Too Scared to Love Again

Lynn stopped the car in front of the house she’d visited so many times before. The brunette grabbed her bag from the driver’s seat, shutting down the radio before she stuffed her keys into the pocket of her jeans and then climbed out of the car.

She crossed the patio that hadn’t been taken care of in a while and then made her way all up to the porch. Her finger soon hit the doorbell, sending a veil of noise through the old house, as she then waited for her beloved father to appear on the other side.

Lynn waited for merely five seconds before her father unlocked the door, a smile spreading across his lips at the sight of his daughter.

“Lynn!” he let out enthusiastically, before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest.

“Dad!” Lynn quipped from inside his embrace. “You’re killing me!” the brunette whined.

“I can’t believe you’re still this tiny!” her father commented, chuckling as he loosened his grip around his child.

“Oh, shut it!” she rolled her eyes at him, and then allowed him to guide her through the entrance and towards the kitchen.

Most of the house had been cleaned for the evening, which her father often did when Lynn announced that she was driving out to visit him. It had been an almost two hours ride, giving him all the time he needed to clean the messy kitchen counter and cook a nice meal for his daughter.

“How are you? It’s been ages!” the old man barged out, as he cracked an alcoholic free beer and then gave one to his daughter.

“It’s been hectic!” Lynn sighed, feeling the cold beverage against her fingers. “School is killing me, and work is… well, work.”

“Hang in there, kid. You’ll be all right.” her dad said, clinging his bottle against hers, as the two of them took one rather large swig each.

“Yeah, I guess. How are you holding the fort, old man?” Lynn wiggled her eyebrows, watching as the almost grey haired man rolled his eyes at his daughter.

“Whip your mouth, young lady!” he grumbled at her. “I’m doing well. I ate dinner with Janine here the other day.” he told her.

“Oh, really?” Lynn pursed her lips into a rather mischievous smirk.

“Don’t give me that look, kiddo!” he warned her with one meaty finger.

“I’m just asking! I know you’ve been hanging out with her!” Lynn rose her hands in defence, just as the man shook his head at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, come on, dad! I know this isn’t the first time you’ve been hanging out with her!”

“How do you know this? Are you stalking me, Lynn Cornelia?” the older man cocked his bushy eyebrows at her, this time looking serious.

“I didn’t have to stalk you, because Janine’s been messaging me!” Lynn told him, just as she dumped a couple of potatoes unto her plate, before serving her father as well.

“She has?” he uttered, sounding genuinely curious, before he grabbed a slice of chicken.

“Yup! Texted me a while ago and asked what was your favourite movie.” Lynn couldn’t resist the wicked grin that curved her lips, meanwhile she stabbed her meat with her fork.

“And you didn’t tell me? Aren’t we supposed to be on the same team?” his eyes widened out, meanwhile Lynn stole a kiss from his cheek.

“What fun would that be? As far as I know, it all went very well! You guys are still seeing each other, right?”

“Don’t think you can play your old dad, kid! I have Cynthia’s number, and I’m very convinced that we can find a suitable prank for you!” her father warned.

“You don’t wanna go there!” Lynn warned him, as she knew how much pleasure Cynthia would get out of a mission like that.

“Honey, where do you think you got your goofiness from? Of course I’d go there!”

“You’re evil!” Lynn uttered, her mouth loaded with food.

“Like father, like daughter.” her father only chuckled, before they toasted once again.

After the dinner, the two of them moved into the tidy living room, along with two mugs of coffee and some chocolate tart that Janine had brought over, as she knew that Lynn was coming over to visit.

“How are the girls?” the old man asked, making himself comfortable in his old armchair.

“They’re all good! Blair has gotten herself a boyfriend, and Cynthia recently lost hers, but is doing very well!” Lynn told him, knowing that she could tell her father practically anything.

“Blair has gotten a boyfriend?” he cocked his eyebrows, as Lynn chuckled at him.

“I know, I know! But they’re all doing very well!”

“That’s good to hear. I miss those girls, you know. You should invite them over soon!” he encouraged her.

Lynn sliced her cake and then stuffed the piece into her mouth, the frosting melting on top of her tongue.

“Of course! They would love to see you again!” she quipped.

“I’m very thankful that you have friends that can drag you down on Earth again.”

“Drag me down? Excuse me, but I’m the most down to Earth person in that flat!” Lynn told her father, sounding genuinely offended by his words.

“Yeah, right!” her father chuckled.

“But I am!” Lynn protested, narrowing her eyes at him.

“I’m only joking, darling!” he said, nudging her side.

“You better!” Lynn told him, waving her fork in front of him.

“Jesus, you really need stop lecturing your old pal!” he chuckled.

“But that’s what I do best! Don’t you, remember?” Lynn nudged him again, a slick smile hanging on her lips.

Her father sniggered at the mentioning of his daughter lecturing him. Lynn had always been a stubborn child, as well as a mature one, just like her mother. The memory of young Lynn lecturing her father about why he should always eat his vegetables brought a smile to his lips, before he looked over at the now grown up woman next to him.

“How could I forget? You’ve always been a stubborn little thing!”

“A proud one too.” Lynn added with a gentle smile.

♠ ♠ ♠

Brian was sitting at his rather large balcony, a half-burnt cigarette resting in the ashtray and his acoustic guitar in his lap. The sound of Pinkly’s choker was brought to his ears, meanwhile he white Maltese kept running close to his beer feet.

The guitarist soon picked up his smoke, and then the cold beer that was placed next to the ashtray. He inhaled a long drag, tapping the end of it, before exhaling the smoke and bringing his drink to his lips.

It was for quiet for a little moment, before Brian dragged his rigid fingertips against the strings, listening to the sound that arrived from the guitar. He leaned back in his seat, allowing his tattooed knuckles to shred it out and work their way on the instrument, genuinely focused just as a pair of strange hands grabbed him by the neck.

“What the fuck!” Brian practically growled, as the guitar fell unto the marvel floor and the man turned around and faced his younger sister.

“McKenna, what the living fuck? You can’t do that to people!” he groaned at the young child, who only grinned back.

“Jimmy told me to do it!” she uttered innocently, just as the dark-haired drummer stepped out to the balcony.

“Gates! There you are, motherfucker!” Jimmy sniggered, patting McKenna’s head.

“What are you guys doing here? And why the hell are you hanging out with my sister?” Brian narrowed his eyes at his friend.

“He picked up after my guitar-lesson!” McKenna told her stepbrother. “Daddy didn’t make it, and mommy is still at work.”

“And you didn’t call me?” Brian cocked his eyebrows at her, watching as McKenna picked up the Maltese that greeted her.

“You didn’t answer your phone!”

“So she called her other brother!” Jimmy grinned. “Her cooler brother!”

Brian cocked his eyebrows at him, looking rather unimpressed at the two of them.

“Does dad know that you’re here?” he asked her.

“Already called him.” McKenna smiled sweetly, nuzzling her nose into Pinkly’s fur.

“Let me drive you.” Brian announced, picking up his guitar from the floor, before he took one last drag from his cigarette.

“Do we have to leave now? I’m starving!” McKenna announced.

“Let’s grab some Mexican!” Jimmy suggested.

“Yes!” McKenna exclaimed happily.

“Okay, but dude! No beer, she’s twelve!” Brian said, sticking his finger into Jimmy’s chest.

“You got it!”