Habits

The Ugly Truth

Lea's POV

"Put a shirt on and get your ass in here!!" My dad yells from the living room.

I put on my shirt that Cory threw on the floor earlier. I was shaking so bad because my dad is scary when he's mad.

With caution, I walk into the living room where my dad is pacing around like a lunatic.

"Dad..." I trail off because I'm not really sure what to say.

"You want to know why I'm home early?! I got a call from Naya's mom today and she was asking me if I knew where she was, and of course I didn't. Right before hanging up, I thanked her for taking you on that skiing trip a couple months ago, she had no idea what I was talking about!!!"

I stand in my same spot I was standing in when I first came in the living room, not knowing what to say or do.

"Where the hell were you for 2 days?" He demands.

"I was skiing, but instead of going with Naya, I went with Cory." My voice quivers.

"You spent the night with a boy? Was there any parental supervision?!" His voice is getting louder by each word he says, which I didn't know was possible.

"No"

I was about to explain more things to him but pain sears across my face. He had just slapped me.

I cup my cheek and cry. Dianna never even hit me that hard when we got into the fight.

He starts walking out of the room.

"Where are you going?" I yell helplessly.

"To kick this boy's ass, and I'll be back to do the same to you!! When did you become such a slut?"

I'm not sad anymore, I'm hurt. Never did I ever expect to hear those words come out of my dad's mouth.

I grab his shoulder and turn him to face me.

"Oh hell, like you never had sex with mom or lied about stuff to your parents when you were a teenager!" I scream viciously.

"You don't have the right to talk about your mother!!"

"And you don't have the right to call me a slut! Yeah, so what if I slept with Cory, I love him. If mom was here-" I try to continue but he cuts me off.

"Don't you dare talk about your mother anymore, she's dead and that's done." His face changes, from angry to guilty.

"I can talk about her as much as I fucking want!!!! She's not dead, she's with me every step of the way but I have no idea why she can't help me with you." I spit out.

"STOP TALKING ABOUT HER!!!!" He roars.

"Why?! She's my mom and I still love her."

"Because I killed her!"

You know that feeling you get when you fall off the monkey bars and the wind gets knocked out of you? That's how I feel right now. I always wondered why my dad was a total grade A pain in my ass, it's because he killed her.

"I work as much as I do because I can't stand to see you without thinking about what I did to her." He says barely breathing.

"What did you do to her?"

"I was drunk and things got out of hand."

I can't even move or function, how can anybody hide that from someone they love, or loved.

I feel like I'm living with a monster that might kill me next, I need to get out now.

I run to the front door where he follows.

"Lea...Lea, please come back and let's talk."

he lays his hand on my shoulder which makes my skin crawl.

"Don't you dare touch me!"

With that, I slap him right in the face. Just like he slapped me earlier.

I don't have my car keys or phone and yet I'm running to Cory's house like a wild banshee.

For quite some time of my life, I've been believing a lie. This lie really killed me, like I haven't been through enough.

Dad, you put me through hell and I'll give it right back to you.