Crossfire (Strangely Comforting #2)

Chapter 5

I grinned to myself, looking away from the sleeping pair and silently congratulated my roommate. Perhaps he had done well and May really liked him.

I was happy for the guy.

Careful not to wake them, I slowly opened my drawers and pulled out a change of clothes before I headed to the bathroom to wash up. As I was brushing my teeth though, my phone lit up and my hand stilled in my mouth.

There was a man in my life who fell short of the title that was automatically given to him at my birth. He hadn't checked up on me in a while and I wondered if he had actually strayed from his old ways. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough faith in the older man and assumed it was another obligatory call to his son. Of course, I hadn't checked up on him either but I felt it wasn't my duty to. If my father did not care enough, I wouldn't force myself into his life.

Despite how badly I wanted to let the phone keep ringing until he hung up, I spit out into the sink and quickly swiped the back of my hand across my mouth and answered the dreadful call.

"Dad," I sighed into the phone.

"Jasper," he replied, his voice raspy as it usually is. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," I answered, packing together my belongings in the bathroom. "Another one of your obligatory check-ups?"

My father breathed out slowly. "No, I'm calling to tell you about my progress."

I headed out of the bathroom with my head ducked down and felt a hard chest bump into my face. I offered a soft apology and remembered that my roommate was still sleeping. I resorted to entering the lounge on my floor instead.

"Okay?" I said. "You're not constantly stumbling over, wasted, are you?"

"No," my father said. "I've gotten better, Jasper. I've been going to therapy to help me cope with your mother's passing and I haven't been resorting to alcohol."

"Good for you," I told him. Though, in the back of my mind, I thought he would go back to his old ways in a second.

"Are you going to come home?" he asked me and I placed a hand against my forehead. I recognized he was making an effort to change and I knew it was for me. My father was the only person I had left in my family and I wasn't ready to push him away.

I needed a father.

"I'll think about it, Dad," I said, glad that this conversation ended better than the previous one.

"Good," he replied. "I'll see you soon."

I ended the call and leaned back in the chair I was sitting in. Maybe I would go back home.

I hadn't seen my father in over a year and I wanted to rekindle our lost bond. We both struggled after my mother passed and yet, neither of us were there for each other.

By the time I got back to my room, both Drey and May had awakened and were packing up their backpacks for class.

I offered a small wave to the girl and introduced myself.

She told me her name was May and I smirked at Drey who grinned back at me.

May was a pretty girl. Her hair was dark and long, down past her shoulders and she was very soft-spoken. I thought she was a sweet girl and was glad Drey had found someone like her.

As the two were leaving, I lightly patted my roommate on the back and he glanced back at me before mouthing, "Thank you."

I saluted my friend and closed the door behind him.

The rest of the day dragged on as I didn't have any of my friends in my classes. The whole day, though, I pondered on whether I should visit my father or not. After a while of zoning out my professors as usual, I came up with a decision.

I'd be returning home.

Once my final class ended, I packed up my belongings and caught a bus back home. It was strangely nostalgic to be back and I rang the doorbell, waiting for my father to answer the door.

He arrived after a few moments and immediately, his eyes began to water. I hadn't told him I'd be coming and he was shocked to see his son again. Seeing my father look so fragile like that made me break down a little as well. A tear escaped his eye before he reached out and pulled me into his chest. My arms slowly wrapped around his back and we stayed like that for a while until I patted him and he released me.

"Good to see you," my father said and wiped his eyes. I swiped my hand across my eyes as well and glanced around the house, looking for any sign of alcohol. There was none.

We took a seat on opposite couches and my father began to question me about school, friends, and other things as if we had never left off on the wrong foot.

It felt good. And I found myself wanting to open up to him. I had been holding a lot of stuff in and I knew it was time for a release. So when the inevitable question arose about relationships and girls, I felt I was ready to finally announce who I really was.

I gulped and looked at my father in the eyes and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous for what I was about to say. I picked at my finger nail in nervous habit and willed myself to speak.

"Dad," I said softly.

"I'm gay."

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Hi, please read Call Me Milo lol