Un- Sober

Stomach Knot

Xander POV

Why does my stomach knot up when it comes to talking with her father? He has given me no reason to be nervous but here I am, sweating as I sit caddy-corner from him.

Do I say something first or do I wait for him? Agh, he set down his tablet thing and takes off his reading glasses, fuck; now he's looking at me. I look to Mel for a moment but she's not paying any attention to me so I look back to her father.

He looks at my hands, which I have grasped around my coffee cup, I look at them too but then our eyes meet. Da fuck? "What does that tattoo represent?" He points to the grenade on my hand. Ah, yeah; that one. Maybe I can sugar coat this one.

"It reminds me that at any time, shit can explode." Probably should have avoided the profanity. I've definitely proven to them how quickly my life can explode due to my own mistakes. He makes a face and a noise of interested amusement.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

"How were your first two weeks back at work?" Fuck, I really wish he wouldn't ask me that, I'm happy for a subject change but he went from one personal subject to the next.

I take a swig of my coffee to wash down the anxious ball of bile rising in my throat. "Fine, I suppose!" Shit, I suppose? Noooo, now he'll pressure me to elaborate.

Yup, he raises his brow at me. "You suppose?" Mel, help!!! I look over at her but she just gives me an encouraging smile as she cracks eggs into a pot of simmering water.

I turn my eyes back to Bradley and shrug. "You know how Arnold is, jumping down my throat any chance he gets" I'd really rather just make some excuse to leave right now, anytime Mel used to try and converse with me I'd just straight up leave, but that is when I owned my own home. Fuck my life.

"I do. Have you reached out to your mother? I'm sure she misses you!" What the fuck does he know? Ugh, my mother. I love her to death, but she was too scared of Arnold to stand up for me or herself and she's still under his thumb.

"No, I'm sure Arnold dictates everything she does and who she talks to, I don't think there's anything I'd like to talk to her about, it'll all get fed back to him anyways." Shit, what the fuck am I doing? Who is this Bradley? Why is it easy to say stuff to him? I need to shut up. I flicker my eyes across to Mel, did she hear any of that? She catches me staring at her and smiles, good. She didn't hear me.

"Hmm, you could just call her and tell her you love her, no need to go into details if you aren't comfortable." I could, I really should. Maybe tomorrow, or never. I don't t know.

I shrug and take another drink of coffee. "I'll think about it..." something it's starting to smell amazing in this kitchen, Mel is a sexy little chef; if her father weren't here right now I'd be burying myself deep inside of her on that countertop, I can't help but stare at her lustfully.

"Would you stop lusting over my daughter like a sixteen-year-old? Speaking of which, tell me about your fear of commitment" I snap my eyes back to him with an apologetic look, damn the guy can pin any facial expression.

Okay, come on now...the other questions were mildly irritating but this one is uncomfortable, fear of commitment, really? Okay fine, yes...I'm scared to commit after Jess.