An unlikely friendship

part 31

"Dec...is that you?" Ant called out.

"Yeah" came a despondent reply and Dec soon appeared in the living room after kicking his shoes off in the hall.

"Where the hell have you been?" Ant snapped "I've been worried sick"

"Just walking" Dec shrugged.

"Just walking?" Ant questioned "for hours?"

"Yeah" Dec nodded "and sat in a cafe for a while"

"Why did you storm out like that?" Ant demanded to know.

"I was upset" Dec replied.

"Well,you don't seem very upset now" Ant pointed out.

"Got it out of my system" Dec muttered,not seeming to pick up on Ant's annoyance

"So you're alright now?" Ant frowned "even though you had no thought for me or Isla?"

"What?" Dec frowned,not really sure where Ant was going with this.

"You heard me" Ant retorted angrily "you just pissed off and left me to it"

"But you said I could have the week off" Dec protested.

"Yeah" Ant frowned "to spend with Isla and sort everything out for her...not to dump her on me while I'm bloody working and all the while I was still worried sick about what might have happened to you,you're so selfish sometimes Declan"

"What?" Dec whispered,trying desperately to hold the tears back,he'd never seen this side to Ant before and it was scaring him.

"How do you think I've managed today eh?" Ant continued "I had dogs to walk,you knew that,but all of a sudden I had YOUR daughter to deal with as well,so what do you think I did?"

"Cancelled?" Dec suggested sheepishly.

"No,I didn't cancel Declan" Ant retorted "how unprofessional would that have been?although I seriously considered it,I had to drag her along with me...and do you know what else?"

"What?" Dec asked quietly.

"She's been asking for you" Ant stated.

"Has she?" Dec frowned.

"Of course she has" Ant snapped "you're her dad and this is her first week in her permanent home and you just fuck off and leave her,poor kid doesn't know if she's coming or going"

"I'm sorry" was all Dec managed to mumble,but Ant was finished with his rant just yet.

"Don't you think that poor kid has been through enough already?" Ant asked "with the mother she got lumbered with?you're her stability now,so you need to step up and act like it,you can't just run off like a stroppy teenager whenever you get upset"

"I won't do it again" Dec insisted "please stop shouting at me,I feel bad enough already,I've said I'm sorry,I'll make it up to you both,I don't know what else I can do?"

Ant suddenly began to soften a little,maybe he was being a little bit harsh on his friend,but still,he had the right to be annoyed,but he'd said his piece now.

"Look Dec" Ant stated in a much calmer voice "I'm sorry I got angry,but today has been really difficult for me and I truly understand why you're upset about Betty and I know the guilt you feel is a tough burden to bear,but you have to deal with these things in a more productive way,surely you realise that now?all today has done is cause ill feeling between us and I know neither of us want that"

"I definitely don't" Dec nodded.

"Good" Ant smiled "then maybe you can work on different ways to deal with things when you're upset?talk things through and I'm always here with a hug if you need it"