Homebound

Chapter Seventeen

Hex finds a petrol station eventually, not on the Eastside. He has yet to say a sentence, only small yes or no answers. I can feel the sorrow and sadness he's feeling through our bond as he mourns the person his mother used to be. Seeing the effect the dementia had had on her first hand had been a shock that he was not expecting.

Hex gets out and starts to fill up the car; the smell of petrol excretes into the car through Hex's rolled down window. I watch in the side mirror as he leans against the car with his tattooed arms crossed as he looks out over the petrol pumps. I can see the thoughts running through his mind as his eyes are covered by sunglasses.

Movement over the top of the mirror catches my attention, drawing my eyes to the front window. At the front of the petrol station there's a man and a woman, they're standing less then a foot apart gazing at each other with a look of lust. She's younger and he appears older as he leans against the wall. They laugh at a joke that's most likely not all that funny.

My blood boils the more I watch them.

"Hex" I grab his attention but he's already seen them.

"I know, baby" he pulls the pump from the car and places it back in its stand before walking in the direction of the couple.

I pull out my phone, making a quick text to mum.

What are you and dad doing?

She responds almost immediately.

I''m gardening and your father is at work. Dinner later?

My stomach drops to the floor when mum confirms it. I'm not crazy and I'm not seeing things. My father is standing in front of me, with someone other then my mother. He's smiling and laughing, something I hadn't seen in years.

They take no notice of Hex walking into the petrol station, too wrapped up in each other but dad spots him over the woman's shoulder when he exits. They both share a look, one of hatred from Hex and one of disgust from dad.

Dads eyes bore into Hex's back as he walks back to the car, the steel façade on Hex's face showing exactly what he thinks of dads actions. I worry for a second Hex will do something that will violate his parole but the closer he walks to me, the less I worry.

Dads eyes move past Hex to the car and my heart pounds in my chest when I see the look of recognition on his face when he sees my car, before his eyes find mine through the front window. There's not even the slightest bit of panic in his face. It's flat, no emotion.

"Fucking piece of shit" Hex mutters when he gets in the car as I hold eye contact with dad. I nod numbly as I agree.

Dad continues holding eye contact as he smiles, not nicely, more in like a sarcastic 'oops, you caught me' way. Before he looks away and breaks our eye contact, his gaze going back to the woman.

Hex pulls out of the petrol station far too fast before pulling onto the road. I look down at my hands that had nervously folded together during the interaction. My eyes water, not in sadness for myself, I had no connection to dad and therefore I have no feeling of loss. As for mum, she had already suspected he was having an affair and this confirmed her theory. A tear drops from my eye for her and then another follows when I realise I have to be the one to tell her.

Hex's hand finds my thigh as he drives, giving it a squeeze and a pat before reaching for my hand and kissing my palm.

"Guess we both saw sides of our parents that we didn't like today" I say nothing but nod in agreement.

*

"Why aren't you eating, hunny?" mum asks from across the table before lifting a spoonful of chicken soup to her mouth.