Giving her the keys

Garrick knocked on the door and waited patiently for her to open up. He had left from the church and a few other places he visited a few minutes ago before arriving back at the castle.

The door opened and Claire came to face him, she sighed and folded her arms. "What do you want? This is my room," she queried with a solemn expression on her face.

"I do know that, love…"

"Don't call me that again," she cut him short immediately.

"But you once used to answer that," he reminded her.

She scoffed and looked away. "Those days are gone, that Claire is dead and so are you. Tell me what you want or leave, unless you want me to leave your mansion and then I will take my daughter and go," she uttered coldly.

Garrick was hurt by her words but he didn't show it, he never liked anyone seeing him be emotional as he believed that emotions made people weak.

"She is also my daughter," Garrick argued.

"Oh true, the one you abandoned for twenty long awful years, cool." She blurted.

"But it wasn't intentional!" he said in his defense.

"I don't care!!" she retorted. "Just tell me why you are here," she added.

Garrick sighed and rubbed his temple, he knew it was useless arguing with her. He should not stress her out for the meantime, they would continue this argument some other time and he wouldn't quit until he got her to see things from his own perspective; he wasn't the culprit here, he wasn't the guilty one.

Garrick dipped his hand into his breast pocket and brought out a single key, he then handed it to Claire. "Here, I want you to have it," he informed her.

"Why? What is it for?" she queried.

"Um, it is the key to the safe in the storeroom. I have stashed a lot of cash and jewelry there, I want you to have control over it, use as much as you need to take care of yourself and the house." He announced.

Claire seemed surprised to hear that, she didn't take the key from him just yet, she still had her arms folded in each other. "Why do you want me to have this key? Are you leaving again?" she asked.

Garrick was surprised to hear that question from her, if he was sensing her emotions right, then she was scared that he was going to leave again. Does this mean that she wanted him to stay? So he was right, she still had feelings for him after all.

"Why asking? I see, you don't want me to leave," he said and smirked.

"Don't think too much of yourself, I never said that," she denied immediately.

"But you didn't say that you wanted me to leave either," he argued with a grin. He always enjoyed arguing with her and she hadn't changed much in twenty years, she was forty now but she still argued like a teenager.

"I don't care if you leave or stay, but if you are going to stay, then why do you want me to hold this key?" she asked.

Garrick sighed and put on a serious face, getting rid of the annoying grin he always had. "Claire, you have been in charge of this place and my daughter for twenty years now, so I think things should continue that way, moreover my presence here doesn't change much, this is still your home, we are a family." He uttered.

"We are not your family, she might be a product of your sperm but you have no rights over her." She argued.

"Fine, whatever… just take the key. Use the money to get whatever that is needed in the house, foodstuff, blood supply, settle debts and school fees, get yourself a car or whatever necessity or luxury you want. I just want you and my daughter to be comfortable and happy, I want you to lack nothing," Garrick spurted.

Claire paused and then she sighed before taking the key from him. He was glad to see that she accepted it and he smiled.

"Let me make this clear, don't even think that you are doing us a favor. My daughter and I are doing just fine regardless of whatever Connor has told you." She uttered.

Garrick smiled. "You are always going to be the stubborn and strong headed girl I fell in love with. I never said I was doing you a favor, Clarisse is my daughter and so I was just providing for my child, that is my responsibility and I wouldn't let you take that away from me," Garrick protested.

Claire scoffed and folded her arms again. "Look who is talking? What do you know about responsibilities? Aren't you the guy who abandoned his family for twenty years?" she fired.

"Come on Claire, you can't keep bringing this up. I believe Connor already explained how the vampire hibernation works, I just went to sleep and I didn't know I had a daughter till this week, so stop making it look like I ran away from my family."

"But you left me!!" she blurted out and tears began to form in her eyes.

At this point, Garrick paused. He didn't want to hurt her any further, he didn't want to watch her cry, not after all the pains he has caused her in the past.

"Claire, I am sorry for everything, I didn't mean to…"

Before he could complete the statement, she walked in and began to close the door. "Thank you for the funds, I will make good use of it," she uttered and then she closed the door on him.

Garrick cursed and kicked the air. "Damn it!!"

He knocked on the door again. "Claire, wait, I need to ask you something, where is Clarisse school?" he queried.

"Why do you want to know? Just go away, go back to wherever you have been for the past twenty years, go and continue with your endless beauty sleep."

"Huh?" Garrick muttered with a crumpled face, "It is not a beauty sleep. Forget about that, just tell me where Clarisse's college is and I would go and pick her up from school." He pleaded.

"Stay away from her, I am sure she wouldn't want to see you, so leave her alone," Claire replied from the inside.

"You are so stubborn!! Just so you know, love. I am not going anywhere anytime soon, so you will have to get used to seeing me around and loving me," he teased and chuckled. "Don't worry, I will find Clarisse myself," he added and then he walked away from the room.

Even though Garrick was smiling and joking about it, he was hurt by the way Claire was treating him, he was hurt by the way she thought of him and he would stop at nothing to win her love and trust back, but for now he needed to focus on his daughter, and that was exactly where he was going right now!!

To be continued!!