightstand, she wiped the stray tears from her eyes. She tossed the tissue into the trash bin, grabbed the remote for her stereo, and flipped it on. The sounds of EMF's song, "Unbelievable" pumped out of her speakers. Opening up the Forever 21 bag, she took out a cream colored, polyester and lace, spaghetti strap camisole along with some brown pants. She didn't know if she should be dressing formal or casual. It was, after all, a date with her father. She decided on a cross between both. Sighing softly, she went on and changed into the outfit. A minute later, she stepped over to the mirror and looked herself over. The camisole revealed the bronze colored skin of her shoulders and arms, and didn't reveal too much of her cleavage. Her cleavage was the last thing she was worried about. She still cringed when she thought about the attraction she'd felt for Christian from the beginning.

Bringing her hands up, she tied the brown ribbon just beneath the boddess. She stopped short when she got the sudden feeling that someone was watching her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her mother standing in the doorway of her room. A soft smile was on her face.

"You look nice. Are you going somewhere?"

A weary sigh escaped Amy, feigning the best lie she could muster. "Courtney and I are going to the movies, then going to get a pizza."

Teresa nodded her head. "Will there be...boys there?" She cocked her head to one side.

She rolled her eyes and planted her hands firmly on her hips. "No. Not unless Courtney decides to invite Matt. She didn't really tell me anything, but I hardly doubt I'll be doing anything with any boys. I'll end up being the third wheel...again. You don't have to worry about it."

"Well, that's good to know. Try not to stay out too late. Be home by ten at the latest."

Amy blinked back her surprise. "You're actually letting me stay out past nine?"

Teresa stepped further inside the room, crossing her arms over her chest. "You are growing up, honey. I trust that you are able to be home at a decent hour. After all, you know that you will ultimately be grounded if you don't." She sighed deeply. "Listen sweetheart, I'm sorry for pressuring you about getting a job lately. I just want what's best for you. I don't think you want to live here forever, do you? You should be out making your own money. Wouldn't it be nice to have some money in your pocket? You wouldn't have to be asking me for it anymore."

She scowled, dropping her gaze to her feet. It amazed her how civil her mother could be to her at times. She gently nodded her head. "Yeah. It would. Believe me, I'm trying to get a job. I just need time. Right now..." Slowly, she lifted her eyes back up to meet with her mother's. "I'm trying to focus on my education. I want to major in music. If I have a major and I get a degree, will that change anything?"

"Sure it will. It would be great for you to finish college and to go and pursue that, but it's always nice to have something to fall back on. At least think about applying for one of those jobs. It couldn't hurt to apply. If you do that for me, honey, it would mean a lot to me."

Amy crossed her own arms over her chest, exhaling sharply. "I'll think about it. I'll fill out the applications soon." She forced a small smile.

Teresa stepped closer to her daughter and kissed her forehead. "Good. I'm happy to hear that." She gave Amy's shoulder a pat, "you have fun tonight." Turning on her heels, she started out of the room.

"Uh, mom?"

Her mother stopped in the doorway and turned back around. "Yes?"

She chewed on her bottom lip. Her heart constricted in her chest before the words escaped her. "I'm glad that you're with Chris. I know I might not always seem like I like him, but...he's better than you-know-who." She didn't know why she said those words, but after that phone call, she owed it to her mother to say it. They weren't a lie either. She meant them.

Teresa's brows arched in astoundment. Her features softened shortly after. It seemed as though the woman were holding in her emotions. The glossy appearance of her eyes told Amy all she needed to know. "You know, as much as your father and I did not get along, he still loves you. He may not always act that way, but it wouldn't kill you to talk to him when he calls. What's the worst that could happen? He's in New York. The things he did..." She sighed deeply, looking down at the floor. "The things he said...it's in the past honey." She gave her daughter a smile of reassurance. "He can't hurt you anymore. He can't hurt me. Chris is trying to be a father to you as best he can. I really think you need a father in your life, and I want him to be yours...as long as you're willing to accept him for the person he is on the inside."

