The Corner Store

Chapter 25 -So we add 'serial killer' to the mix of unpleasant names I call him

I got her call right away. She's the only one whose notifications are allowed to override the "Do Not Disturb" thing.

But I couldn't do it. I couldn't finish the entire voicemail for so many reasons. The pain in her voice, the hint of betrayal, the fact that she thinks I abandoned her.

Her? The only person I've ever wanted to have a future with? Impossible.

But I couldn't get myself to answer her phone call. For the same reason I couldn't get myself to face her. She carried the pain of living as an orphan for fifteen years, and I thought I was doing a good job protecting her. Instead, I was the reason she's been living in this chaos to begin with. The girl I found myself head over heels for in no time -- her.

How am I ever supposed to face her? What am I even supposed to say?

The day she told me about what happened, all I could think about was how I was going to comfort her after she was done telling me. How I was going to make her forget all the hardship she faced. Until.... Until she told me who caused all this pain.

My father.

My. Father.

As soon as I heard that, I felt utterly sick. My head was numb and I could almost swear my heart was about to beat itself into a cardiac arrest. I didn't know how to react — so I just left.

What else was I supposed to do?

I drove to the apartment I shared with Landon, packed a bag, and then I took our private jet back to New York. I thought that if I submerged myself in something, anything, that it could help take my mind off of this.

I didn't know what else to do, but I did know that nothing is able to help me take my mind off of this. Regardless of what I'm doing, or how focused I tried to be, I always find myself drifting back to what she said. And nothing kills me more than the look on her face when she tried to spare my feelings. The way she said it was him, the one man who I can always count on to be the biggest let down.

I mean... all he's ever done is be the worst possible father in existence, but now he's a killer? I couldn't even defend him, because I knew he probably did it. 

Oh man, what was I going to do? This would absolutely wreck my mother and she really has nothing to do with this. Her biggest and only mistake was loving this man - this monster.

A knock on the door took me out of these crazy thoughts, it was Janet our housekeeper.

"Hello Axi. Your dad is here to see you dear." She had an apologetic look on her face, because she also doesn't like my dad.

Who can blame her?

"Okay, let him in please. Thank you."

"Of course, hun." She opened the door even further and the terminator himself walked in.

"That would be all Janet." he said as he closed the door behind him.

I sat up in my bed, disgust evident in my face, and he sat on the chair across from me.

"It's 4 am. What is it my boy," he started," do you need my assistance with setting up the launch of your compa...."

"What did you do?" I interrupted him.

"What ever do you mean?"

"Don't do that..." I started.

"Do what? I don't like your tone young man."

"This! Treat me like I'm a child. How many horrible things have you done in your life for you to be acting like you don't know what I'm talking about? Good God man!"