Flame [h.s.]

21| Natalie don't

You know I'm missin' the sunrise behind his eyes
He is thinkin' of you
Oh, no, there she goes
To take away my man
I'm beggin' her not him
Don't, don't, don't do it, no, no
Don't do it, Natalie, don't, don't

Olivia

"Are you alright darling?" My dad presses a kiss on my forehead as he wakes up on this cold dark Saturday morning. November has brought with it the short cold days which I didn't like one bit. But it meant we were getting closer to Christmas, which was the most beautiful time of the year.

I must look like shit today. I haven't been able to sleep for most of the night, not that I wasn't sleepy or tired but after Harry showed up at my house last night, I have been thinking about it constantly unable to sleep.

What was he doing here last night? Why did he show at my doorstep at midnight after we had agreed we should keep our distance? And most importantly why did he leave in such a hurry?

Did I say anything wrong? I was about to give in to the temptation of being close to him after I specifically said we should not be friends. If he came to my house in the middle of the night more than a week after we stopped talking it must mean something, right?

"Yes dad, sorry." I force a smile focusing on spending time with my dad.

Harry and his dramas can wait for now.

I haven't seen my dad in months, until yesterday he decided to surprise me by showing up here at my house. Apparently, Nick, his boyfriend, had to come home for his son's wedding which will happen the next week, so my dad decided to enjoy that time to see the family as well. Since both his offspring live in Bristol, he didn't even bother going back home.

I'm sure the last person he wants to see is mom, maybe that's why he decided to travel full time, just so he doesn't have to bump into her or see her at all.

Well, I would too.

"I thought we could see your bother today, what do you think?" I had prepared breakfast for us, letting my dad sleep in this morning. He spent the last week in Cuba, so he is very jetlagged and probably will be for the next couple of days.

My dad sits down in front of me, pouring some hot black coffee into his mug, topping it up with a splash of milk, just like I also take my coffee. "Sure, he should be home today." I force a smile knowing very well Caleb won't like to have dad show up around his house uninvited.

Caleb needs to chill, so I won't tell him about going there with dad today. He needs to stop choosing mom's side every time, he is such a child.

"I know you, Livy, what's wrong?" Dad places his hand over mine as his gentle eyes soothe my soul. He was always the calm parent in my childhood, never raised his voice once at me, always tried to calm me down, he was the best.

And I missed him deeply.

My apartment is very small, but he is welcome here for as long as he wants. I let him have the bed in my room and I stayed in the comfortable sofa-bed. I'm already planning the next couple of days we have together, we need to go to the seaside, to the cinema to a Chinese restaurant so we can try new things together.

The usual things we do when we are together.

"It's nothing dad, I'm fine." I smile to show him there is nothing wrong with me.

"Was it the boy I heard you talking to last night?" Dad raises an eyebrow at me, as he casually takes a bite on the toast covered with a generous amount of jam.