My Best Friend is Back

Chapter 21- Total Disclosure

Chapter 21- Total Disclosure

When I woke, the first sound I was greeted with was the arguing going on downstairs. Someone really had it out for another person and it puzzled me why mom and Martin would be yelling at each other like they were. It reminded me of when my dad still used to live at home and my parents were nearing the end of their marriage.

I knew they hadn’t been in love for a long time before he left, but they rarely ever argued, at least not in front of me. I only ever witnessed them arguing two times before they called it quits. Both times I’d ran over to Aiden’s and stayed until my mom came over and got me, and assured me everything was okay. I hated seeing my parents that way. Though they day he left it still surprised me. I never knew what they had argued over, but it seemed pretty big to my mom. I was too scared to ask any questions about it though; afraid it might send my mom into another one of her crying spells again.

I pushed the blankets off my body and got out of bed before silently creeping over to my door. I opened it slowly so that it wouldn’t creek and tried to listen in on their conversation.

“I thought I made myself clear before,” my mom yelled. “If she wanted to talk to you, she would have called or written you and she didn’t. Get the message, John. She’s still angry at you.”

John? Wait, dad’s here? H-how? W-when?

I quickly ran to my bedside table and unplugged my phone from the charger and glance at it. Two messages and two missed calls and both were from him, my dad.

Message one:

Bailey it’s been a week and I haven’t heard anything back from you. If you don’t call me, I’m coming to see you.

Message two:

Julie and Max are coming to town with me this weekend. Tell your mom expect me in the morning.

Crap. This is what I get for avoiding him. Who knew he’d have just showed up out of nowhere? I snuck back over to the door to listen in on the rest of their conversation and silently prayed he wasn’t there to take me back with him. The last thing I wanted to do was live in Glennville with my dad and his new wife.

“Did you even give her my letters or birthday cards I sent her?” he asked.

Wait, he sent me letters and cards? I never saw anything.

“No,” mom answered back without hesitation. “I didn’t give her any of them. I am protecting her, John. I am protecting her from getting her heart broken again. You left her once you’ll do it again. I won’t let you hurt her.”

“You’re the one who made me leave!” he shouted.

“You had a child with another woman. What did you expect me to do? Say congratulations on having a son and pretend everything was alright?”

I gasped. Mom knew about Julie and Max all this time and didn’t tell me? Why? Why would she do that to me? Why would she keep my letters?

I felt betrayal and disbelief creeping up inside me and it hurt. My own mom had lied to me from the day he left.

“No, but to cut me off from my only daughter is unacceptable! The only reason I stayed away from her as long as I did is because I truly believe she hated me. But you were the one keeping us apart. It wasn’t Bailey’s decision.”

“Keep your voice down or you’ll wake her up,” mom snapped.

“I want to see my daughter. I have a right to explain things to her. She’s only heard one side of the story and that’s yours. Now she deserves to hear mine,” he said with promise in his voice.