Broken Tides

Chapter Nineteen

I woke up sometime around three in the morning. I wasn't sure. The first thing I did, was text Dee. I told him I was going to California, but I didn't know how to get to where my dad would be.

I needed his help with this.

Looking back, I felt bad for using him like that; telling him I'm going anyways even if it means getting lost.

Scrambling, I packed about a week's worth of clothes, not that I'd really need them, but just in case.

Dispite being on the otherside of the country, and critically on short notice, I managed to find two plane tickets to California- one layaway in Baltimore.

Thankfully I wouldn't need my pasport but I grabbed it anyways. Along with a bar of soap, and an extra pair of shoes, I was ready to go pretty quickly.

Choosing to wear something comfy - as the flight itself would be several hours, and we'd be waiting for the layaway flight for a couple as well - I slipped on my converse, a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie over a plain tank top.

It wasn't long after I managed to get down stairs that Dee showed up, hair thrown up in a bun, his own packed bag thrown haphazardly in the back.

He helped me in the car and for the first fifteen minutes he said nothing. Once we reached the town's limit however, he spoke up.

"You're fucking crazy, you know that right?" It was the first time I had ever heard him swear. A slight smirk on his lips.

"Yea." I said quietly, smirking to myself, too. "I- part of me wants to apologize, but I'm also really glad you're helping me."

He shrugged. "Anything to get out of work for a week I guess." He was quiet again before glacing at me "I know in your message you said not too, but I left a note."

I inhaled sharply. I knew between Kat and Beck that heads would roll, and I think Dee knew, too.

"Granted, I think after the screaming match you had with Beck yesterday, and the two of us both suddenly missing it'd be pretty clear what happened."

"I kinda figured as much." I sighed.

"You okay?"

"Do- do you think my dad-"

"Stop." He cut me off. I looked at him.

"What?" I shot him a look.

"You're gonna ask me if I think your dad loves you. Marlowe look-" he took my hand in his, the other still on the steering wheel. "- I don't know the answer to that. I'm not Beck either, I'm also not Kat. I'm not gonna sugar coat the hard stuff, or pretend like its no big deal when something that really hurts is laid out on the table." He sighed. "I don't know how your dad feels about you. I know that I care about you, I know Kat and Jay do, I know it doesn't feel like it but I know Beck does too. So I know even if he doesn't, you'll always have us."

I was baffled. His words were encouraging and almost made me reconsider the whole trip. Almost. "Thank you." I squeezed his hand back "I needed that."

"I know." Dee told me, matter-of-factly, a smug grin on his face.

I could kiss him.

It wasn't long before we reached the airport after that. This one was a small connecting flight that would take us to the international airport in Baltimore, and then to California.

We got into the admittly smallish building. There was almost nobody there. From what it seemed there was only about ten other passengers. The man at the desk took our tickets and our ID's and asked where we were going.