Sequel: On and On ›
The Good Life
Chapter 13
I don’t know how long I lay on the floor but I realized I couldn’t do this.
I called my uncle crying and told him I was homesick and wanted my dad.
He told me to take off a for the week and go and see him, I thanked him, that’s exactly what I needed, I just wanted my daddy.
I finished blow drying my almost dry hair and bought a plane ticket for later in the afternoon and packed my bags.
I got home and surprised my dad. I didn’t tell him what was going on between Joe and I, I just wanted to hang out with my dad. I knew he knew something was wrong. For once, he didn't ask about Joe, having never met him, he was always brimming over with questions to ask about him. But there were none. He was careful not to joke around to much with me so he wouldn't upset me.
I thought about Joe every second and cried myself to sleep every night, just because he wasn’t there hadn’t talked to him since I left, he hadn’t tried to call, I sent him a text message telling him where I was going and that I loved him, he never sent anything back and that killed me.
My dad was bringing me to the airport and was dropping me off at the doors when he turned to me, “Kayden, whatever is going on with you and that boy of yours, I hope you work it out.” I looked at him stunned, “How?” He let out a small laugh, “I just know, I know you didn’t just show up because you missed dear old dad.” I looked at him, “Hey! Not fair, dad! I did miss you.” He grabbed my hand, “and Joe?” he asked. "Everything that comes out of your mouth usually has his name attached to it, since you've been here i haven't heard you muter his name once. I know something's up with that." I hung my head, “We’re just going through, I don’t know, I screwed it up dad.” I said with tears in my eyes.
He brushed my hair back as I told him the short version of the story. “Well, Kay, do you love him?” I let a small smile curve itself onto my face and nodded my head, “So much, more than you can imagine.” I told him, he looked at me and said, “Then don’t let him get away. If he's as important to you as you say, don't let him go without a fight.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, “You’re right, thanks dad, I love you so much.” He returned my hug, “I love you too Kay. Now get out of here before you miss your flight.”
I got back to L.A. and made my way to my house and pulled in the driveway and saw Joe’s car parked there, my heart jumped a bit and I cautiously walked inside, ‘Why was he here? I thought he wanted nothing to do with me?’ I looked around, everything seemed to be in order I made my way up to my room and heard nothing, it was quiet, I opened the door and there he was, sprawled out on my bed clad with only a pair of basketball shorts, he ;aid on his stomach and faced away from me, I didn’t know if he was awake or not, I was about to make my way to him but his phone rang.
I watched as he picked it up from the nightstand and groggily answer it, “What?” he said into the phone. He paused, “No Kev, I told you, I’m not leaving here.” My heart stopped, “Kevin! I don’t know when she’s coming back, okay…Well tell them they can wait…I don’t know Kevin, I don’t know, I just can’t function when I know we’re fighting like this…I don’t care, I just want to make it okay, I love her, Kev, and she thinks I hate her…i know...I know!...yeah, man...ok...look, I gotta go…ok…bye.” I watched him put his phone back on the nightstand, and push his palms over his eyes, “God, what am I going to do?” he asked himself.
I cleared my throat causing him to look over at me, he looked terrible, it looked like he hadn’t shaved or showered in the whole week I was gone. “Kayden.” I heard him whisper. “You’re wrong you know?” I asked him. He looked at me confused. I made my way to the side of the bed as he stayed in the same spot, tears filled m eyes blurring my vision, I blinked causing a few to fall down my face and I saw the pain etched on is face. “I don’t hate you.” I said looking down at the comforter. “How could you ever think that?” I asked as I met his eyes. He sat up and crawled on his knees until he was in front of me face to face, he picked up one of my hands, “I would hate me after what I said to you.” I shook my head, “No, you were right I was so selfish, I should have never gotten aggravated with you, I know you have to work and I just wanted you all to myself, I just…” He cupped his hand on my cheek, I leaned into his touch as he spoke, “No, you’re right, I should make time for you, you’re a huge part of my life and I shouldn’t have just neglected you like that. I’ve been pathetic without you. I’ve been right here, laying in your bed, the past week, doing nothing, only laying here because it smells like you and that’s all I had to go on.” I looked down and he shook his head, “I haven’t slept or went to work, I just stayed here, kicking myself for what I said to you, I was so out of line.”
“Joe, it was my fault I just got aggravated when I knew you had to leave that morning and you were here for me to take it out on, I’m sorry, I’m so sorr—” He put his finger to my lips, “How about we stop blaming each other and say we were both out of line and we just missed each other, I forgive you.” I looked up at him, “I forgive you, I love you.” He smiled, “I love you too, so much.” I sunk into his arms and we laid on the bed together, just laying there, taking in the other, I soon heard his steady breathing, signaling he was asleep and I followed his lead soon after, finally able to fall asleep without shedding tears. I was home, and I was happy to be in his arms again.
