The Dare, Book 1

Chapter 14

Reid

I traversed up and down my room, my fingers running through my unkempt, wild hair.

I was anxious, terrified, and on edge, I couldn't recall a time I was so scared. My stomach churned, making me feel nauseous, and my heart rate was elevated.

I was telling Payton, I was explaining everything about the stupid dare, Vic's plans, everything.

Vic was getting suspicious, that was obvious. I had to tell her before he took it into his own hands, he was losing trust in me, he wasn't buying what I'd told him as much now. I had no choice, but I was afraid.

I was frightened because I dreaded that once she knew, she'd hate me. She'd never believe when I told her everything besides that was the truth. But I realized I couldn't keep her in the dark, and I had to be a man and own up for what I'd done. Even if she hated me after, she deserved my honesty, and I had to fess up.

"Reid...we can hear you pacing downstairs, what's going on?" My dad opened my bedroom door. Unlike my mom, he never heard the term knock first.

"I'm fine."

"Bullshit, what's going on, Reid? Why do you look like you're about to have a nervous breakdown?"

My dad stood there in the doorway with his burly arms enveloped across his thick chest. "Cos I think I'm going too."

"Spill it son, what's going on?"

"I fucked up, dad. I fucked up real bad." My voice was weak, coarse, and strained.

My dad sighed and shook his head from side to side softly, "What did you do?"

"I-I lied to Payton. I'm telling her later...she's never going to forgive me." The back of my throat burned, the feeling of a golf ball lodged there as water threatened to spill from my eyes.

"Oh, boy..." My dad shut the door behind him and motioned for me to sit, but I couldn't sit, nerves racked me too much. "What did you lie to her about?"

"You're going to hate me..."

"Reid, me, nor your mother could ever hate you. You're our son, as mad, angry, or disappointed as parents can get, we can't hate you."

I took a deep breath, trying to fill my lungs with as much oxygen, and I began to tell my dad everything. The bullying in middle school, how I fell into Vic's circle in high school. The things I did right up to that first day of college when Payton stumbled into my life.

"It was a dare, a stupid fucking dare, I agreed to it. I knew what Vic was capable of, and I was too afraid to say no to him. Dad, you have no idea how fucking twisted he is."

"Oh, Reid." My dad sighed sadly, smearing his face with his hands.

"See, you hate me."

"No, I don't hate you, son." He took a deep breath. "I hate myself. I hate that I got so wrapped up with my things, that I missed my son was so troubled. So angry at the world, he ended up with a nasty crowd, doing those things to make himself feel better. I should've seen, and I should've been there. I should have done my job as a father, but I didn't."

"Dad, it's not your fault, please," I begged. I didn't want him to feel guilty for the choices I'd made. They were mine, not his.

"It is, you were, are just a kid. Although you're almost nineteen, you're still so young. I swore the day you were born, and I'd protect you, I'd father you and guide you. I'd help you make the right decisions, and I failed you. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most, son." My dad moved and wrapped his arms around me.