тσ кιѕѕ α ωιт¢н || FAYE CHAMBERLAIN

16. Lucky

''You're lying. My dad is dead-''
''If Cassandra's father is alive, don't you at least think that there is a possibility that yours could be as well?''
All smiles had disappeared from his face, and if anything he just seemed to be frowning deeply now.

''No.''

''Why?''

''Because that's impossible.'' A little light for an answer and he seemed to think so too because a new grin appeared on his face.

''Deep down you know it's true.''

''You need to leave-''
''Look at me,'' he started, and leaned closer to my face, once again without crossing the threshold. ''I am no shape shifter,''
Was I so easy to read?

''How do I know that for sure?''

''Well, maybe because they don't exist, for one,'' he was straight up laughing at me now, ''and because of this,'' he retracted and fished something in his inside pocket, handing it over to me.
I hesitated before taking it, but he sent me a pointed look and I did, trying as much as I could to avoid touching his hand.
Instead, I looked down at my own, eager to break the staring contest between us and directed my eyes to the paper.
It was a picture.

The background looked a lot like the docks, only less old and rotten than it was today and there wasn't the new ferry they'd added a few years ago.
In the focus of the picture, two people and a baby, all smiling at the camera.
Mom, Dad and me.

☾

''Sorry I'm late, again.'' I said as I barged into the Java Brew and to my friends' table.

''Oh no, that's alright. Cassie was just telling us about her dad.''

I nodded to Diana and took a seat next to Faye as she pushed her jacket off it.
My encounter with the man that I now believed was my dad was still fresh in my mind.

''D, can I talk to you- actually. I think I'll need to talk to all of you.'' I said at the collective circle and looked at everyone of them, especially Cassie.

''Is everything alright?''

''No, no it's really not.'' I hadn't taken off my jacket yet, but didn't mind as I braced myself for what I was going to tell them.

''What could be worse than Little Miss Perfect's dad being back?'' Faye asked, not even looking at me as she shook her head and buried half her face in her coffee mug.

''Maybe my dad being back.'' I said nonchalantly, staring pointedly at the table in front of me until I heard the collective choke.

''What?''

''Andrew?''

''How?''

''Where did you see him?''

I chose to answer Diana's question instead of the gasps and focused on joining my hands so they wouldn't tremble.
''He came to my house yesterday. I know what you're going to say but I checked. There is little to no chance that he isn't my father.''

''How are you so sure?''

''He had a picture of the three of us-''
''That's not proof, Ivy.'' Diana tried to reason with me but since I'd had the same reaction yesterday, I was forced to announce that yes, it was.