Page 14 of Running from Drac
“And! And? I tell you that the love of my life cheated on me, and all you can say is and?”
“Well, it’s not like you haven’t cheated on her in the past.”
“That’s different!” It’s a lie and we both know it, but it’s the only defense I have right now.
He smirks. “There’s nothing different about it. She only did what you did to her. Stop being a pussy about it and man the fuck up. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth… or in your case, a fuck for a fuck.”
Pushing him away, I shoot up to my feet, the rage building inside of me. “Don’t feed me that Bible thumping bullshit. That little bitch took the first chance she had to cheat on me. I even warned her not to go, and she still went to Vegas! She fucking planned this shit, and now I can never trust her ever again.”
My father shakes his head, slowly rising to his feet as he moves towards me. I think he’s afraid I’m gonna grab the bat again. It’s a valid fear. There aren’t enough dents in my truck, and he’s pissing me the fuck off right now. “If she had it planned, what exactly did she say?”
“She said she woke up in some guy’s bed this morning, and has no memory of what happened the night before.”
“So, maybe nothing happened–”
I cut him off before he can finish his thought. “She woke up naked, Dad. Buck ass, floozy naked.”
Just to placate my feelings, he stifles a laugh. He knows I'm not in the mood for his shit this early in the morning.
“Look, Eddie, what’s done is done. You and Amber have been together since you were seventeen and she was sixteen. You’ve built a solid relationship with each other. Hell, you’re supposed to get married in a few short months. The last thing you need is to fly off the handle over her making a mistake. A mistake you fucking made yourself in the past. If she says she doesn’t remember what happened, I believe her. Vegas is full of degenerates out looking for a fast lay. It’s very possible she was roofied at a bar or club and taken advantage of.”
Fuck, he has a point. A damn good one too.
“I don’t know if I can forgive her for this, Dad. She’s supposed to be mine… only mine.”
“So, don’t forgive her then. Move on to the next girl and be done with her.”
Taking my hat off, I wipe the angry sweat from off my brow, and glare at him. “You know I can’t do that, Dad. I fucking love her.”
“Then do us both a favor and look in the mirror. You know you fucked up when you fucked that girl at that party. Now she’s fucked up too. You’re even in my eyes. Do the girl a favor and give her a pass, or don’t. I don’t care what you do. But if you take another swing at my goddamn truck, I'm going to beat your fucking ass. Capeesh?”
“Capiche. Fuck, Old Man, you really know how to put things into perspective.”
“It’s a gift. Now get your ass inside and sleep this shit off. You smell like a fucking brewery, and the last thing you need is to drive back over to her house with a busted tail light and a cracked head light.”
“Shit, I hate it when you’re right.”
He throws me some keys. “As long as you promise not to drive it until morning, you can take my bike for a joyride. Use it to clear your head. Nothing can make you think clearer than jumping on the back of a bike and fucking riding down the highway away from all your troubles. I know you’ve only ridden it a few times before, but it’s about time you learn how to properly handle one.”
“Are you fucking with me? You have to be. You know I'm not even licensed to ride, Dad.”
He winks at me. “As long as you don’t wreck it or disobey any laws, you’ll be fine. Just don’t be an idiot and get yourself caught. I’ll never hear the end of it if your mother finds out I let you ride Morticia without a license again.”
The man has more faith in me than he should. The only fucking practice I’ve had on the back of a motorcycle is riding his bike around the neighborhood, but even those jaunts didn’t last long.
“I trust you, Eddie. Now you need to trust your girl. She won’t do it again, I guarantee it. I bet she’s crying in her pillow right now and not able to sleep. She doesn’t want to lose you, Eddie. Not again. You two are meant to be something, I feel it in these old frail bones of mine. But you two need to believe in yourselves. Relationships are built with trust. Now that you both have experienced what betrayal feels like, you can work things out healthily. Communication is key.”
“I failed communication in preschool.”
“We all fail at communicating sometime in our lives. You think your mother and I have lasted this long without a fewhiccups here or there? Trust me, Eddie. I'm no saint, but your mother sure as hell is one. She’s forgiven me for things I can’t even forgive myself for.”
“Dad, are you trying to say you’ve cheated on Mom before?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “We all have moments of weakness, Eddie. It’s how you bounce back from them that truly matters.” He starts to walk away, but stops mid-stride.
“Seriously though, don’t fuck up Morticia, okay? I just had her polished, and I don’t pay you enough to fix her if you wreck my ride.” Before I can protest, Dad disappears back into the house, leaving me alone to stew in my thoughts.
How can I trust her after everything that’s happened?
