Page 25 of Forgettable in Every Way

Simon knelt next to me. “What can I do?”

“Don’t leave,” I found myself saying. I didn’t want to be alone. I was always so alone.

Simon wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “I’m here, love.”

For now.

Jules

“HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP?” Calista handed me a hot cup full of steaming coffee. Hints of hazelnut creamer tickled my nose.

I gratefully took the cup, my eyes never leaving my dad, who lay sleeping in a hospital bed. Whatever the nurse had given him for the pain had knocked him out. The sterile scent of hospital disinfectant lingered in the air as the soft beeping of monitors checking his blood pressure and heartbeat provided a steady rhythm in the background. They were all sights and sounds I had hoped not to revisit so soon. The doctors weren’t sure why Dad had lost consciousness earlier in the day. But he had a nasty bruise on his hollowing face. It was like he was fading away right before my eyes.

“I’m doing okay. His doctor is running tests to see why he lost consciousness. They’re not sure if it’s another stroke, or if he took the wrong dosage of his medication. When he came to, his speech didn’t seem any worse to me. But they want to monitor him overnight, just in case.”

Calista took the seat next to me and patted my bare knee. “I’ll see if I can sneak a peek at his results while I’m on shift tonight.”

“Thank you.” I took a sip of the coffee, needing the caffeine buzz. “How are you?”

“Let’s not worry about anyone but you right now. For starters, why isn’t your mom here?”

I squeezed the hot cup tighter. “She dropped by after they admitted him, but she didn’t stay long. She said she just can’t deal with this right now.”

“So she’s making you deal with it, along with packing up their house?” Calista seethed.

“I’m a doormat,” I conceded, a crack in my voice. That realization hit me like a freight train.

Calista put her arm around me. “No, you’re not. You just want your parents to see you. But ... maybe ... you need to go about it a different way.”

I leaned my head on her shoulder. “You’re right.” It was hitting me how messed up my life was. For a long time, I’d convinced myself that being professionally successful and mostly sane equated to happiness. But I wasn’t happy. I was alone and, quite honestly, miserable. “But I can’t leave my dad like this. I have a feeling my parents’ marriage isn’t what I thought it was. Something’s not right.”

“I’m going to sound like a major hypocrite saying this, seeing as I feel the need to fix everyone’s lives, even if it means taking down criminals and puppy mills. But it’s not your job to fix your parents’ relationship. See, hypocrite,” she quietly laughed.

“What do I do, then?” I pleaded to know.

“What do you want to do?”

Sadly, I hadn’t thought about that in a long time. I was always too busy trying to please people in hopes they would see me. It hadn’t worked out so well. “I’m not sure. Maybe go on some adventures, save a green lady in the water, or talk to some animals.” I smiled, thinking of Jack, who thought I was this amazing princess. I wished he were right.

Calista leaned her head on mine. “I think you should. Speaking of which, I thought you never wanted to see Simon again, so how come he was at your house today?”

I hadn’t had a chance to completely fill her in since his appearance yesterday evening. I’d only briefly talked to her by phone in the ER once it appeared my dad was stable. “That was my mom’s doing. And since then, I’ve seen him mostly naked in an ad campaign, sung with him, made him his favorite cake, gazed into his eyes more than once, and listened to enough lines from one of his audiobooks to know exactly why you attacked Tristan.” I giggled.

She fanned herself. “Oh, baby.”

“But then I told him today I didn’t want to see him again and broke his son’s little heart. Then my dad’s episode happened, and I begged Simon to stay. So, I’m completely confused, and I feel like a monster for hurting Jack.”

Calista’s head popped up. “Wow. You’ve had quite the day.”

I lifted my head off her shoulder and sighed. “You could say that.”

“Let’s start with him being half-naked and the singing, and we’ll go from there.” She wagged her brows.

I groaned, so embarrassed. “First, Simon has my mom totally besotted, and she fangirled all over his website. Which she sucked me into against my will. The singing was just Simon being ridiculous because I was doing my best to ignore him and, for some reason, that seems to bother him, even though he’s ignored me for twelve years. Now suddenly he wants to be best friends again. That’s another thing. He uses the word friend or mate every other word, making sure I know my place in his life.” I took a deep breath and let it out.

Calista pressed her lips together.

“What?” I whined.

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