Cuddle Buddy

42

Caroline's POV

I ended up agreeing going on a coffee with my father but I told him that I had the condition of bringing a friend and he said it was alright and that even if he preferred to spend time alone with me to talk and all that, that he understood and that he knew this would be the first of many coffee meetings.

It was 45 minutes till I would meet my father for coffee and I was about to panic from how nervous I was. I was worried with everything, from not having any topic of conversation to not be dressed like I should.

"Maybe I should change to that blue dress..."

"You are beautiful just like that. Your father will love to see you again and everything will be okay. You need to relax before you get a heart attack and end up in the hospital. You don't want to see him again in some hospital, do you?"

"I guess not... But I can't help it. What if everything goes wrong? What if I get there and no words come out? What if we go and my father will never appear? What if he hates the person I became?"

"That's crazy talk. No one will ever be able to hate you. I'm sure many women are jealous of you but it's impossible to hate you. You are amazing and no words are good enough to describe how good and incredible and beautiful and mind blowing you are."

"Mind blowing?" I asked confused and amused with his word choosing.

"Yes. You are such an incredible and amazing person that incredible and amazing aren't enough to describe you and all that makes you mind blowing because before I met you, I believed there was no person in this or any universe that could be as amazing as you, every day that passes and I get to know you better I get mind blown every time because you are one of a kind and a woman that wasn't even in my dreams for not believe it was possible for you to be real." He said, making my heart melt and at the same time beat really fast because I never had someone saying such things to me and I never saw myself like that. How could he see me like that?

I wanted to kiss him and be in his arms forever but I couldn't do that. We are cuddle buddies and we already have moments where we get too intimate and way over boundaries but I couldn't cross this line. He is the most stable person I have in my life and I can't lose him. I know that last night we fight and that we fight sometimes and I even say that maybe I should just leave him and let him live the bachelor dream life but saying is one thing, actually doing it it's completely different and I can't imagine him being out of my life and I be able to handle it and just carry on. He became so important to me... more than I like to admit.

Because I knew I shouldn't kiss him, I hugged him to have at least some physical interaction with him. His arms wrapped around me and my arms were around his neck.

"You became very important to me, Klaus." I admitted.

"So did you. You made me get my life on track and realize what I did before was no way of living, was just me finding ways to forget about my issues and run from my problems." He said, hugging me tightly, slightly more than I was hugging him.

I took a step back so I could face him and rest my forehead in his, closing my eyes, feeling his breath on my face, which relaxed me and at the same time made me feel tingly.

***

We were now at the coffee place, we've been on a park near that place so I could make some time and wouldn't stress out too much which was very hard but then it was the hour I was so anxious and nervous about. I had so many scenarios in my head and many of them ended badly. Klaus almost had to drag me to the coffee place because I was starting to panic. When we got there I saw my father, he was looking slightly older but otherwise he looked the same.

"He is the blond one looking at the menu." I whispered to Klaus.

"Are you ready? You don't need to do this if you don't want to." Klaus said in a soft voice.

"I'm not ready but I have to do this... for me. I have many questions unanswered and he might help me on that." I said and he nodded, then we walked over to the booth my father was in.

"Hi! It's me... Ca..."

"Caroline..." he said with a smile. "Look at you. So grown up. You became a beautiful young woman."

"Time does that..." I scoffed because even if I wanted to give him a chance I was still upset with him leaving.

"Yes... Is this man your boyfriend?" My father asked, trying to change subject.

"He is my friend, Klaus. Klaus this is Bill, my father... although he forgot about that for awhile."

"It's not like that, sweetie. I know I left but I never forgot about you." He said. "Why don't you seat and talk with me for a little bit?"

I got here I better finish this and then go home without having to ask myself what if.

I seat down and so did Klaus, making me be next to Klaus and in front of my father.

"I can't have a small talk with you. There's too many questions I have." I said and he nodded, he was about to say something but I couldn't wait anymore to have my questions answered. "Why did you left? Did I do something to you? Wasn't I a good daughter? Why did you took so long to get in touch? Why did you get in touch just now? What happened? Why didn't you said goodbye? What is this reunion suppose to be? What do you expect from me after all this time? Is this just so you can be in peace with yourself or do you want to actually have some kind of relationship with me?"

"I get you have many questions." He said when noticed I wasn't even near the end of my list of questions. "One thing you must know is that it wasn't your fault. It was all my fault." He said and I rolled my eyes, while trying to not cry. Klaus noticed that I was upset and rest his hand on my tight, caressing it with his thumb in a comforting way.

"Why did you left?" I asked again, grabbing Klaus's hand that was on my tight and he quickly hold my hand, linking with our fingers.

"I wasn't ready to be a father. You weren't planned and when you were born I was at a point in my life where I didn't see myself with a kid, I was still figuring out myself but you were born and I tried my best to be there but I couldn't. I was stupid and young and I thought that the best was for me to leave instead of being the father who resented his kid."

"What the hell are you doing here now?"

"I wanted to apologize and try to be the father I should be or maybe be a part of your life if you accept me."

"Now? You want to be my father now? What about when I win the spelling bee or when I got my first A or when I went on my first date or when I learn how to drive or when I went to graduation or every time I needed you to just be there? I'm sorry. I thought I could do this but I can't. Just looking at you hurts me." I said and left the coffee place.

Klaus followed me, took me to his car and drive us to his place so I didn't had to face or talk to anyone.