Chasing Reality [sequel to Autistic Innocence -J.M]

Chapter 42

Camilla's P.O.V

Two weeks.

It's been two weeks since my dad confessed to all of us what really happened to him.

Two weeks since I last saw the strongest man I've ever known completely break down and fall apart.

Two weeks since I held him in my arms and try to comfort him because I knew exactly what he had been through and exactly how disgusting and ashamed he felt of himself.

Two weeks of me and my family constantly walking on eggshells around him, scared that if we said one wrong thing or made one wrong move- he'd break all over again.

Two fucking weeks.

The longest two weeks I've experienced in a while.

"Cam?" I look up from my laptop screen and up at my bedroom door that was now creeped open with Jr's head poking inside.

"Y-Yeah?" I ask as I take my attention away from the homework I was working on to show him I was listening.

"Dad's not eating again." He whispered. And although he wouldn't physically tell me, I could still see the worry and fear in his eyes and body language as he picked at the edge of my door and bit his lower lip before playing with it with his other free hand.

"Where's Jazzy?" I asked him softly as I place the cap back onto the tip of the highlighter I was currently using and setting it down beside my physics textbook.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I think she's out with Gavin again." I roll my eyes at the mention of his name and groan as I force myself up and walk over to him.

"And m-mom?" I question even though I already knew the answer since he came up to my room to tell me about our father.

"At work." He mutters and opens the door wider when I walk over to him to let me out in order for me to follow him down the hallway.

"Have y'all e-eaten then?" I furrow my eyebrows and ask him concerned since it was already three o'clock and nobody else seemed to be home besides my dad and me with all three of the younger kids still here.

He shook his head and I sighed as we walked down the stairs.

"Alright, I'll t-talk to d-dad and you g-get something to eat for y'all. J-just make some sandwiches o-or something." I tell him and he nods before we end up at the bottom of the stairs and part ways- Jr heading into the kitchen to make himself and the younger kids something to eat and me making my way to my father who was refusing to eat once again.

When I step into the living room, I'm once again heartbroken by the sight.

My dad was sitting down on the couch, his legs curled up into his body and his food was pushed away from him on the small table we had set up for him to be able to eat in the living room while watching tv. The bandaged that was wrapped around his head was slowly starting to shift out of place due to him constantly picking at it and his eyes had dark circles around them from his lack of sleep. His hair was so much longer at this point and his face was breaking out- something I didn't think even happened to adults- and his lips were really chapped.

He looked sick.

And I absolutely hated it.

When he noticed me step into the room, his eyes shift to mine for a split second before shifting right back to the tv he seemed to be watching but I knew was just serving as some background noise for him as he lost himself in his own thoughts.

"H-hey daddy." I whispered as I slowly made my way over to him.

He didn't reply.

"Daddy," I call for him again as I continued to slowly step closer, not wanting to scare him in any way, shape, or form.