Let The Sky Fall (Synyster Gates Series: Book 3)

Papa Gates Of Hell

Brian's POV 

"Please leave, dad." I begged my father, covering my eyes with the wet towel that once cooled down my forehead. 

When you're drunk or slightly hung over, my dad is the last person you want taking care of you. He will make your life a living hell. 

He chuckled, sitting on the couch adjacent to the one I was currently dying on. "Sorry! No can do. I got a free day and I don't feel like going back to Corona. You should be thankful I'm here. I even brought you some coffee and donuts." 

My stomach turned at the word 'donuts'. I wasn't hungry and after emptying my stomach of all types of food and liquids, I didn't think I'd ever be hungry again. "You eat them then. I'm not hungry and I don't want coffee. I just want to sleep." 

"Well too bad, you have a daughter to take care of." 

I sat up, "You said you were going to take care of Sophia! That's not fair." 

"And it's obviously fair that you left your wife alone with a five month old in the middle of the night while you indulged yourself in bottles of beer and shots of Everclear." He attacked my actions from the previous night, sarcasm pouring from his words. "Here," He poured the brown liquid into the glass on the coffee table. "Drink up." 

"Dad, just leave me alone. I know I fucked up, okay? I apologized. Things are better now between us. I get you're trying to get me to understand that what I did was selfish, immature and utterly stupid, but right now, I don't care. I just want to sleep." I threw myself back on the couch, closing my eyes, praying he'd disappear. 

"And Jackie wanted to sleep last night too, but she didn't! All because of you-- All because you wanted to have fun wi-" 

"With alcohol. I get it. Stop bitching over it. Don't you have McKenna or Brent to go annoy?  Maybe call my grandma and piss her off? Or maybe go to fucking work? You do have a job." 

He smacked his lips together-- The pop made me want to kill him. I just found it irritating. "I already told you, it's a day off for me. Plus, when Matt told me about your horrible night, I made it a point to come. Now, let's put on some gym clothes so we could head down to the gym to have a father-son talk about how you're a married-" 

"Man with a child." I finished it off for him again, opening my eyes to the sight of his face hovering above. I flinched, "Jesus Christ. Fuck off, right now please. We'll go later. I know what my duties are as a father and husband. Like I said, I already apologized." 

"Ah, but I don't think you understand." He stepped out of sight. 

I sighed, "What's there to understand? I know I fucked up! It won't happen again. I'm going to try to stop drinking so carelessly." 

My dad returned with Sophia in his arms, making me feel even more guilty for what I had done. Her attention was set on the elephant she was chewing on, but it was enough to make me hate myself for leaving her. 

"You see this? This is your daughter. Sophia Elowen Haner. She is your responsibility. I don't give a sh...t if you were mad because Jackie found your stash of hidden beer. You don't leave your family like that. What if something would've happened? What if you would've never seen her again?" 

"Don't say that! It's like you want something bad to happen..."

He shook his head, placing Soph on my chest. She quickly raised her chest and head, finding the elephant in her hands and smacking it against my face.

"I do want something to shake you up so you can know what the fuck you did was wrong. You can't be out getting drunk while you have a daughter and a wife at home. The least you could've done was tell Jackie your whereabouts. Instead, you didn't call her and you didn't call me. You just left." 

"Well it's not like Jackie cared. She didn't bother to call." I picked Sophia off my chest and forced myself up. The room began to spin and my eyes became fish-lens for a mere ten seconds. It was pretty frightening. And what made things worse was the liquid sloshing in my stomach. 

"Maybe because she didn't want to deal with your bullshit. Brian, just grow up. You can't drink like that anymore. Matt shouldn't have been responsible for you and Jackie shouldn't be baby'ing your ass. The only person that your wife should ever baby is that baby in your arms."  My dad pointed to Sophia who was starting to become a bit restless. 

I hung my head, placing a kiss on the top of her head. She smelled like a baby; youthful. "I know..." 

"Good. I hope you shape up... Cause Sophie and her mommy need a man who can keep them satisfied." My dad sung in the style of Grease's You're The One That I Want. He took Sophia from my arms and hugged her. As if on cue, she started to cry after my dad placed a small kiss on her cheek. 

"Even she doesn't like you visiting while I'm hung over." I sarcastically said, leaning against the back board of the couch. 

"You know, she's crying because she probably heard you complaining and it annoyed her so much that her only way to express her hate towards you was to cry." My dad laughed, joking at the wrong moment. "Starting young. Gotta get that hate out at a young age, huh Soph? Yes, we do. Put your daddy through hell like he puts me through hell. Cry, my darling, cry." 

And that she did. She paid effortless attention to my dad and cried the loudest I'd ever heard her crying. 

"This is the part where I hand her to you," He handed her back to me, "And you change her or feed her." 

Just then, this unpleasant wave of nausea came over me. "Dad, do you mind taking her? I don't feel so good. Shit."

He shook his head, raising the Styrofoam cup of coffee to his lips, "Nope. Mmm. You need to taste this. Excellent coffee. Shoots out of me like a bullet being fired from a gun." 

"Stop." I covered my mouth as my gag-reflex was about to be set off. "Take her." I mumbled. 

"No!" 

Fortunately, a second later, the feeling of nausea crept away, making it easier to relax. Picking up the coffee my dad had bought me from the table, I took a sip. To my surprise, it wasn't that bad. I actually liked it. "You're a fucking dick. I hate you right now. Go... To the beach and have someone beg you for autographs or some shit." I turned Sophia around, who continued to whimper. She looked straight into my eyes, almost asking for food or a change of diaper. 

"How about I warm up some water and mix some fucking mustard in there, make you drink it and then I waste twenty minutes until you throw up? That sounds like more fun." 

Suddenly, the feeling came back and this time, I didn't hesitant to personally hand Sophia to my dad. I didn't care if he'd fight me over her, I just needed to get her away from me in case I accidentally vomited. I paced back and fourth between the couch and coffee table, hoping the nausea would go away. 

Sophia continued to cry, each second louder. 

My dad chuckled, "Look. If you tap her lips, she cries louder. Stop pacing!" He stood up and came to my side, "Watch." My dad tapped her lips with his finger and the screeches and cries of my poor tortured daughter began to get louder. Her cries were so loud that the pain actually caused my gag-reflex to be set off. 

"What the hell is going on? Why does she keep crying?" Jackie appeared on the steps, her face full of worry. 

"Brian made her cry." My dad nonchalantly said. 

Jackie took her from his arms, "Fucking Brian."

I felt the vomit rise to my throat and with out hesitating, I took off running upstairs. I didn't care what my dad was saying, or what Jacks was saying. I needed to get out of there before I made a mess in the living room.

I hate hang overs.