Con world

Part 10

Everyone of the guys is now standing next to the balcony. Oh no. Here comes the talk about how I should forgive my father.
"Kat?" Hale says after a while of us awkwardly staring at each other.
"Yeah?" I say connecting eyes with him.
"We, us guys need to talk to you about something." He says. I nod trying to to say that I already know.
"We think you should forgive your dad." He says. Ok when I heard them talking about it I really didn't think it would affect me as much as it does conning from Hales mouth.
"Why?" I ask.
"Because he's your father." Hale says.

"And he has also lost the right to be called father. He left me for a year. A whole year to go mess around with a girl half his age while my mom just died. I'm not forgiving him. He doesn't deserve it." I say crossing my arms.
"I know he betrayed you in the worst way. And I know it hurts-" he starts.
"No Hale you don't. You think you do but you don't. Yes your parents died in that con as well as my mother. But put yourself in my life. You just find out your mother dies. Your only other parents comforts you while your best friend does so as well. Then when you wake up your dad is gone. Gone Hale. You don't know what the heck he is doing. Then 2 months later. 2 whole months of you thinking he was dead you get a call and he explains how he was messing around with a stripper. Then he doesn't contact you. For another 10 months and finally after a year he just shows up at your doorstep asking if you would forgive him. And what hurts the most it that your best friends are trying to get you to forgive him after all he has done. I bet none of you even knew the whole story did you. Except Hale." I ask. They all look stunned at the truth.
"Exactly. Hale you saw how much my dad crushed me when I woke up and he wasn't there. You saw everything. Now you are defending him?" I ask.
"Yes. Kat I am because despite all of the messed up things he has done he is still your father. I don't know if I would forgive him but I know you need to. Kat you don't want to not have parents. It sucks. So don't push the one relative you have away. You will regret it." He says. His words spiking my anger.
"I know how it feels. I know how it feels to live without parents. Because we both have lived the same amount of time with out them. Yes he is still alive. But he also doesn't care about me. Why would he leave?" I challenge him. My eyes daring him to respond.
"At least you have a chance to have a family. One with your parents. I won't ever have that chance. My dad won't get to see me marry. My mom won't get the grandchildren she always wanted. But you have that chance don't let it slip through your fingers." He says.
"Hale I never had it in my fingers. He pulled away. I never pushed. Don't you ever think about how my mom would react if she saw me. I wonder about it every minute. What if? Your not the only one without any parents. I lost both of my parents in that con. I lost just as much." I yell at him.
"No! no you didn't. You lost less. If it wasn't for you mom and her controlling behavior I bet my parents would still-" TJ clamps his hand over Hales mouth. I try to lunge for Hale. To cause him as much be-trail and hate as I just felt. But Nick and Chip hold me back. I struggle against them. Hales eyes are filled with regret when he notices what he has done.
"Let go of me!" I shout. Everyone is silent. Like they are weighing there options. Should they talk or not?
"Hale. Get. Out." I say taking deep breaths. He reaches for my face and I flinch almost afraid he'll hurt me.
"You think I would slap you?" he asks disbelief laced in his voice. I just look away. Nick and Chip and Jake stay while TJ and Simon go with Hale. I stare out onto the ocean.
"He didn't mean it." Jake says.
"I just need some time to think." I avoid the topic.
"You don't have long. The con is less then 24 hours away." Chip says. I nod. I still need time. I need time to process what Hale just said. Is it true? Did my mom really cause her own death as well as Hales parents? Does he know more about the con than I do? What do I do now? Do I get angry? Honestly I feel numb. No emotion has made itself present. I turn and walk to the bathroom. I grab yoga pants and a tank top and change. Then I head to the gym. I don't feel like hitting anything so I go to the running track. It just circles the whole ship. One lap=a mile. So I run. I end up running 5 laps before slowing down to a fast walk. Sweat drips down my back and my face. I stop after ten laps. My mind still racing with questions but not as bad. I head inside and take a shower. The cold water cools me off quickly but I keep it cold because the warm water would keep me in. I quickly put on the clothes from earlier.
I make my way to the café because it's lunch time. I grab a plate and fill it I with pizza. This is one of the times when I eat. Just before a con.
I sit a a table. The guys aren't here yet so I just eat. It has been over 3 years since I have eaten alone. Too long. I hear a noise from behind me. I whip around and pull out my gun. Only to face Jake. He has an astonished face.
"Sorry you snuck up on me." I say putting the gun down.
"You really are an assassin?" he asks.
"Yeah. Just not something I would put on a résumé." I say halfheartedly. He breaks a smile before his eyes dart the door. I turn back around and Hale is glaring at Jake. I roll my eyes and dump my trash into the bin. I see Simon walk in.
"Simon, when is the meeting today?" I ask.
"Don't know ask Hale." He says. I know he's lying.
"Jake, Nick you know?" They shake their heads and I glair.
"What about you TJ?" I ask. He shakes his head also. Something tells me Hale told them not to talk to me. To point them to him. I know this because TJ never just shakes his head. He always says something. This is starting to get on my nerves.
"Chip?" I ask hopefully. He shakes his head. I bet you can see the smoke coming from my ears as I get more and more annoyed. I turn to Hale who is staring at me quite intently.
"Will somebody please tell me where and when the meeting is? Somebody who isn't Hale?" I ask. Nobody in the kitchen or my group answers. I huff in annoyance. Then I leave. I can see the shocked looks on their faces. I never. And I mean never back down from my way until one I either can't do anything or two I'm already beaten. In this case I am neither. I could have easily of gotten it out of Jake or Nick. I make it to the training area and wait. Nobody comes for me. Nothing. Until 3:30. TJ appears in the doorway. Leaning against it.
"You know he didn't me for it to sound that way?" He says. I nod. He directs me to the middle of the ship. Then blind folds me. Spins me 10 times and then be guides me. I can't tell which way we are going. I hate not knowing where we are going. We go thirty paces forward which could be any way. Then 10 paces to the left. Which again any direction. Oh their good. When he stops me it's been 10 minutes of walking. He unfolds me and I see we are in my room. A slide show is playing. Music starts. The lights dim.

