Chasing the Storm (Chasing the Storm, #1) - PUBLISHED

Chapter Sixteen

“Chase! I’m back! And I brought a friend with me.”

My eyes go big when I hear Daddy say my name. They go even bigger when he says his friend is here, too. I don't like his friends. Not at all. They don’t like me, either. They are mean. Really mean.

I wish Mommy was back. She leaves a lot. She never tells me or Daddy where she goes. I hope she is okay. I miss her. I wonder if she misses me, too.

Daddy sounds happy. Really happy. I’m not happy. Not at all. I’m sad. I feel bad because I wish he would go back to the store. Sometimes, when I am really bad, I wish he would never come back. I am mean. Really mean.

“Aren’t you going to welcome me back, son?”

Uh-oh. He sounds really, really happy. Most of the times he is really, really angry. Is he happy because his friend is here? Are they going to watch those movies again? I don’t like those movies.

“Boy! You get down here right now, or so help me…”

My eyes go big again. I have to go to him now. Last time he said that, I wished I obeyed. Obeying is better... sometimes.

I push the heavy blankets off of me, then run out of my room, down the stairs and into the living room. Daddy looks mad now. I can’t look at his eyes. They are too scary.

“Answer me when I call you so I know you heard me,” he says. He sounds mad, too. He looks like he is trying to be calm.

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry.”

“You know what, Chase?” he asks. I take one step back. “Don’t worry about a thing. Your spoilsport of a mother’s not here, so why don’t we have some fun? You and me, kid. Just us.” I look around. We are alone. Where is his friend? “You silly little boy. I wasn’t talking about a human ‘friend’. I was talking about something much more reliable. I thought I’d introduce you to the taste of true love since your mother’s not here to stop me. A real pain in the neck, she is. I’m only trying to help. You’ll thank me when you’re older, married and have a child of your own.”

“But… Mommy–”

“‘Mommy’ isn’t going to find out because you’re not going to say anything.” He bends down and looks at me closer. I cough. He smells like smoke. I cough again. “Got me?” His voice is quiet and scary. I cover my nose with my arm and nod. Daddy gives me a mean look. “You got a problem?” I shake my head and move my arm. I cough one more time, then try to hold my breath. “Good. I thought not. Now, come to the table. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, and… Chase.”

I turn around slowly. I am too scared to listen right away. I wish Mommy was here. She knows how to make me not scared. I love her a lot, and I know she loves me… even if she leaves a lot. I wonder if Daddy loves me. Maybe his Daddy was mean, too. Maybe mine tries to love me. He says I make it hard. Very hard. I wish…

He brings his face close to mine again, too close to mine. I bring my head back. Then he opens his mouth and breathes in my face. He knows I don’t like it when he smokes. I cough, and cough, and cough. He laughs, pats my back hard, and then goes into the kitchen.

I pull a chair away from the table so I can sit. Then I wait. Daddy finally comes back with a cup in his hand. It looks full. He puts the cup down on the table in front of me.