Love/Fail

Chapter 28

Annoying Pinspiration Quote #28

"Because you are alive, everything is possible."

The rest of the day and that night were painful and uneventful. We returned to the mansion, but I was too emotionally wrung out to do anything exciting. Cody set about organising dinner while I rang my dad, speaking with him for hours and sounding himself out on everything. I'd flopped on my bed, putting my feet up the wall and letting some of the tension in my legs drain as we bantered.

While my dad was always good to vent to, eventually I ran out of stories about Nora and Jade and the unfairness of the universe, and I could feel Dad turning the conversation towards something else. "So, my little chicken... Where's Cody?"

"In the kitchen making pasta." I let my guarded tone speak volumes. I don't want to discuss this.

Obviously, Dad was tone deaf. "So, did you two sort things out then? Or are you still being stubborn?"

"Listen, you old fogy, I am not stubborn!" I rolled to a kneeling position. "This just isn't the right time to sort anything out. My friend is lying in a hospital bed, I'm a mess, and Cody's only here to support me – nothing more."

"Uh, no."

"Uh no what?"

"Well, for starters, Rupert is a good lad – he wouldn't want you putting your life on hold out of some invented respect for his recovery. Second, you're always a mess, so that shouldn't make things any different."

"Oh my god. Thanks, Dad."

"I mean it in a good way."

"Right."

"Well, you're already messy – might as well keep on going, right?"

"Wrong."

"And finally," Dad said, as if any response from me was mysteriously muted in his ears, "Cody didn't just go over because he wanted to look after you. He was already on his way when we heard about Rupert."

"What?" My hand flew to my mouth, as if my heart might suddenly make a break for the nearest exit. "Why was he coming over here?"

"That's a good question, daughter. The kind of question one might find answers to if she only took the time to have a conversation with the man in her kitchen."

"You're so annoying."

"Thank you, child. As parents, it is our sacred mission to irritate our offspring as much as possible, so it's good to know I'm hitting my KPI's."

"What the hell is a KPI?"

"I'm not sure, but the suits who bustle in for coffees on the morning commute talk about them all the time so they must be important. Maybe I'll ask the Googles..."

"I'm going now. I love you, daddy bear."

"Love you too, my emotionally stunted heir."

Before I could retort, he'd rung off, leaving me to stare out over the ocean pensively.

I couldn't stare for too long; there were still things to do. Cody and I ate dinner on the balcony, while I rang Jade's hotel again for the third time since she'd left us. The reception desk refused to put my call through or confirm if she'd been given my previous messages - or even if she was still staying there at all. I'd tried to invite her to eat with us, but it didn't look like that wasn't going to happen. Instead, I left another message for her to call me and gave it up for the night.