Falling Apart

Chapter 58

After hours on end of driving, I finally drive past the Florida state sign and relief floods through me. I can already feel the string holding Katherine and I together becoming looser. For months I've felt the sharp pain without her, and even my own body knows I can't be away from her.

A few more hours pass and the sun disappears as time goes by. When I'm finally in Katherine's hometown, my heart begins to pound. Did I think this through? What am I even going to say? I've never been this nervous before and I find myself thirsty for a liquor cabinet right about now but I know that wouldn't do any good. I have to find her.

I somehow remembered Katherine's address from her telling me a while back, and I plug it into my gps. Minutes later, I turn into a nice neighborhood aligned with palm trees. It's been raining for hours but it was never coming down as hard as it is now. My windshield wipers only do so much as I examine the houses along the road until I finally get to the house.

There are no cars in the driveway so I park myself and hurry to the door. I'm already soaked and it isn't helping that no ones answering the door. "Katherine?" I yell out but the door remains closed. Before walking away, I check the knob and to my surprise it's unlocked. I slowly turn it and the door creaks open. Peeking my head through, the house is dark and empty and there's no sign of anyone.

I take a step inside, knowing I'll probably regret it sooner or later. If Katherine is here, she won't be too happy seeing me stumbling through her house at this hour of the night. I just need to see how she's doing without me.

"Katherine?" I yell out, promising myself it'll be the last time I ever say her name. I don't want that to be the case but this is where she's supposed to be. Where the hell is she?

Before I can take a step back towards the door, a fierce hand lays itself on my shoulder and I know I'm not alone. "Who the hell are you?" The hand spins me around to face the man and his familiar features have my brain scattered all over the walls.

"Who the hell are you?" I spit back at him.

"This is my damn house; get out!" He pushes me forward and I'm slammed against the door. "Who do you think you are, stumbling into a mans house at this time of night?"

"I, I... Uh, I'm sorry." I choke, still confused on how this could be his house. I know this is Katherine's address for a fact. "I guess I have the wrong address. Do you know where Katherine Willick might be? I could've sworn this was her house."

"Katherine? How the hell do you know my Katherine?" He slurs and I smell what I wish I could be drinking right now on his breath.

"Your Katherine? How is she... forget it. So you know her?"

"Well I sure hope so because she's my freaking daughter! Now who do you think you're supposed to be? I'm praying for your sake it isn't the father of that baby in her, or else you and I aren't going to be such pals!" His southern accent floods the room and I hate the idea that Katherine had this drunken idiot of a man as a father when she was growing up.

"You're her dad." I clarify for confirmation and he gives it with a firm nod of the head. "Well how did you even know she's pregnant? You left her before she would even know how to get pregnant."

"I do not have to explain myself to you, stranger. Now tell me, who the hell are you? I'm not asking a third time."

"I'm her... we used to be friends. I came here to check on her so could you tell me where she is?" I plead.

He looks me up and down before collapsing to the floor with his hands over his head. Snot falls from his large nose and his coughs echo throughout the entire house. "She left. Just like I left her." It's hard to make out everything he's saying through his loud cries.