Her Name is Memory

36| the breakdown

Chapter 36

I don't recall coming to this place
but though I'm gone, I can still see

~Nathaniel's Lyric Journal

I woke up alone in my bed this morning.

I shifted my head to see indents across my bedsheets, the only piece of evidence that someone else besides me was in my room that night. I stifled a yawn and reached for my phone that had a few text messages from friends in New York and one from Elise.

Elise: i left in the middle of the night b/c I didnt want my dad to notice that I was gone. you fell asleep on me and you looked so peaceful I didnt want to wake u up. I left thru the backdoor so its not locked. i enjoyed seeing you last night. seeing u always make me happy.

A grin grew on my face.

Me: Same with you

She did not respond much okay throughout the day, until I got another text from her a couple of hours later.

Elise: Just to let you know that I'm okay. I just don't want to use my phone a lot and make him suspicious.

I smiled at her courteous text and responded.

Me: thank you. I appreciate it amor.

For the rest of the day was hanging out with Carlos and playing music. In the evening, Esteban and Alyssa started to text me since I haven't spoken to them much this summer. I haven't been able to speak to both of them recently- a fact that Esteban was not afraid to point out to me along with the fact that I didn't speak to essentially everyone from New York. I filled him in on what was going on with my life, omitting some of the personal details that I wasn't sure if I was ready to talk.

I was in the middle of texting them when I saw Dad enter the house.

"I'm home," Dad finally announced the minute he entered through the door. I peered up from my phone.

"Welcome home," I announced from the living room, watching him take off his shoes.

"Where's Carlos?" Dad asked putting his bag and laptop on the couch nearby. He bit back a yawn, and entered the kitchen.

Then I heard a soda can open, and I watched Dad returned to the living room, finishing most of the soda in a single go.

"In his room talking to friends from home," I responded vaguely. My father's eyebrow arched at the comment, but he didn't ask any further. He sat down on the couch between me and his stuff.

"Oh. We should meet up with him later today," he nodded to himself. I glanced down at my phone, pretending that I was responding to a text rather than acknowledging the painful tension between us. The tension was piercing like glass, pushing further into my mind until I had to shatter it.

"Where were you today, Dad?" I asked conversationally. I Looked at him straight in the eye. My father blinked at my sudden interest in his question before looking straight at me.

"Just working. There was a business meeting that went on for hours, so I came home a little late. Did you eat?" he asked, changing the subject. I deflated at the lie.

"Yeah. I did," I answered duly.

My dad smiled, patting my shoulder affectionately. He got up from the couch slowly, leaving his brief case and laptop unattended on the couch.

"I need to shower from the day, but let's catch up after," he called out to me. I opened my mouth to respond, but he already left the room before I could say anything. After a few moments, I heard a door slammed shut followed by the sound of water running.