Paper Cuts

Chapter 9

"Ollie," my dad's knock was light against the door. "We need to talk."

"Dad, I have a friend over," I protested, but it only led to him opening the door.

"Yeah, I see that," he sighed. "Nice to meet you, Seth." He nodded.

"Hello, Mr. Kenny," Seth's voice was so formal I almost laughed.

"Would you mind giving us a moment?" My dad pressed in that way that seemed like a question but was a directive.

"Sure, I was just thinking about something I left in my car," Seth offered before bolting for the door.

My dad watched him scurry away before shutting the door behind him. "So," he began as he leaned against my desk.

"So," I awkwardly agreed.

"V and I aren't... Carrie and I broke up... V and I..." My dad stammered before giving up and taking a deep breath. "Carrie and I broke up. We thought it was for the best. She wants different things in life."

"Like what?" I don't know why I asked; I didn't care in the slightest.

"Well," my dad pondered his answer for a moment. "To be honest, she wants kids, and I'm happy with the size of my family."

"Oh." The admission surprised me. I always imagined they'd break up because they'd see that they were a terrible fit. The fact that they had talked about kids felt much more serious than I had expected.

"Yeah, so she's gone." He nodded to himself.

"And you and V are finally...." I led.

"No." His answer came sharply. "V and I are friends. Nothing more." As his words fell out, he lifted his eyes to mine.

"But..."

"Just let it be, Ollie. You shouldn't be involved," he cautioned.

I didn't press. Instead, I saw how tired he looked. "I'm sorry things didn't work out with you and Carrie, Daddy," I offered.

"Thanks, Ollie. I'll be fine. I still have my girls." He smiled at me as he spoke. "But we have to talk about you being here unexpectedly and with a friend." The way his tone hit friend made me blush.

"Seth and I aren't like that. He's just a friend," I mumbled as I dropped my face.

"It doesn't matter. This is your house seven days a week, but if you are here with a friend, an adult needs to be home, and when you want to come while you're at your mom's, you need to let me know."

"I just forgot my history book. I didn't know you'd be..." I stopped short.

"Ollie, I need to know when you're here. You can come here anytime you want, no questions asked, but I need to know you're here," he continued.

"Ugh, if you hadn't been home, you never would have known," I groaned.

"Which is precisely what worries me. What if something happened while you were here? I wouldn't have known. You need to let your mom and me know where you are headed and if your plans change."

"If I hadn't caught you with Aunt..."

"Stop, this isn't about me. You know you aren't allowed to have friends over when there is no adult home and, now, we should be clear that you let me know when you want to come here. Does your mom even know you were stopping here?"

"No," I admitted.

"Are things okay with you and your mom?" He pressed.

"What? Yeah, they're fine."