Love never fails

19| my parents story

Chapter 123: Tangled Hearts

Welcome back to my story. Things were getting crazier by the day. I mean, how often do you catch your parents kissing when one of them is still technically with someone else? I couldn't shake the image of my Mom and Dad together, the way they looked at each other like nothing else in the world mattered. It was weird, confusing, and honestly a little exciting. But it wasn't right, especially with Riley still in the picture.

Lorenzo had just narrowly escaped my dad's
wrath the previous night, sneaking out before things could get worse. And let's not even talk about Eddie and Lorenzo—they were still at each other's throats, and it seemed like nothing could bridge that gap. But I had hope that this camping trip might help, though I knew it was a long shot.

After that awkward morning with my parents, I got dressed and headed downstairs. The house felt... different. There was an odd tension in the air, like everyone was walking on eggshells. But then again, what else was new?

"Good morning," I mumbled as I entered the kitchen, my eyes still heavy with sleep.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Mom said, trying to act normal, but I could tell something was off.

"Where's Dad?" I asked, noticing his absence immediately.

"He left for work early. Said he had some things to take care of," she replied, not meeting my eyes.

"Right," I said, grabbing a piece of toast. I didn't need to ask to know he was planning on breaking up with Riley. The guilt of knowing what was happening was eating at me, but it wasn't like I could change anything. If they loved each other, they deserved to be happy, right?

Eddie was already up, scrolling through his phone, probably reading up on something related to his case. I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for him. He'd been through so much, and now this rivalry with Lorenzo was just making things worse.

"You're going back to work?" I asked him.

"Yeah, kiddo. Gotta keep busy, you know?" Eddie replied, trying to sound upbeat, but I could see right through him.

"You and Katie... are you getting back together?" I blurted out, unable to keep my curiosity in check.

"That's none of your business, Lil," Eddie said, but his tone was soft, not angry.

I sighed and changed the subject. "Lorenzo and you are going camping this week, right?"

"Yep," Eddie said, looking up from his phone. "Not thrilled about it, but I'm willing to give it a shot if it'll make you happy."

"It will," I said, offering a small smile. I wasn't sure if this trip would fix things between them, but it was worth trying.

I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in my chest. Everything had been so chaotic lately, and I felt like I was barely keeping my head above water.

Later that morning, I headed to school with Mason. The ride was quiet, which gave me too much time to think. Mason finally broke the silence.

"Are you really okay, Lil? I know you've been through a lot," Mason said, glancing at me with concern.

I hesitated for a moment before answering. "No, I'm not okay. Everything's been so overwhelming lately. Ben's gone, I was in a car accident, Preston tried kidnapping me It's just too much, Mason."

He reached over and squeezed my hand. "You know you can talk to me, right? You don't have to go through this alone."

I nodded, tears threatening to spill over. "I stopped seeing my therapist because I thought I was okay, but I'm not."