Struggles of a Single Father (Book 1 of the Struggle Puff Series)

Chapter 31 - Tilisia

Edited – 03/13/2020

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"Where the hell did he go?" Cadence growled.

She was less than happy about traipsing around looking for Ain, but I didn't care. He was my best friend and I needed to find him.

After five more minutes of searching, I almost gave up until I saw his tall frame leaning on a brick wall.

I nudged Cadence in the side and pointed her to where he was standing.

Before I could stop her, Cadence shouted to him.

"What the hell, Jackson?!"

He looked over at us before rolling his eyes and looking away.

Cadence's eyebrows shot up at his reaction. She placed her hand on her chest as her eyelids lowered to a more menacing glare, "Oh hell no." She growled. She began to stomp towards him, but I was faster and ran in front of her with my hands up.

"We can't just storm up on him and expect answers." I tried to reason.

"Uh. Yeah we can." She tried to push past me, but I shoved her back.

I took a hold of her wrist and forced her to slowly approach him as if he would run away if we moved too quickly.

When we were right next to him, I leaned against the wall and smiled at him, "So? Do you want to talk about it?"

The seven inch height difference made the position awkward, but it decided to bare with it.

He didn't even bother to look at or reply to us which just pissed me off.

My smile dropped and I was now looking up at him with frustration, "Not answering isn't going to make us go away."

"Then what will?" He asked with a venom I hadn't yet heard from him.

Instead of being taken aback, I was enraged and before I knew what I was doing, I grabbed his face with one hand and pulled him down to be eye level with me. In hindsight, the way his cheeks were squeezed together, and lips were puckered was funny, but my fury blocked any potential humor.

"Start talking or I'm gonna punch you so hard you'll be feeling it for months!"

Ain and Cadence looked terrified at my unusual aggression, but I didn't care. My friend was distressed, and he wasn't talking about it.

"Jackson, please just say it before your friend loses her mind."

"I wou ih isia wou le go."

Cadence and I looked at each other in confusion before turning back to Ain. He grabbed my hand that was tightly gripped around his jaw and forced it off.

"I said, I would if Tilisia would let go." He was glaring at me and still holding my wrist in his hand.

"Oops. Sorry." I said awkwardly.

He took a moment before sighing heavily and letting me go, "Amy was offered a job in New Hampshire."

"Oh." Was all I could say.

As if we were connected at the brain, we all sat down with our backs against the wall. I was on one side of Ain and Cadence was on the other.

Somewhere in our moment of silence, Cadence and I leaned our heads on his shoulders and each grabbed one of his hands.

"That's weird to think about." Cadence spoke up first, "I always saw you guys as a group."

"Same, honestly." I agreed. Then another thought popped into my mind, "What does that mean for you?"

He squeezed my hand tightly, "Either I move with her or I move back with my parents." He chuckled, "Two crappy options, if you ask me."

"Very lacking." I mumble.

"So, has she decided on whether she's going to take it yet?" Cadence asked.

"No. She said she needs to weigh her options first."

She sat up, "Wait, so you've been acting like a jackass over a decision that hasn't been made yet."

I scrunched my eyebrows at what she said before realizing she was absolutely right.

"Oh my gosh, she's right." I said, sitting up too.

"I'm acting like a jackass because I know I want her to take it, but I also don't want her to go." He explained, "Not just because I don't want to move or anything, but because she's the closest thing I have to a mother. I know she's only my half-sister, but she basically raised me, and I just don't want to lose her."

I could see tears well up in his eyes as he was speaking.

"Imagine if your dad had the same opportunity and you either had to go with him or stay with me and Amy. As much as you love us, you'd want to be with him because he's your dad and you love him and you don't want him to stay for you sake because he worked his ass off for the opportunity and turning it down would be detrimental to his career."

Tears were now falling, but he pushed through it.

"I love my sister more than life itself, and she's been wanting this for as long as I can remember. But I also love it here. I love Carter, Rosie, Jake and Cadence." He turned to me, "And I love you too. And I don't want to leave the people I love, but I don't know what else to do. I'll be angry at myself is she doesn't take the opportunity, but I'll be depressed if I have to leave the only friends I have."

Without realizing it, Cadence and I were crying along with him as his turmoil descended upon us.

As cheesy as it was, I knew we were attached at the heart and we felt what the other was feeling. He was confused and there didn't seem to be anything we could do.

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and read a text from my dad telling us to meet at the apartment.

I sent a quick ok back before putting it down and leaning back on Ain.

The more I thought about it, the surer I became of the idea that was brewing in the back of my mind. Suddenly, it all came together, and I used the back of my hand to wipe the remainder of my tears away.

"What if I said there was a compromise?" I asked with a sly smile.

They both looked at me with tear-stained faces and raised eyebrows.

I stood up and placed my hands on my hips.

"I have a brilliant idea that I think will work for everyone." I announced proudly.

"Tili, I don't think this is the time for-"

"I'm not in the mood for doubt or negativity, so get up and trust me."

Cadence and Ain shared a look before slowly standing up. We were about to head back to the apartment, but I quickly pulled Ain in for a hug and squeezed tightly.

"We'll figure this out." I whispered. "I promise."