Learning to Fall (One Direction Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-One:

"Well, are you going to answer it?" Rory pushed me. I was still staring at my phone screen, dumbfounded that after months of zero contact, my dad was calling me.

I pressed accept and brought the phone up to my ear.

"H-hello?" I stammered.

"Jax? Is that you?" My dad asked. After hearing that voice that had abandoned me, I felt like I was the slightest bit at home. I wanted to hate him so badly, and a large portion of me did, but right now I was a little girl who had been away from her Daddy far too long.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's me," I whispered. He didn't say anything and I was so scared that he had hung up. "Why are you calling?"

"It's because I know your birthday is coming up. The fifth, right?" he asked, and I could hear him flipping through the calendar we kept on the wall in the kitchen back at the ranch. Pain wrenched through my already sore heart at the fact that my own father couldn't remember my birthday.

"Yeah, the fifth," I said sadly.

"I'm looking at the calendar right now... The fifth is a Friday, did you know that?" my dad asked simply.

"No, I haven't really been keeping track," I said.

"Lillian wanted to keep this as a surprise to you, but I didn't think you liked surprises very much," He's wrong. I love surprises. It was scary how little my father remembered about me. "So, I just called to tell you that your sister and I have been saving up vacation days at work and we're coming out to visit you for a birthday gift. Is that alright?" My dad asked. It was only at this last part that the voice of the sweet, funny, and understanding man that was my father broke through.

"You...you're visiting?" I asked, my voice cracking in spite of itself.

"Yes, me and Lillian both are. I'm sorry, Jax, but I really have to get going to a meeting. I'll see you soon.... I love you," he added after a pause.

"I love you, too, Dad," I whispered, and the line went dead. I turned to Rory, who looked confused beyond belief.

"Is he actually?" Rory asked me. I nodded; still amazed a civil conversation just took place between me and my dad. The night before I left for London, the two of us got in a huge fight. I was still angry with my dad for shipping me off, but he sure can hold a grudge. Having no contact with my only remaining parent for over six months is hard for anyone.

"Yeah, for my birthday. I...I should probably go home," I decided, knowing that Jess and Danny would be up by now.

"Well, put on those leggings at least. Don't want to look like a mess," Rory sighed, handing me the clothing I wore here. I nodded and slid on the leggings, keeping the sweatshirt.

"Let's go," I said quietly. My cousin nodded and walked out the dorm with me. Checking my phone, I saw that it was just past ten. I wrote up a message to Jessica that I spent the night at Rory's and was coming home. "I told your mom that I spent the night with you. Can you help me cover?" I asked Rory as we got back in the car.

"Sure, I guess," he said quietly. I knew he was upset, but I didn't know how to fix it. Hell, I didn't know how to fix anyone.

"Have you started applying for universities yet?" Rory asked me as we drove along. At least one of us was trying to make conversation.

"Yeah, I sent out my applications last month," I nodded.

"Do you know where you want to go?" Rory asked.

"Nope," I said, popping the 'p'. Rory laughed at me and that felt so nice. It feels so good to be the cause of someone else's happiness, and I haven't felt that in such a long time.