Daddy Dearest

Chapter Fifty-Four

Melody

It wasn’t that long ago that Violet, Lottie, and I had a sleepover at my house and we played Fuck, Marry, Kill while binge-watching a K-drama about an Italian Mafia lawyer living in Seoul.

“FMK: Alex, Charlie, Justin Evans,” Lottie said, pointing at Violet.

I glared at Lottie. “Yeah, not awkward at all, Terry Gross. How about you go first?”

“No way. I asked the question.”

“Hmm.” Violet scratched her nose. “Can’t we just do celebrities? It’s not fair to do real people. Melody is dating Alex and Charlie is your brother.”

Lottie rolled her eyes. “But that’s what makes it fun, you wussies. All right, then. FMK: BTS.”

“Hmm…” I pretended to really think about it. “F Jungkook, M Jin, and K Jimin. K him with hugs!”

“What? That’s cheating.” Violet smacked my shoulder. “You have to get rid of someone. That's what the Kill is for.”

“Ugh. I don’t want to kill anyone. But if I have to… Namjoon.”

Lottie gasped. “Why? I love him.”

I scoffed. “According to Google, he's the least attractive BTS member.”

“As if! That’s because the Namjoon-haters are more vocal, that’s all.” Lottie is a diehard BTS fangirl and she loves them all equally. She even writes slash fiction about them that is pretty popular on Wattpad. She ships Yoongi and Namjoon hard.

“Well, I’ll F Ho-seok, M Jungkook, and K Yoongi,” Violet answered, flipping her long red hair over her shoulder.

“What did Yoongi ever do to you?” Lottie cried.

Violet stuck her tongue out. “Let’s do another one. Mr. Davenport, Father Sidney, and Father Michael.”

Lottie hit her with a pillow. “You just said you don’t want to do real people, bitch. I can’t do one with my dad in it.”

Violet shrugged. “So kill your dad.”

Lottie’s mouth dropped open. “You sicko. I can’t believe you just said that.”

I raised my hand. “Girl with actual dead dad here beset with years of abandonment and Daddy issues. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.” I pointed at Lottie. “Answer the question, wussy.”

“Can’t marry priests, you dumb ho,” my best friend sneered.

“You can marry them. They can’t marry you,” Violet pointed out with a smirk.

“What does that mean?” I scratched my hip as I contemplated getting up to go to the kitchen for a snack.

“You can commit to them all you want, but they’re already committed to God,” Violet said with a sigh. “How Catholic, to fall in love with someone who can’t love you back. It’s its own punishment, really.”

I thought about my feelings for Ben and about The Love That Can Never Be. I should have just fallen in love with a priest.

“FMK, then, Vi,” I challenged, poking her side. “Mr. Davenport, Charlie, and Father Sidney.”

She grinned at me.

MIGUEL TOLD ME TO play dead, so I did. I lay on the mattress in a haphazard heap and waited with eyelids squeezed shut as the footsteps got closer. My heart pounded and sweat rolled down in beads from my temple.