Hearts On Fire {Alex Gaskarth}

Chapter 6

Grace

It's been a good couple of months. We get settled down, I start a new school, and hell I even made some friends. I was finally happy, and I forgot about my dad. I just never thought that I'd see my dad again. It wasn't in my plans, it didn't want it to go this way. I hated this man. I hate what he's done, I hate who he is, I hate him. I wanted to forget. It was my life long goal to forget everything that's happened to me.

He just has to show up and ruin it. Every single memory, just hit me on the head with a hammer. He's said that I've grown, but it's only been a couple of months. I didn't think I would change in a matter of months.

"It's been a while I thought that maybe we could catch up." He said and held his arms out. If anything he's changed. He was wearing a black tee shirt tucked into some grey slacks and his hair was graying a bit.

"Yes, lets." My mom said and walked into the kitchen. She already had the burgers sitting on the table. She must've made them earlier. He smiled and walked into the kitchen with my mom and I following close behind. We were both scared.

It was quiet at the table while we set up our plates and made our hamburgers the way we liked them. My dad was the first to look up and smile.

"So how is everyone?" He asked. It reminded me of the times before when we would have dinner together. He would usually be the one to start the table conversations because I was to scared to start one and my mom always seemed to say something he didn't like.

"Good." I whispered and ate one of my French fries.

"Still the same quiet Gracie you've always been." He pointed out. I merely nodded and ate another French fry. I wasn't in the mood for anything big like a burger. I didn't want to talk, I didn't want to talk to him. My mom was quiet and he turned to her.

"And how about you Rebecca?" She jumped slightly and dropped her French fry and opened and closed her mouth trying to find the words to say.

"I, um, I, um, it's, uh, good." She stuttered out. He laughed and patted her shoulder, it looked like he patted it a little to hard. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook a little bit.

"Same old Rebecca." He said with a laugh. I suddenly lost my appetite and just wanted to go up into my room and stay there.

"May I be excused?" I asked. My dad looked at me with a smirk and nodded. I pushed my plate away and ran up the stairs as fast as I could. I just wanted as much time to myself as I could get. He needed to leave. He can't be back. Please let this be some kind of dream. A nightmare even. I don't care as long as I wake up. Maybe I could climb out of my window and run to Alex's house. I quickly shook off the idea when I realized that we haven't even known each other for three days I can't just run over there.

I heard a knock on my door and my door and walked over to open it. I don't know what my brain was thinking when I thought it would've been my mom. That my dad left. I think I was going crazy. Just when I opened it and saw the stubble I sighed.

"Your mother is washing dishes downstairs, can I come in? I just want to talk." That's what he said last time. I didn't want to talk to him. I didn't want to be near him. Then why the fuck was I opening the door wider.

He stepped in and walked around while I logged onto my laptop. He was looking at the pictures I had on my walls and the drawings that I did. Maybe a couple of awards. It was a normal teenage girls room.

"It's a nice room you got here." He said. I didn't say anything, I just started typing my English paper.

He walked over and stood behind me and watched me type out my English paper, he put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly, I hated his touch. It made me cringe. I hated it so much. I can't even describe the amount of hate I have for it.