Midnight Messages

4th Meeting

As soon as Clare burst out of her dorm building she ran right smack into someone's chest. The impact sent her stumbling back a bit, and as she looked up to apologize, she froze.

"D...Dad?" She felt everything in her go cold, despite the warmer than usual temperature. "What are you doing here?"

Her father raised a dark brow, as he gave her the same look she had become accustomed to. A glare with a dash of disdain. As if he would disown her the second he gets the chance. Clare swallowed, her heart thumping against her rib cage like a stampede. "I'm here because your mother wanted me to talk to you, before I change your major."

"What?!" Clare couldn't believe her ears. "Dad you can't do that! This is the major that I want! This is the life that I want!"

"Becoming an author will do you no good in life, Clarissa. You're better off becoming a lawyer."

"I don't want to become a lawyer!"

"And why is that?!"

"Because I don't want to become like you!"

Silence followed her outburst, but Clare didn't stop. She was emotional, and fed up. "For as long as I can remember...you've always put running your law firm above anything else. Even your family...Never once did you make it to my birthdays, to any of the parent teacher meetings, to any of my recitals! Do you know how many of your anniversaries I had to watch mom cry on because you were too fucking busy?!" Tears started streaming down her face, and Clare angrily swiped at them. "And now...now that I'm in college, you suddenly want to be a part of my life. You want me to follow in your footsteps...Well guess what, dad? I don't want to. I'm done trying to get your approval. I'm done trying to live for you! Do what you want, but I'll keep on doing what makes me happy."

For the first time in her life, Clare witnessed her father's façade break. For once he didn't have that detached look he always wore. For once, he looked shocked and at a loss for words.

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

At the sound of Jake's familiar voice, Clare looked behind her dad to see the marine standing there with a smile on his bruised face. She gasped at the ugly looking purple that took up almost all of his left cheek. Just above his right brow was a cut being held together by some butterfly closures.

"Excuse me?" Her dad turned to Jake as well, assessing him.

"It's something you say when you don't know what to say." Jake shrugged, making Clare cover her mouth as she tried to supress her laughter. His gaze went to her. "Hey, Clare."

Instead of returning his greeting, she stepped past her father and jumped straight into Jake's chest, her arms wrapping around his neck. Jake seemed to be frozen for a second, before his own arms wrapped around her waist.

"Nice to see you again, marine."

"I see I've been missed."

"More than you should be."

Pulling back from each other, Jake kept his arms at her waist as he turned back to her dad, who Clare forgot was still there. "I never had a dad growing up. I often wondered what it would be like if I did. Sometimes I even wished for one. You're a father, don't make your child feel like they don't have one."

Clare felt herself falling even more for Jake. Without waiting for her dad to reply, he herded her back into her dorm and she allowed him. Pressing the floor number to her room once they were in the elevator. As the doors slid close, the last thing she saw was her father walking away. She expected to feel terrified, but for some strange reason, she wasn't. She suspected it had something to do with being in Jake's arms.

* * *

A/N: I feel like this was a bit messy...I think I'll edit it later.

* * *

ATTENTION: If you are reading this story on any other platform other than Wattpad you are very likely to be at risk of a malware attack. If you wish to read this story in it's original, safe, form, please go to https://www.wattpad.com/user/awkward_tumbleweed

Thank you.