With Every Breath I Take

Chapter Ten: (Theo) Haunt Me

I'm done.

I'm done.

I'm done with this relationship.

Words that would haunt me for the rest of my life.

I watched as the love of my life walked away from me. She was all my smiles and laughter. She was my happiness at the end of a tiresome day. And, the soft to my hard. She was the 'go with the flow' to my 'strict routine.' Like the sun, she brightened my day. Without her, my days would be filled with dark and empty nights. She was essentially my world. And, with each step she took, she walked away from me and out of my life.

I stood frozen and numb as I watched her leave. The tears running down my cheeks felt like icicles prickling at my skin. But, I didn't wipe them away. I didn't move a muscle as Thalia walked around the corner and out of my sight.

I heard someone approach me from behind and felt a hand on my shoulder, but I remained still.

"Son," my dad called. "Are you alright?"

I turned to face him, and —slowly— I shook my head. "No dad," I croaked. "I'm not. I just...I just watched the love of my life leave me."

Dad stared at me open-mouthed with shock. After a beat or two, he cleared his throat. "I think I'm missing a large chunk of this story. Come on son, I'll take you home and we can talk."

He turned to walk toward the street parking, but I stood frozen. When he noticed I wasn't following him, he faced me again. "Son, are you coming?"

"If I move, then it's really over," I admitted.

"Theo, how can you fix it if you don't get moving? How am I supposed to help you if I don't know what's wrong?" he huffed, impatiently. Then, without waiting for a reply, he walked toward his parked car.

And I followed after him.

Five minutes later, we rode the elevator up to my condo. I opened the door and let my dad into my home, but it no longer felt like a home. It felt empty, cold and lonely.

Dad walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch. "Come on Theo," he called out. "Let's have a talk."

I blew out a breath, walked toward the couch, and took a seat next to him. And then, I started to talk. I told my dad all about my relationship with Thalia. I told him everything.

Once I finished sharing every single detail, he shook his head and groaned. "Theo, I have so much to say to you, but I feel like a lot of what happened is partially my fault."

I looked at him, surprised. "What? Your fault?"

He nodded. "Yeah son, I should've taken more precautions with your privacy when you were little. I could have prevented a lot of your issues if I had been more protective of you. But, it was the 90s and we did not have much control over the paparazzi and media. Your mother has similar difficulties, and we've had to address them over the years."

"No dad," I stated, firmly. "It wasn't your fault."

"Theo, you were a small child. You didn't choose the fame and limelight. You've been harassed by the media ever since you were in your mother's womb." He paused and ran his hand through his hair. "Did you know the magazines used to criticize your mother's pregnancy? They would comment over the weight she gained, joking about how big you would be."

"You're right, dad," I admitted. "But, I'm a grown ass man and I should've dealt with my issues before I let it affect my relationship."

He nodded his head. "Good, taking ownership of your mistakes is a vital first step. Now, tell me the truth. Why didn't you introduce Thalia to us? Your mother is going to be so upset she didn't get to meet her."