Break My Fall(69)

I flinched. “Which time daddy?”

“Every time… What I did to you, the way I treated you was unforgivable. I realized that the day I found your room empty.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My father was actually showing remorse. He was up to something.

“I’m not coming home daddy, if that’s why you’re saying these things. I won’t come home.”

He nodded and sighed. “I wouldn’t expect you to sweetheart. I’m just glad I got a chance to tell you how sorry I am before…before it’s too late.”

I stood up quickly. I could not listen to anymore. I needed to think.

“I’m going to go. I can’t take this all in right now. I’ll come back tomorrow, okay?”

Daddy nodded. “Sure, sure, do you have somewhere to stay tonight? You can stay at the house for as long as you like.”

I shook my head, not wanting to go anywhere near that house. “Camryn is with me, she drove me here.”

Daddy pondered this for a moment. “I guess I owe that girl a thank you,” he said. “Taking care of my baby when I didn’t… She has been a good friend to you. You’re both welcome to use the house.”

I opened the door. “Goodnight Daddy.”



Cam was unusually silent in the car on the way to my father’s house. She had said, no told me that we were staying at the house. She wanted me to get some of my things and knew this was probably my only chance of getting any of my possessions.

We pulled up outside the old battered farmhouse and the sound of a dog barking had me leaping from the car. “Bruno,” I squealed. The sight of my old chocolate lab bounding towards me made me drop to my knees.

“Hey boy, I missed you, yes I did. Did you miss me?” Bruno barreled into me, attacking my face with wet kisses and drool. “Oh you did miss me, didn’t you boy.” I hugged the chunky old guy. By the looks of him, my father had been feeding him well.

“That old guy's still alive?” Cam chuckled from behind me.

“Of course he is, aren’t you Bruno,” I said, my voice taking on the universal ‘dog’ tone.

Standing up, I went and opened the front door, Bruno bounded in before us. I was half-afraid of the mess in front of us, but the house was…clean.

I guessed my father was telling the truth about kicking the booze.





Kyle





I listened impatiently as Derek muttered and moaned through his fucking explanation. “Lee’s father had a heart attack, that’s why she’s gone home. He’s fine though as far as Cam knows.”

Relief flooded through me, she wasn’t running from me at least. “That’s it? That’s the big secret?”

“Well, not exactly…”

I looked over at him. “Dude you better start fucking talking fast, or I’m gonna toss your ass out of this truck quicker than you can say Okla-fucking-homa.”

Derek shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Okay, promise you won’t flip out and go crazy?”

I grimaced. “Don’t give me a reason to flip out and go crazy.”

Derek sighed loudly. “Okay, well, I found out some stuff about Lee and why she might be staying with us.” I tensed, but kept my mouth shut. “You’re not gonna like this dude,” he warned and let the words rush from his mouth. “Cam said Lee’s dad used to knock her around.”

I slammed on the brakes. “Jesus fucking Christ, Kyle, are you trying to get us killed?”

Horns were blaring around us, as I pulled into the hard shoulder.

I turned to face him. “What do you mean used to knock her around?”

Derek fidgeted with his hands. “I’m not sure dude; I’m not even supposed to know this. Cam let it slip the night you and Lee had that fight in the kitchen.”

That was nearly two months ago. Derek had been holding back crucial fucking information from me. I cringed.

“She was drunk Kyle,” Derek said defensively. “I wasn’t sure if she was talking out of her ass,” he groaned and rubbed his forehead. “She said that Lee had a piss poor life with the guy and that he was a control freak. He knocked her around and she had some scars on her back or something.”

I couldn’t deal with this shit. Lee didn’t have any scars. I would know.

My mind reverted back to the night of her birthday when I had thought I’d felt something on her back…But I’d been too fucking horny to stop and check.

Were those grooves I felt scars? Fuck, I wanted to hit something. “And she’s what? Gone back to Louisiana to hold his fucking hand?”

Derek shrugged. “Kyle, he’s still her old man. Her mom’s dead, she has no brothers or sisters. Lee’s dad is all she’s got.”