Page 93 of Back To You

After today, I can officially say that I hate my father.

I don’t know what would have made me hate him more, himnotcoming to Bennett’s funeral or him coming and leaving during Jack’s eulogy for a phone call and not coming back until Caleb was finishing up his closing one.

Not to mention giving me nothing but three seconds of eye contact the whole time we’ve been here.

Was I naive to think that this would be a family reunion where my father tearfully shared his regrets about his relationship with his late son? No.

But I at least thought he’d give enough of a fuck to be present during his fucking burial.

Maybe it’s the anger I have at the fact Bennett is gone and my father hasn’t expressed any interest in him sincedropping out of law school—even when he fuckingdied—or maybe it’s the pure rage I have about Bennett being gone in the first place.

Either way, when my father saunters over to join the small pockets of friends, family, and the crew from the fire station—his grayish, blonde hair styled neatly, his eyes free of any emotion, his suit pressed and proper, looking like he’s going to some work event rather than his son’s funeral—he has no time to prepare for when my fist meets his jaw.

“What the fuck is your problem?!” I yell to my dad, feeling two sets of arms—presumably Eddie and Emmett—grab me from behind.

My dad was knocked a few steps back, but didn’t fall to the ground. His lip is bleeding as he cups his jaw with his hand, and he’s staring at me, his face tightened with anger, but he doesn’t say a word.

I can’t ignore the satisfaction of seeing the blood drip onto his perfect suit.

“You don’t even have the decency to decline a goddamn phone call at your son’s funeral?” I shout, everyone’s eyes on us.

My mom rushes up to my dad, putting on a show for everyone here, as if she cares if he’s bleeding or not. We all know she won’t bother to show that fake concern to me.

She couldn’t even shed a tear when one of her sons was being lowered into the fucking ground—her black dress is a stark contrast to her bleach blonde hair, her overall appearance looking way too put together to convince anyone she’s a grieving mother.

“Bennett deserved so much better than you! Both of you!” I scream at them, ripping my arms from Eddie and Emmett’s grip, walking up to the both of them until I’monly a foot away. Even though I’m inches taller than them, they still look down on me, their faces filled with contempt.

A moment passes and neither of them say a word, they stare at me as if I’m not even worth the words, waiting for my outburst to be over.

I point my finger at them. “How dare you come here and act like you gave a shit about him. You couldn’t evenpretendto care about him long enough to make it look real!” I spit, and my face feels warm and wet, despite the cold November air. I point towards the parking lot, feeling a familiar presence come up to my side, her arms wrapping around my arm at my side. “Leave,” I seethe to the both of them, “you don’t deserve to be here.”

I have to clench my fists as my dad’s eyes move from mine to Annie’s beside me, and neither he nor my mother makes a move to leave.

My father looks at Annie as if it’s her job to deal with me, “Looks like mysonhere,” he says the word “son” as if there should be air quotes around the word, “needs someone to remind him that this day is not about him.” Annie’s grip on my arm tightens, stopping me from throwing another punch.

“You heard Luke,” she says to my dad, her voice as cold as ice. I turn to look at her, her cheeks pink from the cold air, making her red lips look even redder. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Emmett and Eddie step up behind us—mostly behind Annie—Drew and Mia at their sides. “It’s time for you two to leave.”

I watch as my dad’s eyes slightly widen, something about Annie’s words or her expression—or the two very big men standing behind her—have him taken aback. My mom looks up at my dad, confused why he isn’t saying anything, and then looks back at Annie. I watch as thewheels in her head turn, ready to say something to her, most likely for taking my side, but I chime in before she can.

“I’d be very careful with what you’re about to say,Mom.” My turn to use the air quotes. Even if she’s the biological parent out of the two, she’s no better than her husband.

“Let’s go,” my dad says to my mom, his eyes meeting mine one more time before he turns and heads to the parking lot, my mom a few steps behind him.

I exhale a breath I didn’t even know I was holding, wincing when I run my hand through my hair as I turn to Annie. My hand will have a slight bruise to it tomorrow, but I don’t care.

“If you didn’t do it, I would’ve,” Annie says, the heels she’s wearing makes it easy for her to lean up and press a kiss to my lips.

“Her punch would’ve hurt too,” Mia says from behind her, “because I’m the one who taught her.”

I laugh for the first time in days, and it feels good. So good that I can’t stop. I laugh and laugh until Annie and our friends join in, until my stomach cramps, until there are tears running from my eyes, until I wish Bennett was next to me laughing too.

It fades, and I don’t think anything was that funny to begin with. “I can’t believe he’s gone,” I say, the tears coming down a little harder.

“Me either,” a voice from behind me says, and I turn around to find Caleb walking up to me, Jack at his side. Both their eyes glistening, sad smiles on their faces. Caleb claps a hand on my shoulder. “I also can’t believe you just punched Dad in the face.”

I offer him a small smile, shrugging my shoulders.

“He had it coming,” Jack adds, knowing all too well how my dad treated Bennett.

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