Falling Apart

Chapter 57

Katherine's POV

I look at the man in front of me, searching for any trace of who he was before he left but I can't find him. It's the exact image of who I imagined him to be this entire time. I never expected to see him again, but I also never expected him to spend the rest of his life like this.

"You're my...daughter? You're my...Katherine." He finally puts the puzzle together and his dull eyes seem to light up. "My god! You've, you've grown so much!" He steps forward in an attempt to hug me but I take a step back. He lowers his eyes and notices my stomach. "How old are you?"

"I'm nineteen." I answer. Anger is still growing inside of me at this excuse of a father in front of me. He has no place to judge me for being pregnant, not because it wasn't my fault but because of the way he wasted his life.

"Well how did, I mean who, you're pregnant." He mutters and I roll my eyes.

"I'm aware. Where the hell have you been all these years, dad?" I shudder at the name I called him. Just the word makes me uncomfortable from not saying it for over ten years.

He looks as confused as I do. "How long has it been?"

"It's been eleven years!" I scream and it echoes down the empty hall. I haven't been here in so long and the memory of hearing yelling down this same hall isn't comfortable. "You know what, I'm just going to leave. I don't know why you're here now but you left eleven years ago and now I will, how's that?"

I walk back to my room to grab the few things I brought and I make my way back to the door. I get my purse and walk out, just as my dad begins to yell for me to come back.

"It's a little late to start acting fatherly." I turn back to him. He looks afraid and uncertain, old and drunk, the same way I've always viewed him. "You made the decision years ago to walk out and leave, now it's my turn." I slam the door.

I run to my car in the pouring rain. It's still dark outside in this early morning and I don't know where I'm going to go but I know it has to be away from here. I'm thankful I left all my bags in the car last night, but my thanks disappears as I see the door swing open and he follows after me.

"Give me a second chance, please!" He seems used to the cold rain hitting him in the face. I don't ponder on why he would be used to that, it might make me forgive him for everything he's done.

"I'm sorry but I've given too many people too many chances. I'm sorry." I repeat. I don't know if I actually am but I need to leave here and call my aunt. If she knew about him staying here this entire time, I don't know what I'd do in that state of anger and betrayal.

I pull out of the driveway and try to ignore the ghost standing in my old front yard. After driving around in the rain for the next two hours, I become calmer than I was and everything in me is trying not to dial David's number. Even though I deleted it, it's a number I'll never forget. He would always be here for me, especially in a situation like this, but now I can't even talk to him about this. It's just another reminder of how different everything is.

I find a hotel nearby and pull into the lot until I'm reminded I have no money. I hate the fact that I'm broke; it just reminds me that I used to always rely on David for money. I've never felt more independent and alone until this moment, and it doesn't feel as good as I'd thought. Maybe I made a huge mistake coming back home, maybe I should've just stayed in school. At least I had a place to stay there, despite all the problems.

Sitting here in my car with the loud rain pouncing on the windows makes me think of everything I gave up in South Carolina. I told Will it was to focus on the baby for a few years and get my life figured out, but it wasn't that at all. David was supposed to stay with me and help me. With him, I felt safe and knew that whatever happened, it would be okay because he'd be here to help me. But I'm never going to see him again.