I called my uncle crying and told him I was homesick and wanted my dad.
He told me to take off a for the week and go and see him, I thanked him, that’s exactly what I needed, I just wanted my daddy.
I finished blow drying my almost dry hair and bought a plane ticket for later in the afternoon and packed my bags.
I got home and surprised my dad. I didn’t tell him what was going on between Joe and I, I just wanted to hang out with my dad. I knew he knew something was wrong. For once, he didn't ask about Joe, having never met him, he was always brimming over with questions to ask about him. But there were none. He was careful not to joke around to much with me so he wouldn't upset me.
I thought about Joe every second and cried myself to sleep every night, just because he wasn’t there hadn’t talked to him since I left, he hadn’t tried to call, I sent him a text message telling him where I was going and that I loved him, he never sent anything back and that killed me.
My dad was bringing me to the airport and was dropping me off at the doors when he turned to me, “Kayden, whatever is going on with you and that boy of yours, I hope you work it out.” I looked at him stunned, “How?” He let out a small laugh, “I just know, I know you didn’t just show up because you missed dear old dad.” I looked at him, “Hey! Not fair, dad! I did miss you.” He grabbed my hand, “and Joe?” he asked. "Everything that comes out of your mouth usually has his name attached to it, since you've been here i haven't heard you muter his name once. I know something's up with that." I hung my head, “We’re just going through, I don’t know, I screwed it up dad.” I said with tears in my eyes.
He brushed my hair back as I told him the short version of the story. “Well, Kay, do you love him?” I let a small smile curve itself onto my face and nodded my head, “So much, more than you can imagine.” I told him, he looked at me and said, “Then don’t let him get away. If he's as important to you as you say, don't let him go without a fight.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, “You’re right, thanks dad, I love you so much.” He returned my hug, “I love you too Kay. Now get out of here before you miss your flight.”
I got back to L.A. and made my way to my house and pulled in the driveway and saw Joe’s car parked there, my heart jumped a bit and I cautiously walked inside, ‘Why was he here? I thought he wanted nothing to do with me?’ I looked around, everything seemed to be in order I made my way up to my room and heard nothing, it was quiet, I opened the door and there he was, sprawled out on my bed clad with only a pair of basketball shorts, he ;aid on his stomach and faced away from me, I didn’t know if he was awake or not, I was about to make my way to him but his phone rang.
I watched as he picked it up from the nightstand and groggily answer it, “What?” he said into the phone. He paused, “No Kev, I told you, I’m not leaving here.” My heart stopped, “Kevin! I don’t know when she’s coming back, okay…Well tell them they can wait…I don’t know Kevin, I don’t know, I just can’t function when I know we’re fighting like this…I don’t care, I just want to make it okay, I love her, Kev, and she thinks I hate her…i know...I know!...yeah, man...ok...look, I gotta go…ok…bye.” I watched him put his phone back on the nightstand, and push his palms over his eyes, “God, what am I going to do?” he asked himself.
I cleared my throat causing him to look over at me, he looked terrible, it looked like he hadn’t shaved or showered in the whole week I was gone. “Kayden.” I heard him whisper. “You’re wrong you know?” I asked him. He looked at me confused. I made my way to the side of the bed as he stayed in the same spot, tears filled m eyes blurring my vision, I blinked causing a few to fall down my face and I saw the pain etched on is face. “I don’t hate you.” I said looking down at the comforter. “How could you ever think that?” I asked as I met his eyes. He sat up and crawled on his knees until he was in front of me face to face, he picked up one of my hands, “I would hate me after what I said to you.” I shook my head, “No, you were right I was so selfish, I should have never gotten aggravated with you, I know you have to work and I just wanted you all to myself, I just…” He cupped his hand on my cheek, I leaned into his touch as he spoke, “No, you’re right, I should make time for you, you’re a huge part of my life and I shouldn’t have just neglected you like that. I’ve been pathetic without you. I’ve been right here, laying in your bed, the past week, doing nothing, only laying here because it smells like you and that’s all I had to go on.” I looked down and he shook his head, “I haven’t slept or went to work, I just stayed here, kicking myself for what I said to you, I was so out of line.”
“Joe, it was my fault I just got aggravated when I knew you had to leave that morning and you were here for me to take it out on, I’m sorry, I’m so sorr—” He put his finger to my lips, “How about we stop blaming each other and say we were both out of line and we just missed each other, I forgive you.” I looked up at him, “I forgive you, I love you.” He smiled, “I love you too, so much.” I sunk into his arms and we laid on the bed together, just laying there, taking in the other, I soon heard his steady breathing, signaling he was asleep and I followed his lead soon after, finally able to fall asleep without shedding tears. I was home, and I was happy to be in his arms again.