Life After Claire

Why

"Dad?" I call out He turns back around and looks at me.

"I love you, I'll see you at the wedding."

I Love you too Shane, you too Cole." He says and walks out of the store.

Nothing is said, I glance at my brother who is trying to study my face.

"You're starting to forgive him..."

I walk out of the store and into my car. I have mix emotions about my Dad and one of them is anger, I don't want to take it out on anyone else. I unlock my car and get in. I'm going to get Claire and just hang out with her today.

I drive home and walk over to Hannah's, she came in this morning and took Claire and my sister. I open the door and walk in.

"Hello? Anyone here?" I call out and head to the kitchen for a pain pill, my head is pounding.

"What are you doing here?" Hannah asks as she wraps her arms around me from behind.

"My dad came to the shop." I say and throw my head back so I can swallow the pills.

"What happened?" She says

"Where are the kids?" I say blowing off her question.

"Sleeping, they were so tired. I took them to the park."

"What about my sister?"

"Napping as well." She giggles and we go and sit on the couch.

She doesn't force me to talk about my dad. I don't know what to say, I want a drink. Hannah gets off the couch and walks into the kitchen and brings two beers back, she extends her arm and hands it to me.

"It's like you read my mind babe." I say and twist off the top and bring my lips to the bottle.

"He wants Cole and I to walk Brittany down the aisle, instead of him. He doesn't think he deserves to. I mean he doesn't but still, doesn't he want to? I think Cole and I should give Britt away. I told him I loved him before he left. I think Cole is right, I am starting to forgive him."

I continue you to ramble on and Hannah is actually listening to what I'm saying, like she's absorbing every word. I've kept everything about my dad for so long; it feels good to let it all out.

" And this wedding thing is already hard enough with the move and Kelsey and Drew's wedding needs to happ-"

"What move?" Hannah interrupts me.

Oh crap.

"Mine, I'm moving so we can have more space."

 "When?" She has a sour look on her face.

"Twenty-second."

"As in like two weeks."

I nod. "It's over on Baker, it's not that far away." She nods and I can tell she isn't mad. Before we can say or do anything there's a knock at the door.

"Who's that?" I ask.

Hannah's eyes go wide,"Um, no one." She says and doesn't get up to get the door, I'm not sure what's going on here. "Do you want me to get it?" I ask. She shakes her head and grabs my arm and pulls me into her bedroom.

"I'll be right back." She tells me and walks out.

I know that 'Curiosity killed the cat' or whatever but, I kinda want to know what or who she's hiding from me. I stand up and walk over to the bedroom door that she closed behind her. I open the door as quietly as I can, it's not hard for me because I use to be the king of sneaking out. I open the door wide enough so I can get past it and I shuffle down the hall without making a sound. I can see some guy at the door and Hannah telling him to go away.