Picture Perfect ✔️ [Slowly Editing]

12:"Bye, Dad."(4.08.20)

On the way out to my car, I get a phone call. I pull my phone out of my pocket and read the name.

Dad is calling.

My heart sputters to a stop.

I haven't talked to Dad since before I moved to Texas. Him and I have a...tough... relationship, to say the least. Dad cared more about his job than he did me, and I had gotten fed up. So I moved here, where at least I would have a part of one of my parents around.

Brody looks over and sees the worry etched onto my face. "You gonna answer it?"

I take a shaky breath and press the green button. "Dad?" I ask quietly, looking around the parking lot to make sure no one besides Brody is around.

"Honey! It's so nice to hear your voice! Why don't you call?"

I roll my eyes. "You know why. What do you need?" Brody looks at me curiously. I wave him away. Brody looks away as we continue walking.

"Well, Gracelynn, I have news... I'm getting married on New Year's. And you're a bridesmaid! Isn't that great, sweetie? I'm getting married after ten years!" Dad seemed happy over the phone. And maybe he was happy.

But after not speaking to the parent that never had time for me, and they tell me that they seemingly had time for someone else makes me feel sick. I shiver.

Tears threaten to flow from my eyes and down my cheeks, but I hold them back.

Not with Brody around and definitely not while on the phone with my father.

Brody notices, though, and leads me to my car. "Dad, that's great," I lie.

It wasn't great that my dad was getting married. It wasn't great that I'm a bridesmaid to someone I don't even know. Nothing is great right now.

"Really, honey? You think so?" Dad asks through the phone.

I bite back a sob attempting to tear through my throat. "Yeah," I reply weakly.

"That's fantastic! So you and your boyfriend with be there?" He asked.

My eyes widen. "Boyfriend?" I ask. Brody's head whips toward my direction, his eyes wide.

"Of course someone as gorgeous as you must have a boyfriend! Bring him to the wedding - he should be your plus-one."

My stuck-up rich father automatically assumes that I have a boyfriend. I'm not even sure he remembers what I actually look like. He's probably calling me gorgeous to make himself feel better about calling and telling me he's getting married to a woman I've never even met.

"Right. Of course," I say gingerly. "I'll see you then, Dad."

"Okay. I love you!"

"Bye, Dad." I end the call and stare down at the blank screen of my phone.

"Your dad?" Brody asked, his tone careful.

I nod my head silently as I stare down at the black pavement.

"Why did he call?" Brody asked.

"He's getting married." I reply quietly. I didn't want it to be real. I didn't want it to be true.

"And that's a problem because...?" Brody trails off.

Anger courses through me. Brody doesn't understand. "It's not." I say through clenched teeth, opening my car door and slamming it shut.

On the way home I drive fast. Too many thoughts were in my head. I didn't want to think.

I get home and rush inside to lay down in bed and cry. I cry until my brain is so scattered that I can't even remember why I'm crying anymore. And I choose to keep it that way. I don't want to remember why I was crying, because then I'll end up crying even more. The feeling will come back and I'll spend all that time pushing it away again.
I wanted to avoid it. I wanted to ignore it all.

I got worried texts from the gang, saying that Brody was asking them why I was upset about my dad. I got texts from Brody asking if I was okay.

And then the reason why I was crying came back. It was like salt in a wound, or resplitting it open again and again, just to watch the injury bleed because why not.

I let silence fill the air. I shut off my thoughts and my phone so I could calm down.

Tomorrow I had to be better.

Tomorrow had to be a better day.

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WORD COUNT - 1479

Shorter chapter, I'm sorry:( I rushed this out and decided "yeah, this is good enough". So here it is.

You got the real reason why Gracelynn moved and you got a glimpse of her and her dad's relationship, which is not so good, eh?

Love you all and thank you so so much for 5k!!!

You rock.

XOXO,
Unsinkablexships ❤️