A College Lie (A College Tale #2)

Chapter 24 - Love hurts | Dax

Even though we won the game I still have this disappointment in my gut and it has stayed the whole weekend. I hate that the first person I wanted to talk to when mum called and told me about my oldest sister was Olivia. Even after the game she was instantly on my mind and I reflexively headed in her direction where she was standing in the corner of the field and I wanted to talk with her.

It would have been nice to have her here with me this weekend dealing with all of this shit. And what strikes me is that I want to be here with me even though the whole situation is embarrassing and disgusting. Who wants to be called back home to meet your sister maybe for the last time because she is so deep in smack that she doesn't even know her name and how to take care of herself.

So when mum called me in panic, asking me to come home and help her, Olivia was the first one on my mind. It was for this weekend that she agreed to come home with me and meet my mum.

But that was when we were faking it and for reasons that I can't remember and don't care about anymore. It feels like it was a lifetime ago to be honest.

"Okay, now spill" mum says as she retrieves the cereals from the makeshift cabinet from ald hampers.

"Spill what?" I ask. She took me by surprise, which is hard to do considering the small trailer we have shared this weekend. When I went off to college she took the opportunity and moved to a smaller trailer so I have to sleep on the old couch whenever I am here.

"I may not have been the most attentive mom since dad left but I know that face from a mile away, who is she?" She pins me down with her knowing gaze but even though I wan't to tell her I don't even know how to start.

"It's complicated mum" is all I say but of course that doesn't fly with her.

"It's always complicated son, that's why it's called love you fool, is it that girl you were planning on taking home with you this weekend" Maybe I should give her more credit for her perceptiveness. I only told her once I was going to bring someone and that was just a maybe and way back in the beginning.

"Is it ever too complicated to solve?" I ask her, it's an honest question and I actually want to hear her thoughts about it. She mulls it over for a few seconds and really thinks it through before she answers.

"I think that if you are even asking yourself that question you know the answer"

"What? That doesn't even make sense?" I respond her, confused.

"If it is not worth fighting for then you wouldn't even have asked yourself that question, she must be one special girl to have swept your heart away" she has this proud smile on her face and I hate that I know that I am going to break it if I tell her the whole story.

"It's bad mum, like really bad"

"Bad like she abandoned you for drugs and left you with your three small kids and didn't even send a cent back to help his family?" A single tear falls down her cheek but she quickly wipes it away. I don't think she ever will get over the hurt dad caused her when he left us all those years ago.

"What dad did to you was awful and no one should have to endure that" I comfort her with my words and I should probably give her a hug but that has never been my strong side, only when it comes to Olivia.

"Then what did she do?" I can see the kindness and genuine worry in her face and that's what breaks my resolve. Seeing this woman sitting tired in front of me, trying to hold it all together but in reality she is probably too tired to even stand on her own. The once vibrant blue eyes and long blond hair is a memory long gone and instead I am met by dull eyes and ashen hair.