The Best Thing For Me

Chapter Twenty Six

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Dedication: Forcade for making the awesome cover on the side.

Thanks. <3

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"Emma? What are you still doing in bed?" Dad's voice asked in surprise. By the sounds of it, he was standing at my door. I buried myself deeper into my toasty blankets. I sunk low down, so that none of my face was showing.

I faked a cough. "Not feeling well." 

"Really?" he asked in concern, coming over, sitting on my bed. It dipped and I found myself sinking into it. He slowly removed the four blankets and pillow from my face. My face was flushed from being smothered.  

"You're not sick." 

I coughed again. "Yeah I am. And my arm hurts." 

"This doesn't have anything to do with why you came home crying and refused to speak to anyone all last night? And why Jason rang three times on the house phone and you didn't speak to him?" 

"Definitely not."  

He sighed, resting an arm on my blankets. I couldn't feel the gesture though, I was deeply drowned in my blankets. "Want to talk about it?" 

"No." I replied moodily, tears welling in my eyes again. I didn't even want to think about it, let alone talk about what happened.

"What did he do?" he frowned. "Need me to go sort it out?" 

I smiled weakly. "No Dad. It was me." 

"I highly doubt that." he replied without hesitation.

"Can we just not speak about it?" I asked softly, a tear falling down my cheek.  

He pulled me into a hug. I returned it, sobbing into his chest. I tightened my arms, feeling as though I could just squeeze the pain away. If only it was that easy. 

"I don't know how to handle this, Emma." he admitted.

"It's not your problem." 

It was silent for a few moments.

"I wish your Mother was here." he murmured suddenly.

I stiffened. We never spoke of her. 

Well, very rarely anyway. 

"Me too." I sighed, getting teary again. 

I wished more than anything I could just have one more day with her. I never even got the chance to know her properly. That was the worst thing. All these girl problems, boy problems... I need her. To talk to her about it. Dad is great, of course he is, he is an amazing father, he just isn't the best in these situations.

"Alright, so I'm assuming no matter how hard I try, you're not going to school?" 

"Not even if you dragged me by my hair." I croaked out.

He gave me a small smile. "Okay. Have a good one. I'll be back sometime this afternoon." 

"Have a good day." I said, even though even to myself it sounded bitter. 

"Charlie!" Dad called. He came trotting in, tail wagging, ears flopping adorably. "Keep her company?" 

He bounded onto the bed, licking my cheek. I ruffled his hair and ran my thumbs over the top of his head, as his whole body wriggled with excitement.