Capturing Memories

°•°Chapter 39°•°

"When you love someone, you love the person as they are, and not as you'd like them to be."

-Leo Tolstoy.

Chloe's POV.

"Chloe! Hold on a second!" I freeze in place hearing a familiar voice and look across the street to find dad, "Oh no no no no no!" I fumble with my keys as he quickly crosses over and I get into the car in a hurry but I guess I'm not fast enough.

"Get-away from me!" tears are quick to cloud my eyes as I try prying my hand away from dad's grasp, "Princess, could we please just talk for once?" he asks with sorrow as he leaves my hand.

"No," I shake my head finding the courage and step out of my open car, standing right in front of dad while trying to avoid showing any sign of weakness. Oh, on the inside, I just wanted to run away, "Please, Chloe?"

"Why?" my question is barely a whisper, trying to read his face, "I haven't been a good father for you and Blake. I think I at least owe you an explanation,"

A dry laugh gets past my lips at how absurd this situation felt, "Oh right, after almost seven years of disappearing from our lives. Shocker alert dad, our worlds don't revolve around you,"

I snap feeling my face freezing at the wind hitting my bare arms but most of all there was a storm going on in my bloody heart, "I know and I'm sorry, I realized things a little too late," his head hangs low showing his grey hair and stubble. His grey eyes look vulnerable but without any sign of guilt. For any other person, they might just see his posture and think that he's guilty but I've known this man.

"A sorry doesn't fix anything," I mutter before looking away as the headlights of a car blind me, "Just one talk please?" biting my lower lip, I rethink my decision of not talking to my dad ever again.

"Sugar! What the hell are you doing in this freezing wind?!" Zach's voice makes my head snap in his direction as he got out of his car, "Zach," I sigh before rubbing my temple with my shivering fingers.

"Oh, Mr. Miller," Zach slows down his steps as the realization hits him and shifts his gaze to my tearful one. He opens my car and grabs my trench coat before putting it on my shoulders and wraps an arm around my back, "Hello,"

Dad greets Zach and I look up to meet his gaze, "You should go," I say sternly addressing my dad, "But Chloe, please think about it and message me if you both have a change of heart. I'm here for the next four days,"

"I don't think we'll have a change of heart," I mutter to myself while trying to avoid his gaze, "Goodbye Princess,"

"Goodbye," I breathe out as he walked away while Zach held me up from breaking down right there. The second he turns left onto another street, I turn to face Zach and let out the tears I've been holding, "Why didn't you tell me? Blake had to call me and tell me about this,"

Zach whispers while holding me close, "I-I didn't want you to worry," my voice is muffled by my sobs as we stood right under the street light trying to gather my miserable self. I could be so mad at Blake right now but if Zach didn't make it here, I'd been a mess in my car by now.

"It's going to be okay, Chloe," he whispers reassuringly kissing my forehead while lifting my face to look at him. His fingers wipe off the tears on my face, "What about work?" I ask him confused, internally banging my head for being the reason to interrupt his work.

"I need to go back but I'm taking you along," his voice is stern but that's him trying to cover the tiredness, "I can go home you know, I brought my car along anyway and-"

He silences me by capturing my lips with his and with that, I melt in his arms. My hands rest on his chest while I kiss him back, letting him calm my racing heart, "You're coming with me and grab your stuff, we'll leave your car here for today,"

His blue eyes glimmer under the dim streetlight holding my gaze, "Okay," I finally nod, "Come on," he says with a heartwarming smile as he pulls back.

"Did you check on Molly?" I ask him as my heart aches even more at the thought of her, "No, we could check on her, once we're back at the restaurant." The stress is clear on his face as he opens the door of my car and grabs my bag.

Things were falling into place a month ago and now, everything seems to only be drowning us right now. First, finding Molly felt like one of the best things in life, and then we had to let her go. Now, it's my dad suddenly showing up out of nowhere.

~•~•~•

"Where's Blake?" I ask Hailey in confusion as I help Zach, clear out the takeaway boxes, "Back in the room, he's been stressed out since morning,"

"Sugar, you should go and talk to him," Zach nudges my arms with concerned eyes and I nod trying to wrap my mind around my never-ending thoughts, "Go, I'll clean up,"

With another nudge, I sigh and kiss his cheek before walking away towards the guest room. I take deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself down before pushing the door, "Blake?"

"I'm out here," I follow his voice to the sliding doors leading to the small sit out space and the smell if cigar hits me. The wooden floorboards creak under my weight invading the silence while Blake is sitting down against the solid wall with his eyes closed, "Hey,"

Sitting down next to him, I wait patiently for him to reply and my eyes land on the ashtray next to him, "Cigar? Seriously?"

"I know you don't like it but I just needed it for today," his voice is barely a whisper and he wraps his arm around my shoulders before opening his eyes, "I don't like this situation," he cringes making me sigh.

"I don't like it either and I don't think I have it in me to go through a conversation without thinking about how bad things went," gulping, I rest my head on my brother's shoulder, "He called me today, probably right before you met him near the studio,"

Surprisingly, I wasn't that surprised, "And?"

"I agreed to meet him," now my jaw drops at his revelation, "Why would you do that?!"

"Because we're leaving in two days and I can't leave you to deal with him alone. Clearly, if we don't settle this shit, he's going to tail you around like today," he points out and I smack my hand against my forehead, feeling doomed. The cool air hits my bare legs sending a shiver along my body, stupid me for not wearing a sweater.

"This is so fucked up," I groan while my eyes start tearing up for the hundredth time today, "Oh, that's an understatement,"

~•~•~•