River Rat
Lies
Things were awkward after Ethan and I had sex. Not between us. Between my father and I. It always felt like he knew, even though I was absolutely positive that he didn't know. The whole thing was a bit weird, the fact that Ethan lived here and we were together but he didn't live here because we were together.
Then I came to a sudden realization.
I strode through the house quickly, looking in every room but finding no sign of Ethan. I checked out the window and saw his head bobbing in the water in the distance. I held back the urge to laugh. He was determined to learn how to swim, that boy.
I made my way quickly out of the house and to the lake. He saw me coming and got out of the water, drying himself off and smiling at my approaching figure. I stopped about a foot away from him, giving him a look that said 'hey, get ready for the fury'.
"How do you pay to live here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.
"What do you mean?" he replied, but he looked nervous.
"My dad rented out that room to you, right? Where do you get the money? You don't work."
"Oh, um, about that. You see, it's actually kind of funny." I raised my eyebrow as he stopped to smile sheepishly at me. "Well, um, that was the story your dad came up with. He really got me here because he needed someone to help you."
"So you lied to me?"
"Not lied. I just didn't ... tell the truth," he furrowed his brow, trying to think.
"I can't believe you would do that! I trusted you! How did my dad even know you?"
"He found my ad in the paper. I was desperate for a roommate after my break up," he explained, suddenly looking very sad. Even though I felt like a complete ass, I was still incredibly pissed off.
"I can't believe you," I said in finality, whipping around and stomping back to the house.
"Come on, please just hear me out," Ethan tried but I wasn't hearing it.
"Don't talk to me."
~
I'd secluded myself to my room, ignoring both Ethan and my father. The both of them were assholes and I didn't have any wish to talk to either of them. I guess that didn't really matter.
I was sitting on my bed, staring at my wall when my dad came barging in, looking furious.
"Melissa Anne Paul, you need to stop with this right now!" he yelled at me, stomping in front of my view of nothing.
"Hello to you too, dad," I replied sarcastically, refusing to look up at his face.
"Things were going so well!" He continued as if I'd said nothing at all. "You were talking and eating and laughing again and now this!"
"Excuse me for being upset at the fact that you lied to me."
"I lied because I knew you'd make a big deal about it." His voice had lowered and his expression had softened and I suddenly felt like giving him a hug and apologizing. But I had to stand my ground.
"It would've been less difficult if you'd just told me right off the bat," I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.
"I just wanted to see you happy again." I looked up at him again and he suddenly looked about ten years older. He looked tired and sad. The hopeless look on his face made me want to cry.
"Dad?" I asked and he grunted in reply. "Sit with me?" He looked at me and then nodded, sitting carefully on the bed with me.
He sighed and said, "I just wish your mother was still around. She was so much better at this stuff than me."
"Oh, Dad." I put my head on his shoulder and looped my arm through his. "You're doing a great job. I'm just very unappreciative." He patted my hand as I continued, "Ethan is great. He's really helping me. It just hurt to see him lie to me like that. And then never say anything afterwords."
"I understand, honey," he sighed, kissing my forehead.
"I love you daddy," I whispered, clinging on to him like he could disappear at any moment.
"I love you too, Mel."
Then I came to a sudden realization.
I strode through the house quickly, looking in every room but finding no sign of Ethan. I checked out the window and saw his head bobbing in the water in the distance. I held back the urge to laugh. He was determined to learn how to swim, that boy.
I made my way quickly out of the house and to the lake. He saw me coming and got out of the water, drying himself off and smiling at my approaching figure. I stopped about a foot away from him, giving him a look that said 'hey, get ready for the fury'.
"How do you pay to live here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.
"What do you mean?" he replied, but he looked nervous.
"My dad rented out that room to you, right? Where do you get the money? You don't work."
"Oh, um, about that. You see, it's actually kind of funny." I raised my eyebrow as he stopped to smile sheepishly at me. "Well, um, that was the story your dad came up with. He really got me here because he needed someone to help you."
"So you lied to me?"
"Not lied. I just didn't ... tell the truth," he furrowed his brow, trying to think.
"I can't believe you would do that! I trusted you! How did my dad even know you?"
"He found my ad in the paper. I was desperate for a roommate after my break up," he explained, suddenly looking very sad. Even though I felt like a complete ass, I was still incredibly pissed off.
"I can't believe you," I said in finality, whipping around and stomping back to the house.
"Come on, please just hear me out," Ethan tried but I wasn't hearing it.
"Don't talk to me."
~
I'd secluded myself to my room, ignoring both Ethan and my father. The both of them were assholes and I didn't have any wish to talk to either of them. I guess that didn't really matter.
I was sitting on my bed, staring at my wall when my dad came barging in, looking furious.
"Melissa Anne Paul, you need to stop with this right now!" he yelled at me, stomping in front of my view of nothing.
"Hello to you too, dad," I replied sarcastically, refusing to look up at his face.
"Things were going so well!" He continued as if I'd said nothing at all. "You were talking and eating and laughing again and now this!"
"Excuse me for being upset at the fact that you lied to me."
"I lied because I knew you'd make a big deal about it." His voice had lowered and his expression had softened and I suddenly felt like giving him a hug and apologizing. But I had to stand my ground.
"It would've been less difficult if you'd just told me right off the bat," I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.
"I just wanted to see you happy again." I looked up at him again and he suddenly looked about ten years older. He looked tired and sad. The hopeless look on his face made me want to cry.
"Dad?" I asked and he grunted in reply. "Sit with me?" He looked at me and then nodded, sitting carefully on the bed with me.
He sighed and said, "I just wish your mother was still around. She was so much better at this stuff than me."
"Oh, Dad." I put my head on his shoulder and looped my arm through his. "You're doing a great job. I'm just very unappreciative." He patted my hand as I continued, "Ethan is great. He's really helping me. It just hurt to see him lie to me like that. And then never say anything afterwords."
"I understand, honey," he sighed, kissing my forehead.
"I love you daddy," I whispered, clinging on to him like he could disappear at any moment.
"I love you too, Mel."