Catching Feelings

Chapter Nine: Living A Lie (Derek)

there's something different about this chapter... ;)

Chapter Nine: Living A Lie (DEREK)

Watching Skylar leave, beautiful, blond hair swinging behind her, was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, but what hurts more that I know I can't go after her.

I exchange a glance with her grandmother, watching sadly as she struggles with what to say, and I take my time before fully switching my hateful gaze towards Skylar's father.

The man that brought this family to so much endless pain, sitting in the chair across from where Skylar was moments ago, watching silently, pretending to be affected by Skylar's words.

He's not here for the best of reasons, and maybe he is affected by what Skylar said to him. It wasn't right, but he needed to hear it. He needed to know that he can't just destroy a family like he did and get away with it.

We all sit in silence as I try not to hate her father. I knew who he was as soon as he walked in the door, one of his reasons for being here was because of Skylar, but there were other reasons too, reasons that didn't include good intentions. I could feel it, yet it threw me off how identical Skylar is to him. With the same body posture, angled jaw, slitted eyes and perfectly composed face, she's all her dad, getting very limited features from her mother, a woman I'll never have the chance to meet, thanks to the man sitting across from me.

He sighs loudly, "I didn't expect her to welcome me with open arms, I came here because I thought it was the right thing to do. I haven't seen her in seventeen years after all; I figured that she needed a father figure in her life."

"Stop," I say, trying to contain my anger and failing, "just stop!"

Everyone turns to look at me, "she needed a father figure when her mother died, and every-day after that when she was growing up, not seventeen years after all her precious moments with him were over. You can't just waltz in here and pretend like everything's okay when you probably didn't even know what she looked like. Did you even know that she has blonde hair, or that her eyes matches the colour of the sky, and that her they've been cold for most of her life because both her parents bailed on her?"

I wait for him to say something and it doesn't surprise me when he doesn't, "what? Did you expect to walk in here, say you were sorry and then have her come barreling into your arms, thanking god that you finally showed up? You were selfish enough to leave her and her mother when they needed you most, just because you wanted a life that didn't include a child; what part of any of that made you think she'd be happy to see you?"

I glare at him "You can't just leave someone's life and then come back whenever it's convenient for you, that's not how it works."

Her father's eyes flash with anger but it vanishes so quickly, I start to question if I saw it in the first place. He looks at Amarie, almost like he's hoping she'll take his side and tries to hide his annoyed glare when she firmly shakes her head.

"I'm sorry, Malum," she says, her voice surprisingly apologetic, "but Derek's right. You left without a question and didn't tell anyone where you were for seventeen years. I watched Lilia struggle with raising her child; she was only Skylar's age when she had her and she didn't know anything about being a parent. Her mind was filled with ideas of a future she knew she could no longer have. But she still raised Skylar, because she is her daughter, and then for some reason one day, her life with her precious, beautiful four year old kid, just wasn't enough for her.  So she left Skylar behind with us and fled town. She didn't get very far before she was killed, that's for sure. And I've watched Skylar for thirteen years struggle to be okay with the fact that both her parents were gone, and they weren't ever going to come back. I did whatever I could to keep her safe and happy, but I'm not her parent. In the end, what Lilia did wasn't right at all but her dying was an accident. She wasn't here with Skylar because she physically couldn't be, but what's your excuse?"