Page 48 of You're All I Need

“He’s a fucking tool,” I seethe, pulling into the parking lot of Premier and shutting off the ignition.

“Mistakes happen, Son.”

My blood starts to heat up. Typical Dad. Never taking responsibility for his actions and always defending those who don’t deserve it. “Yeah, well, his mistakes make my sister cry, so fuck him.”

Dad sighs. “Anyway, you all right if Mel and I crash at your place?”

And there it is…

My answer should be no. The last time my dad came to town with one of his girlfriends in tow, she ended up trying to sneak into my bed during the night. And while I’m not one for relationships and whatnot, there’s no way in hell I’m sharing a woman with my dad. The confrontation caused them to leave early and an uncomfortable rift between father and son for a short period.

“I’m not sure I’ll be there,” I find myself replying, thinking about Adrienne. I know I invited her back to my place, but there’s no way I’d do that with houseguests.

“Well, then you won’t mind me crashing there. I mean, if you’re not gonna be there, no sense in not letting me use the guest room.”

I take a deep, calming breath, knowing I should tell him no. He can stay with one of his siblings or his mom. It’s not my responsibility to put him up when he’s in town. It’s not like the guy can’t afford a hotel room for the night. But I can’t help but still feel like I’m supposed to help him out when he’s here, which pisses me off.

“I guess,” I mutter.

“Great, I’ll get a key from you at the wedding. Tell me about your date.”

“Who said anything about a date?”

“Well, a man doesn’tnotgo home unless he’s going home with someone else,” he states with a chuckle.

Suddenly, talking to my dad about Adrienne is the last thing I want to do. It’s bad enough she’s going to see the dysfunction of my family in its entirety this Saturday, but sitting around, shooting the shit with him now as he probes into my personal life doesn’t sit right with me. What Adrienne and I have is…personal. Casual, yes, but personal nonetheless, and I’m not going to talk about her with him now.

“I’m at work, Dad. I need to get inside.”

“All right. Well, we’ll catch up on Saturday. Can’t wait to see you, Son.”

“Sounds good. Bye, Dad.”

I hang up and exhale, staring straight ahead at the building. Jack is already there, his truck in the parking spot beside mine, and even though I need to get inside, I think I need to sit and collect my thoughts more.

My parents had a volatile marriage. His constant affairs sparked anger, embarrassment, and everything in between. They fought like crazy, mostly because my dad didn’t seeanything wrong with his behavior, and when it got bad, he’d apologize and move on. But my mom never truly moved forward. She felt stuck, with two kids in high school and a husband who traveled for his job. I’m not sure exactly when the trust was broken, probably well before I realized it, but once it was, we all just tried to make it through the day. When Dad was gone, everything was fine, but the moment he came home, it seemed to spark the embers that laid bare on the ground, waiting.

I remember feeling relief when they announced their divorce. Never in my wildest dreams did I think the breakup of a family would be positive, but it was. Until it wasn’t anymore. Immediately, the fighting got worse. They argued over everything, including who was getting what. I stayed away from home as much as I could, spending as much time on the basketball court as possible. Not just the gym either. I was at the park, shooting hoops until I couldn’t see anymore, and even then I worked on dribbling and footwork.

My dad still travels for his job. He always has a new girlfriend, each one younger than the previous. He seems to be floating through life, happy in his own right, and I suppose that’s a good thing. I don’t want him to be miserable. But we’ve never really had a tight relationship, mostly because he was gone so much when I was a kid, and then I did everything I could to avoid home as a teenager.

Mom seems content. I talk to her every few weeks to catch up. Once my sister and I were out of high school, she moved out of town to get away from the constant rumors and whispering that always seemed to follow her, despite having gone through a divorce. She’s been dating a man with two sons of his own for a little while now, and even though she seems happy, she swears she’ll never get married again.

Maybe that’s where I get it from.

Once you feel the burn of betrayal, you avoid any chance of hurt ever again.

When I look up and find Jack standing in front of the door, a worried look on his face, I climb out of my truck. “Hey,” I greet the moment I step through the door.

“Everything all right?” he asks.

“Yeah. Dad called.”

“Ahh,” he replies, giving me a knowing look.

I set my coffee on my desk and grab today’s clipboard with job info. Jack and I are starting a new home construction install, so the next couple of days will be busy for us, and that’s perfect. Then I don’t have to dwell on the upcoming wedding or my dad coming to town. I can work, keeping my mind and my hands occupied. It’s the best way to get through the next few days, until I see Adrienne again Thursday night and take her to the wedding on Saturday.

Chapter Fourteen

---