The Secrets We Carry

Chapter Fourteen | Cinnamon in the Lions Den

Adam

I wake up to the smell of bacon and know that Liv is making breakfast for us.
Getting up I head into the washroom before going downstairs.

"Good morning!" She beams in a sing song voice as I walk into the kitchen.

My dad's already sitting at the table reading the Saturday news on his tablet with his coffee.
"Good morning. Smells so good in here." I say as I walk up beside Liv and look into the pan of sizzling bacon. I go to pick a piece of bacon off the plate on the counter as Liv tries to swat my hand away, unsuccessfully.

"You mean it smells like bacon." She says eyeing me as I pop the piece I stole into my mouth. "It's almost done just these last few pieces." She flips the ones in the pan.

"Yes, smells good. Like I said." I give her a cheeky smile as she flings the dish cloth at me. I duck and it falls on the counter behind me. She rolls her eyes at me and brings her attention back to the frying pan.

I go over to the coffee machine and pour myself a cup before I take a seat at the table. "Morning dad." He looks up at me from over his tablet and gives me a quick nod. I already feel nervous even though he seems to be in an ok mood.

My mind starts to wander back to two days ago. Back to the basement but I quickly shake it from my thoughts.

Liv brings the bacon to the table setting it down between the eggs and toast and takes a seat beside me.

"So what's everyone's plans for today?" She asks while grabbing a slice of toast.

I shrug as I start serving myself, too.

"Well, I was thinking of maybe going to the mall with Ashley. Would you want to come with us?" She looks up at me.

"So you're basically saying you need a ride to the mall?" I know her too well.

"Yes, but also we could hangout, go shopping, grab some cinnamon rolls. Come on it'll be fun!"

Cinnamon rolls are my kryptonite and she knows it. But the truth is I'd rather go to the mall than be at home, alone with my dad. He hasn't said two words through breakfast, which isn't a great sign. "Ok, sure."

"You enjoying breakfast, dad?" Liv asks him.
He looks over at her. "Yes, it's delicious. Thank you, love. I'm going to be working most of the day going over notes from trial so it would be great to have a quiet house." His eyes flicker over to me and I quickly look down avoiding his gaze.

"No problem." She says to him.
We continue eating our breakfast in silence, not wanting to give him a reason to go off.

I'm standing at the front door an hour later waiting for Liv to come downstairs so we can leave.

"Shit." I hear my dad shout from his office followed by a string of curse words. My pulse instantly quickens.

Relief flushes over me as Liv skips down the stairs at that moment.
"Come on Liv, let's go." I urge her and she can tell by the look on my face that we should leave, now.
She quickly throws on her converse not bothering to lace them up as we bolt out of the house together.

Her and Ashley are talking in the car on the way to the mall, as I tune in and out of their conversation. We pull in to the small shopping centre. I drop them at the Baskin Robbins doors, and they tell me to meet them at H&M in an hour before getting out. "Ok." I say as they both get out of my car and disappear through the entrance.

Walking into the mall I'm greeted by families walking around going in and out of various stores. I stop to observe one family. The mother and daughter are looking at a window display as the father and son stand back. They're holding hands and they're both laughing through their conversation. I wonder what it would be like, holding my dad's hand and joking around with him. Having no fear of the man.