Amy pursed her lips to prevent anymore tears from escaping her. She took in a deep breath to compose herself. She gently nodded her head at her mother. "I know. The thing is, I already..." Her voice trailed off, realizing where that sentence would lead if she continued. She felt guilty and she was tempted to tell her mother about Christian. Then again, when she thought about it, the man's words began re-playing in her head. "In fact, if you never wanted to tell her, I wouldn't care. Whatever you're comfortable with." He was right. If she wasn't comfortable with it. She didn't have to tell her.

Her mother's brows furrowed inquisitively. "You already what, honey?"

"I already...told you how much I'm thankful Chris is here. I guess I just need to say it more often." She shrugged her shoulders. It wasn't a lie, but it was the best she could do.

Teresa smiled tenderly. "You don't know how happy I am to see this change in you. You really are growing up." Without another word, the woman turned back around and exited the room, shutting the door behind her.

Amy exhaled a sigh of relief that she was gone. A single tear managed to escape the corner of her eye, but she quickly brushed it away. Just hearing her mother talk about the past and her adoptive father made her want to break down again. She cursed at herself for feeling this way. She was done crying over him. The only thing she could do was force herself to push all these depressing thoughts aside. Now was not the time for it. She focused her efforts in continuing to get herself ready. Deciding on wearing her brown chunky-heeled open toed sandals, she dropped onto her bed and slipped them on. It took her all of ten minutes to do her make-up and hair. She brought some strands of hair out of her face, and held them back with a butterfly clip, allowing a few strands to fall at either sides of her face. She wasn't the type of girl who went overboard on make-up. The only things she put on her face were foundation, eyeshadow, a little bit of eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss. Just enough to bring out her natural beauty.

Stealing a glance over at the clock on the nightstand, she only had five minutes left to spare. Dashing back to her bed, she opened up the shopping bag from Rhythm Clothiers and pulled out a brown leather jacket. After quickly yanking the tag off, she tugged the garment on over her camisole. She shut off her stereo, grabbed her purse, took one last look at herself, and headed out of her room. She nearly stumbled as she rushed down the stairs, calling out an audible good-bye to her mother before walking out the door.

The light evening breeze swept across her face, causing the loose strands of her hair to caress the sides of her face. As much as she was trying to remain calm and collected, she couldn't prevent the butterflies from forming in her stomach. A soft sigh escaped her as she stepped off of the front porch and strolled down the front walkway. Her eyes shifted up and down the sidewalk once she came to the end of the walk. She thanked God that there were street lamps or she wouldn't have spotted Christian's black porsche.

Squaring her shoulders, she strode down the sidewalk towards his vehicle. It might not have been appropriate at the time, but she suddenly found herself wondering what he'd be wearing. Would he be dressed formal just for her? Would he even care to look presentable at all? Her heart was already pounding by the time she reached the car. Before she could lift the handle, the passenger's side window rolled down and Christian appeared.

He smiled brightly. "Right on time. I thought I'd be waiting here at least another five minutes. Hop in sweetheart." He reached over and opened the door for her.

She smiled softly and followed his command, shutting the door behind her. Looking over at him, she noticed that he was dressed in his usual dress shirt and suit jacket ensemble, and a pink dress shirt at that. A man brave enough to wear pink. Who would have thought? She couldn't stop a chuckle from escaping her as much as she tried to surpress it.

Christian's brows arched expectantly. "What's so funny?"

She cleared her throat uncomfortably and shook her head. "Nothing. Uh, where are we going?"

He turned the key in the ignition and the porsche roared to life. "We, are going to Monty's. Absolutely one of the best seafood restaurants this side of Miami Beach. Trust me, you'll love it." Putting the vehicle in gear, he pulled onto the road and headed towards their destination.

"I can't wait," she beamed.