Trying Not To Love (COMPLETED)

Chapter 24 ✅

Chapter Twenty Four - Let it all out

My phone buzzed and kept on buzzing. Startled, I woke up and grabbed it twisting my arm around.

It was an unknown number but, I picked up anyway.

"Dad?" I asked in my heavy, sleepy voice. I turned the lampshade on and read the clock which said 3:08 am. I thought I'd heard Dad's voice.

I yawned and it confirmed it was dad's voice when he spoke. "Oh! I didn't see you picked up the call. How's my little girl doing? Are you happy peaches?" His voice was deep and heavy, like it was when mom had died.

Was he crying?

No... why would he. Right?

I knitted my brows in pure confusion but responded, "I'm good. How are you? Where are you? Are you okay?" I sat upright, wincing at the fading ache in my back. Well this month was full of adventures for me. Wounds after wounds. Some visible and some not.

I rolled my eyes at myself, sighing.

Then I heard dad sob. And everything stood still. At least for me.

My stomach fell and my heart sunk. Taking a second pause I asked breathless, "Where are you daddy? Are you crying? Please tell me that you're okay..." Tears stuck at my eyes, ready to spill if I blinked.

I heard him hiccup, sniffing, and I blinked. Tears filled my cheeks, running further down. My chest felt as heavy as it did the other night when Easton said, "I can't" to me.

"Please daddy, tell me what's wrong." I licked my lips and sniffed.

I clutched my stomach preparing myself for what was going to happen next.

"I lied. I lied to you. I lied to my children, peaches. But, not at first. I did really get the job. But couple of days later they realized I wasn't what they needed and let me go. And they hired someone who was way more experienced and had those fancy degrees from fancy colleges."

I stifled a sob and wiped at my tears. "It's okay daddy. We'll find a way okay? We'll leave tomorrow. I promise we'll find a way--"

He sniffed and I bet he shook his head when he said, "No. No... I don't want you guys to leave that house. You all just started living again. I want you all to have those fancy degrees from fancy colleges. Okay?"

The ache in my chest got so tight, making me forget how to breathe. I let out a rush of air through my mouth but it still felt as if I couldn't breathe. "No, daddy. Our lives are with you... please don't do this. We'll go wherever you want. We'll--"

"I need some time honey. I promise I will figure something out and I will come home to take you all with me. But, maybe not in six months. Okay? But I will. I promise."

If words could kill, I could be dead right now.

A loud sob escaped my lips and I silently cried leaning my head back on the headboard of the bed. "Think about Jamey and Tabby, Cass. They just got a stable place to stay in. Let Alden graduate from that school so he can get into a fancy college. Promise me, you won't tell about this to any of them."

What?

Did that mean he was calling for the first time? He didn't call Alden last week? He lied to me... but why?

I shook my head, vigorously, silently screaming inside. Daddy was going to leave and he didn't know when he would be back? He's leaving us? Just like mom did.

My heart had never experienced a pain like that before. It was AWFUL. It was gut wrenching, bone breaking, heart stopping.

"I love you my little peach."