It All Started With a Diary

answers

My eyes flickered to him. God, he truly had no idea. Him just being here, listening and accepting me for what I am...that was more than enough. To him, he was trying, but to me, he was perfect. So I told him that.

"You're doing perfect, Kade," I whispered, pulling my face into his chest.

His chest bounced with a chuckle. "That's all you, love. All you."

***

"Are you sure you aren't hungry?" Kade asked. "I can—"

I shook my head, my lips pulling into a smile. "I'm fine, I swear." I couldn't eat; my mind wouldn't allow it.

It'd been three days now since I left my dads. I didn't know when I'd return, but I knew I'd have to eventually. Both my father and Ryland had called so many times, I had to turn my phone off. I was sure the school called about my absences, so that would only add to the turmoil I'd face when I got home. But, I didn't care about school.

I knew that no matter what I said, my dad was already bound by what he thought was right. I couldn't understand why Ryland's mother decided to squirm her way into our lives after four years. Why now? In my mind, it was far too late to fix the damage she created when she left my father behind with their own child.

Sometimes, I did blame myself for my father's misery. Technically, it was my fault. It had been my very existence that fucked his relationship up with his wife. I knew that it was my dad's fault for sleeping with my mother even after their divorce, but I still knew that he hadn't cheated on Ryland's mom. They weren't together during the first three years of Ryland's life other than paper, so that didn't officially tie my father down, and that sure as hell didn't stop him from sleeping with my mother again.

Some days, I truly did wish that my father had stayed away. That he hadn't touched my mother, so that he could have been happy, even if that meant me not existing. It wasn't like any of my brothers were his, and that meant he was free of my mom, until he came back and created me.

I didn't know Ryland's mother for long, but I did know of her attitude toward me. I still remembered the first day we met, one of glares and honeyed down hurtful words. She labeled me as a bastard, cursed my very existence, and soon left because of it. I didn't see anymore of her ever again, which I didn't mind.

I didn't want to see her again either. Not only was she an absolutely terrible mother for abandoning her child, but she was also a horrid reminder of what I truly was: a bastard and a mistake.

"Kimberly?"

I was yanked out of my thoughts at the sound of my name. I looked up to see Kade weighing me down with a curious look.

I blinked. "I-I'm sorry, what did you say?" I asked.

I could tell he wanted me to elaborate but chose not to. His fingers tucked a strand of hair behind my ear then lingered on my jaw, stroking. "How about you live with me?" he asked.

I tilted my head to look at him sideways. I didn't know if he were being serious, or kidding with me. I decided on the second one.

I chuckled. "Nice one, Kade."

He frowned as if he were actually being serious. "I'm not kidding."

I raised my eyes to his face again. With a hard expression, and furrowed eyebrows, I knew that he was completely serious with the offer.