The midday sun shined through my open window and I yawned, blinking against the light. Glancing at the clock, a lazy smile pulled at my lips at the realization that I had slept past 10AM. I was always thankful when the holidays rolled around and I got the day off from school, especially when the holiday happened to fall on a Friday and made it a long weekend. Stretching my arms over my head, I sat up in bed, running a hand through my hair.
Hearing a gentle thumping coming from another room, my eyebrow pushed together and I slid out of bed, walking toward the door. I peeked out into the hallway, listening closely to the sound. It was coming from my dad's room. I frowned in confusion. He didn't say he would be home early.
Wrapping my arms around myself, I let a smile pull at my lips at the thought of seeing him as I made my way down the hall, stopping outside his door. I raised my fist to the door, but froze when I heard him grumble something. Wrinkling my nose, I pushed the ajar door open and brought a hand to cover my mouth. I watched in a shocked silence at the sight of my dad in bed with an unfamiliar blonde.
The woman let out a quiet moan, her eyes slipping open to connect with mine. Her jaw fell open in surprise and she hit my dad's arm, motioning toward me. My dad quickly turned around, pulling the sheets around his waist.
I shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes, and quickly ran down the stairs toward the door. Ignoring his calls, I snatched my jacket and shoes and walked out the front door, running down the street. I didn't even bother to stop to put my shoes on. My heart was aching in my chest at the realization that my dad was having an affair. I felt betrayed and lied to. Home was the last place I needed to be. I wanted to get as far away from him as possible.
**
Settling onto the bench outside Nathan's flat, I pulled my knees to my chest and finally slipped on my shoes. I had gotten a lot of odd looks from people as I passed by them with no shoes on, but that was the furthest thing from my mind. My dad had rung me repeatedly since I had left the house, but I refused to pick up the phone. If he thought I was willing to talk this over then he was just as delusional as my mom. I couldn't believe that the one person I had thought could be my rock was lying and going behind my back. I groaned with frustration, hiding my face in my lap.
Fumbling with my phone, I dialed Nathan's number, already knowing he wouldn't pick up. He never did. The longer it rang, the more I could feel my heart sinking in my chest. I needed someone to tell me it would be okay. Hearing my call being directed to voicemail, I breathed out an unsteady breath and waited for the beep.
“Nathan,” I whimpered quietly. “Please be there. I need you.”
I let my eyes fall closed, my bottom lip trembling. I sniffled and shook my head, flipping my phone closed. It was useless. He wouldn't be there for me. He hadn't been since he left for tour. It felt like all that we had been through was only a figment of my imagination with the way he ignored me. I sighed shakily and sank down on the bench, staring up at the swollen white clouds in the sky.
As much as I didn't want to think about it, the thought that Nathan could be cheating on me entered my mind on more than one occasion, and the fact that I had caught someone who I had never thought was capable of doing something that horrible doing it only magnified the thought. Tossing my phone to the ground, I hid my face in my hands, allowing the tears to fall freely down my face. “Please, don't leave me Nathan.”
**
The harsh cold wind swirled through the air, biting relentlessly at my skin, forcing me to curl against the bench and pull my knees closer in an attempt to stay warm. I still wasn't ready to go home and there was nowhere else to go. I knew Emma was working the late shift and she wouldn't be getting home until 1AM. Glancing down at my phone on the ground, I sighed and leaned over to grab it up before checking the time. I frowned as I stared at it. I had spent nearly six hours sitting on the bench alone. It had honestly felt like nothing. Time didn't seem to be a factor when my thoughts got the better of me.