Your hand fits in mine
Like it's made just for me
But bear this in mind
It was meant to be
And I'm joining up the dots with the freckles on your cheeks
And it all makes sense to me

A picture of Hale and I holding hands as kids shows up.

I know you've never loved
The crinkles by your eyes
When you smile
You've never loved
Your stomach or your thighs,
The dimples in your back at the bottom of your spine
But I'll love them endlessly

No there are some pictures of me in my goth stage.

I won't let these little things slip out of my mouth
But if I do
It's you
Oh, it's you they add up to
I'm in love with you
And all these little things

The pictures keep coming. Everyone of them are all of the pictures we ever took. He didn't leave out one.

You can't go to bed without a cup of tea
And maybe that's the reason that you talk in your sleep
And all those conversations are the secrets that I keep
Though it makes no sense to me

I know you've never loved
The sound of your voice on tape
You never want
To know how much you weigh
You still have to squeeze into your jeans
But you're perfect to me

I won't let these little things slip out of my mouth
But if it's true
It's you,
It's you they add up to
I'm in love with you
And all these little things

You'll never love yourself half as much as I love you
And you'll never treat yourself right, darling, but I want you to.
If I let you know I'm here for you
Maybe you'll love yourself like I love you, oh.

And I've just let these little things slip out of my mouth
'Cause it's you,
Oh, it's you,
It's you they add up to
And I'm in love with you
And all these little things

I won't let these little things slip out of my mouth
But if it's true
It's you,
It's you they add up to
I'm in love with you
And all your little things

And then the last picture is one that will break me down. Me, my mom, my dad, Hale, and his parents. My parents behind me. Him in front of his. Us standing side by side. Our moms holding hands while holding their husbands in the other. That was 5 days before the con. 10 before my mom died. 375 days ago. Tears form in my eyes. I don't cry in front of TJ. But I can't help it. I run to Hale and sob into his shirt. What he said he can never take back. But right then as I stand with him hiding me. I know I love him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him.