Wrong Number

I Love Myself For Hating You

Song: I Love Myself For Hating You

Artist: DIAMANTE

^^^

Before we said goodnight, Tylor and I made plans to meet up the next day. It seemed like he really wanted to talk in person, and after everything that happened with Kiki, I was assuming he'd want to talk more about it in person. If it could help Kiki out, I'd listen to anything he had to say.

As I walked downstairs in the morning, I could instantly feel the tension in the air. Worried about my moms, I hurried down the stairs. "Damon," Stacy firmly said as she walked up to me, hoping to ease me back up the stairs. Yet my eyes remained fixated on my dad standing in the middle of the living room.

He stared blankly at me before turning to look at mom again. "It's just a couple thousand," he said as Stacy gently tugged me into the kitchen and led me outside to the backyard.

Lifting my hand, I aggressively pointed back inside. "Him. Why the hell is he here? What's going on?"

"Honey, it's okay."

"Stacy," I hissed, "my dad is here. Why the fuck is he here?"

"He made some bad investments, and he's hoping to borrow some money from your mom and I."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I groaned, slapping my hands over my face. "He honestly thinks he can just come back here and demand money from us?"

"We're not sure if we're going to help."

"You mean you might actually help him?"

"If it means he'll leave here sooner, then yes."

"But then any time he needs money, he's just going to come back here. We don't need him."

"Sweetheart, we know." Stacy placed her hands on my upper arms and caressed them. "Take a deep breath. I know this is a lot to process right now. He's not staying. He'll be gone soon. I promise." She nudged me down to the porch steps and sat beside me, rubbing my back. I leaned my head on her shoulder.

What made him decide to come to us? He abandoned our family because mom found out she was bisexual. That didn't mean she stopped loving him. She just found something out about herself and wanted to share it with the person she loved the most. He couldn't get it past his damn head that her being bisexual did not mean she was going to cheat on him.

Yet after learning how Levon was the one to help her come out of the closet and help her accept herself, could he be the person he was the most worried about? Did my dad think she was spending all her time with another man and used her coming out as bisexual to cover it? That would be pretty stupid, but based on how much of an idiot he was, I wouldn't put it past him.

I wanted him gone. The last thing Kiki needed to see was her dad was back. His leaving sparked her depression and caused her to isolate from the rest of us. I didn't want him showing up to risk sending her into a deeper depression and never talk to us again. She finally seemed to be opening up. Whatever Tylor planned to tell me seemed more important than ever.

Stacy kissed the top of my head and ran her fingers through my hair. "How are you feeling? What's running through your head?"

"I'm worried about Kiki. How is she going to take seeing him again?"

"I'm not sure, but what about you? This is big for you, too. What emotions are you feeling right now?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure... kind of numb, I guess."

I never expected to see my dad again, and I honestly never wanted to. There was no reason to want to be in someone's life who didn't want to be in mine. I had a good family. I loved them, and they loved and accepted me. There was no point in chasing after a dad who wanted no part of my life.

Yet, him being around left a bitter taste in my mouth. I never realized how I didn't get any closure from him leaving; I just learned to deal with it. It wasn't as if I could have reached out and asked him. I accepted he left because of mom, but why didn't he want to stay in mine or Kiki's life? Was it because of mom? Did we upset him somehow? Did he never want us in the first place?

I was fine with never finding out and never seeing him again. I didn't want to talk to him. If he wanted to talk, I'd listen, but I'd have nothing to say. I didn't want him in my life the same way he didn't want me in his.

Stacy continued to rub my back as we sat outside, staring blankly into the backyard. I didn't know what else to say, but I could tell Stacy wanted to say something reassuring. She didn't need to use any words to let me know she was there for me. Having her sit outside with me was enough to let me know she cared. That was all I could ask for.

"Stacy," mom called out as she opened the back door. We looked up and over at her. She didn't look at us, instead staring directly into the living room. "I need your help in here."

Stacy quickly stood up and strode inside. Mom smiled nervously at me as I stood up. "You can come back in, just... you don't have to talk to him if you don't want to. It doesn't matter if he wants to talk to you. You're in control here, sweetheart, okay?"

I nodded and followed her inside the house. Unfortunately, when I walked into the living room, dad was sitting on the couch next to Kiki. She talked excitedly with him. It was going to break her heart once he left again. All of her progress would go away. I could only hope she'd take my hand this time. I didn't want to lose her.

"I was hoping she would sleep in today," mom sighed, crossing her arms. "I've agreed to give him one thousand if it means he'll never come back here again."

"He better be fucking grateful for it," Stacy snarled.

"Loraine, would it be alright if I took Kiki out for a bit?" dad asked. "I'd love to catch up more with her."

"Can he, mom?"

Mom's eyes twitched as she forced herself to smile. "I'll only allow it if it's in the backyard."

"What do you say, baby girl? It's better than nothing, right?"

"Absolutely!"

Kiki jumped off the couch and ran for the kitchen. Dad stood up and followed her. As he walked past me, the smile from his face dropped, and he scowled at me before smiling again at Kiki.

He hated me. He hated me and not Kiki.

"Honey?" Stacy asked. I jerked my eyes to her, and she bit her bottom lip, hesitating to reach out to me. She saw it, too. He hated me.

"Is it because I'm bi?"

"Most likely," mom said as she stared out the window into the backyard, keeping a close eye on the two. "I wouldn't be surprised if bisexual people have left him with a bitter taste because of me. Now he thinks I've converted you." She sighed. "He's a fucking moron."

"Are you okay?" Stacy asked, placing her hand on my shoulder. "It's okay if you're not. We're here for you."

I wasn't okay. It wasn't anger or resentment or sadness that I felt. Just numb. It was hard to process everything that was going on, and I didn't know how to handle it. I wanted to vent and talk my feelings out and be comforted. But I didn't want it from my moms.

The only person I wanted to see was Tylor.