Page 46 of Faking it with my Off Limits Neighbor

Dad shifts from one foot to the other. “Charlie, you know I love you. It was hard for me, seeing you in so much pain.”

“Right.” I nod, now seething at his ridiculous reasoning. “So you just hurt me more instead.”

“I didn’t mean to,” he whines. “I’ve only ever tried to protect you.”

“When, Dad? Please tell me—when have you ever been there to protect me?”

“That’s the reason the Heaton boy left in the first place.”

I frown, now confused by his words. “What?”

Dad narrows his eyes and stands a little taller. “He didn’t tell you?”

“I have no idea what on Earth you are talking about.”

“Huh. Go figure,” Dad says, now looking like he has the upper hand again. “I’ve been waiting for you to come charging in here to give me a piece of your mind, but the boy doesn’t even have the guts to tell you the truth.”

“What are you talking about?” I yell.

Dad fixes me with a steady gaze. “I told that boy he had two choices. I told him to either clean up his act if he wanted to be with you, or he needed to leave. If he didn’t, we would. I told him we’d move, and he’d never find you. I’d make sure of it.”

My jaw has fallen open, and all I can do now is stare at my father in astonishment.

“The boy didn’t even try. He didn’t fight for you. He just up and left.”

My lungs are empty of air, and I know I should breathe, but I can’t. It’s like I’m paralyzed from head to toe. I can’t even move my hands. I’m just frozen to the spot.

“And now that he’s back,” Dad continues, “he’s picked up right where he left off. He left you here to fend for yourself while he got his freedom. So you see, Charlie. I do care about you. Who’s to say he isn’t going to do the same thing again?”

I can’t listen to this anymore. My heart can’t stand to hear another word. My throat is tightening, and any minute now, I’m going to collapse into a fit of sobbing. I refuse to let my dad see that.

“I’ve got to go,” I croak.

Running from the kitchen, I grab my keys and fly out of the front door. I manage to get the keys into the ignition before the first tears start. I reverse and tear out onto the main road. My throat is in agony trying to hold the emotion back, and suddenly, I can’t hold it in any longer.

Great sobs wrench from my chest, and I wail loudly as I drive back into town. Pretty soon, I can’t see where I’m going; for fear of crashing the car, I skid to a stop by the sidewalk strip. With the engine still running and music playing on the radio, I grab the steering wheel for support and let all the anger, the pain, the grief I’ve been holding on to for all these years pour out of me.

At the same time, my dad’s words echo in my head.

The boy didn’t even try. He didn’t fight for you. He just up and left.

A part of me wants to believe that Dad was lying, but I’ve seen Dad when he lies. I spent my entire childhood with a drunk who lied and made excuse after excuse for his behavior and the way he was.

But he wasn’t lying. And that’s what hurts the most.

All this time, Troy has lied. He told me that he felt there was something calling him. Something he could never find in Cherryville. But that isn’t the truth.

I thought he loved me. I thought he loved me more than anything else in the world. That’s what he always told me. Clearly, that wasn’t true, either. And now, he’s back looking for a second chance.

Well, he can shove that second chance where the sun doesn’t shine.

20

Troy

It’s been two days, and Charlie’s silence is killing me. It doesn’t make any sense, but after numerous calls and heaven knows how many messages, she still won’t speak to me.

What the heck is going on?

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