MC's Viking Warriors- Rogue #5

Katie

"Uhhh, it isn't fair," I whine, practically stamping my feet as Liam sighs down the other end of the phone.

"I wish I could be here, Katie girl. I really do."

"It's just typical, my first New Years Eve with a boyfriend, and my father sends him on a run!"

"I know it sucks, how about tomorrow when I'm back we do our own countdown."

Still pouting, I finally agree that it's better than nothing, anything with Liam is better than nothing.

"Yeah that sounds pretty good." I tease, making Liam chuckle gloriously, then it stops.

"I've got to go, Katie girl."

I open my mouth to reply but the line has already gone dead, my guess is something urgent has come up.

Sighing, I place my phone on the bed and then walk downstairs to find my father. We always spend new year's together and I hardly want to break tradition tonight.

"Hey, Katie." My dad smiles from the sofa and opens his arms up for a hug from me. I hold him briefly, and then pull away.

A part of me resents him for keeping Liam and I in secret, and I wish he had let me live more.

Dad frowns at my actions as I settle on the other end of the sofa to him, but says nothing. My father is not the person I want to be curled up with now, I want Liam.

"Are you looking forward to New Years?" My dad asks, grinning at me. I shrug noncommittally at him and keep watching to television.

"What's up with you?" My father demands, looking bad tempered and fed up with me.

It's like I can never have an off day, never be quiet or reflective. I always have to be the same smiley faces little girl I was ten years ago, but I'm not that person anymore. Always pretending to be her, it's exhausting me.

"Do you blame me for mum?" I ask abruptly, the question has been gnawing at me ever since Liam and I celebrated my birthday, and now there's no stopping it. I've given it a voice, the question has taken hold of the room.

My father opens his mouth to respond.

Then he shuts it again.

Then he opens it again.

"Katie, where's this coming from?"

"So you do resent me for what happened then." It's a statement now, not a question.

"No, no, of course it wasn't your fault. It's just the way things were."

"Then why do we never celebrate my birthday?"

"You know why we don't Katie."

"I know now, but when I was three, I didn't. You just never gave me a birthday dad!"

"Where's all this coming from, Katie? You're 18 now, you won't be having any more birthdays at home."

"I've never had a birthday at home!"

I stand, anger fuming in my chest at my father's refusal to understand why as I child, I always felt like it was my fault mum was gone. Like it was my fault we never a family.

My father scoffs and turns the television volume up, effectively dismissing me from his presence. Scoffing myself, I storm out of the room.

All I wanted was for him to immediately tell me of course it wasn't your fault mum was gone and I'm sorry we never celebrated your birthday, we should have done.