(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

Chapter Thirty-Seven - Christmas Tree

RILEY

THE LOCK ON my door was removed. 

Dad grounded me, of course, and even confiscated my phone. 

Trainings were interrupted until further notice. Thankfully, it allowed me to catch up on homework and studies which I had neglected far too much. Most of all, sitting in Chemistry next to Adam was painful. His battered and bruised face made my stomach queasy. He had tried to speak to me on several occasions, but I dodged him. 

I was accumulating mad skills at dodging people in the halls. 

I hadn't talked to Luc since Friday, but I intended to. During the rare instances we met at the lockers, he ignored me. There was a cold, unvoiced tension between us like a sponge soaking up the words. I couldn't believe I'd thrown all those insults at him, saying that I wished I'd never met him or that he ruined my life. It wasn't true, not even a fragment of it. I wanted to tell him so bad, but he wouldn't let me come near. Whenever I approached, Luc suddenly veered off to a corner. 

And I'd stand there with my breath clotted in my lungs along with the swallowed apology. 

Seeing as that issue would take more time, I had to work it out with Dad first. Christmas encroached, and I dreaded spending the holidays at war with my childhood hero. 

I'd stopped by the store to buy holiday supplies after school and hid in my room. He returned home around eight.

I went down the stairs hesitantly, scouting the living room with my eyes and finding him leaning over his tablet. His forehead creased as he swiped with his pen over some new project. 

As you would expect from a military soldier, the man noticed me behind the railing, peeping over the not-so-subtle box I was holding. Guilt nibbled at me. I'd turned from an angel to a wild card sneaking out to parties with a boy. He had every right to be mad at me.

I shuffled to the living room and laid the colorful cardboard box at our feet. He eyed the decorations and his face softened.

"Now?"

I avoided his gaze. "If you're not too busy..."

He closed his tablet and took off his reading glasses. Sighing, he folded back his sleeves and rose from the couch. His voice was low-toned, the same one he used when I disappointed him.

"I'll go get the tree. You can unbox it all, in the meantime."

We had a synthetic tree from California. It's not that we disliked real trees, but we preferred a longer-lasting specimen, and synthetics didn't shed. 

I kneeled and got down to business, untangling the lights and bringing out garlands, ornaments and ribbons. I always loved to adorn the tree, be it alone or with my parents. Dad used to lift me on his shoulders and let me drop the star at the top.

He returned with the tree and set it up.

We didn't mess with decoration. We weren't eccentric enough to bury our exterior in lights every year, but our tree could enter competitions with our accumulated stock. I watched every detail, spacing out the bulbs and flowers. Like a spinning top, I circled the tree with the garlands and built my way up while Dad added the lights.

At the end, he handed me the crystal star and a stool. I was too big to be lifted, now.

"Have at it, kiddo."

With a juvenile grin, I planted the star and stepped back, eyeing the shimmering lights and the twinkling, fluorescent bulbs. I stared at Dad.

"I... I'm so very sorry for everything I did," I said. I put the guy through hell. Control or not, I needed to take responsibility. "I lost sight of everything and got wrapped up, but I'll make up for it. I never wanted to cause problems or to scare you. I swear nothing major happened. It was just a lot of things at once and—and—"

I couldn't go further without lying, so I cut myself. Dad stood on the opposite side of the tree and gazed at me, arms folded across his chest. I could tell there was still a tension in him in light of my behavior, and I wished I was able to erase it.

Finally, he turned to me, relaxing. "I need to apologize too, Riles. I didn't know how to talk to you after last week and I was afraid you'd explode again."

I knew what he was about to say and hurt compressed my chest despite my best efforts. I loved him, but I hated him for this.

"I am deeply sorry for never telling you about the adoption. I never thought it was important, because we took care of you as if you were ours. Your mother... she was never able to have children, but in a way, I am so glad. It led us to you, and I swear we fell in love the second you came into our lives. We were smitten." Nostalgia filled his eyes along with something deeper I couldn't name, like he readied himself to lose a person.

"I was with you during your first words and steps. I taught you how to ride a bike and read. I showed you how to surf and watched you grow into the little miss you are today, and I'll always be ready for the next step, kiddo. I'll always be behind you. You have no idea how proud and lucky I am to be your father, and you are mine in so many ways. Nothing else matters."

I shifted my weight, biting my lip. Dad approached me and caught my head between his hands.

"I understand that you're going through things as a teenage girl, and it terrifies me that I can't be over your shoulder and help you out. But it's your life, and you're all grown up. I can't be everywhere all the time even though I wish it were possible. I trust the decisions you'll make because you're my kid."

I was such a baby these days. I hugged him to conceal the tears brimming in my eyes. It sucked that he'd never told me before and it'll take time to get over it, but hearing this calmed a chunk of my worries. I was relieved that we weren't arguing anymore—and really, there was no better parent in the world than him. My breath steadied.

"I love you, Dad."

"To the moon and back, little one." He kissed the top of my head.

Before we both started bawling like in soap operas, we parted with embarrassed smiles. Dad clapped my shoulder gruffly, trying to pretend he hadn't gotten emotional. 

"You up for ordering pizza?"

I nodded and made for the house phone. "All-dressed or pepperoni and cheese?" 

  ➹➹➹  

I. Am. A. Slut. For. Pizza.

There. Said it. I'm racing a little to deliver chapters so I can just get closer to Christmas in their world already, so don't mind me, just rushing XD. Hope you liked this cute father-daughter moment as they finally make up. So they good now 👀 

See ya!