Hellbound

Chapter TwentyFive

I find myself having dinner with mum by myself. West is working the night shift tonight while dad has holed himelf up in the garage when he realised West wouldn't be joining us. The space from West is nice, he'd been clingy lately, always wanting to know where I am and what I'm doing, and it's beginning to become suffocating. I have a feeling he knows something is up and it's putting me on edge.

"How's things been, honey?" mum asks as I lift a forkful of mash potatoes to my mouth. She looks good today, not like her usual frail self.

I take a while to answer as I swallow my mouthful "alright, I guess" I shrug "been thinking about getting my own car" I announce, hoping to distract her from the obvious questions about West and I.

"Your own car?" I nod as I continue eating. "What's wrong with the car you and West share?" she asks.

"Nothing's wrong with it, I just think it'd be better if I have my own. You know; more independence and stuff, especially after I started working. We both have strange working hours sometimes and it'd just be nice to have my own car if West is out" I explain. She looks sceptical as she eye's me, like she doesn't believe me.

"West called the other day" this is news to me. West never calls my parent's without informing me and if he did it's normally only to dad, not mum.

"Oh yeah?" I ask as she gains my full attention.

"Yeah. Said something's been up with you lately" she gives me the chance to reply and when I remain silent she continues "said you've been sleeping in the spare bedroom".

I blow out a breath and run my hands over my face in annoyance; couldn't he have just kept our business between the two of us?

"Yeah, I don't know. We just need some space from each other" I try my best to keep it to a minimum but I know she won't settle for that.

She reaches across the table and grabs my hand in comfort "what's going on, honey?" her eye's look worried as she leans over the table, our plates pushed to the side.

"I don't know, mum" I pull away from her and hold my head in my hands "we're just growing apart" I confess. I know why we're growing apart but I'm not telling her that.

It's silent for a while as she observes me and I avoid her eye contact, the tears that well in my eyes I'm determined to not let fall and I know they will when I see the look in mum's eye's.

"Well, you know your father and I went through a similar situation before we had you" the tears nearly spill out at the motion of me rolling my eyes, she can't see as I face the wall. She can only see the side of my face.

"You can't compare the situation's, mum" I think about holding back my anger but then I decide she needs to hear it "West and I did love each other at one point, you and dad never have" my voice is quiet as I mutter it out but she hears it clearly as she pulls away and sit's up straight.

"Well" she clears her voice in uncomfortableness. This is the first time that I had come forward and told mum that I'm not blind to the hate between mum and dad; apparently it's a shock to her that I noticed it though.

"I'm sorry, mum" I sigh "I didn't mean it" I backtrack when I see the glossy look in her eye's, guilt taking over my anger instantly.

The silence turns awkward and I don't know how to fill it, mum obviously doesn't either. It breaks when we hear dad's footsteps walking up the hallway from the adjoining garage.

"Dessert ready?" he asks. Mum takes the opportunity to stand and walk into the kitchen, distancing herself with making dessert.

Dad takes in the looks on both of our faces before he turns back around and goes back in the direction of the garage. "Call me when you're ready" he calls over his shoulder, not offering any help to mum.