Reckless Abandon (Part 1)

Chapter Six

Reign was right, maybe I was a lot more like my dad than I thought.  I felt relief in that thought.

My dad and I made dinner together, making it impossible for my mom to get to me.  We even washed dishes after dinner together which we only did the day he got home from a trip.  Usually he was the one that did the dishes.

"I gotta go do some homework, dad."

"Okay, sweetheart," he smiled as we put the rest of the dishes away.  "I'm going to head to bed then.  It was a long day, the time change was brutal."

I grimaced.  "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't even think of that."

He leaned in and kissed my forehead.  "Don't worry about it, okay?  Your smile was worth it.  I love you."

"I love you too, dad."

I headed up the stairs and into my bedroom, locking the door immediately behind me.  My heart was slamming as the joy slid into fear.  He was going to bed and he was such a hard sleeper.

I called Mr. Reign without thought.

He picked up halfway through the first ring.  "Harlen-"

"I'm okay," I answered, this time truthfully.  I walked over and sat on my bed.  It felt so foreign after sleeping in a hotel room for a month.

I heard him let out a sigh of relief and it made my heart pick up.

"Were you worried?"

"Yes," he answered without pause.

I allowed a small smile.  He was worried about me.  No one had ever been worried about me.  "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me for that one, darling."

Oh man, I loved that he started calling me that.  Every time he said it, my heart soared.  "I feel like I do."

He was quiet for a second and when he spoke again, his voice returned to the calm, low voice I loved.  "Did you talk with your dad?"

I scooted back against my headboard and nodded.  "Yeah.  I talked to him about his job and what he found in England.  His eyes lit up.  I've never noticed it before, but I saw the passion today."

"And what do you think?"

I smiled.  "I'm just like him," I told him, hearing the relief in my own voice.  "A spitting image, if you will."

He chuckled.  "Like I said, when you talk about your passion, a fire lights in your soul and there's no denying it.  I wanted you to see what I saw."

I bit my lip and looked down to my hand, pulling the sleeve over my hand.  "I always feared I'd grow up to be like my mom.  Mean and cruel and heartless, so...thank you, for showing me that i had another option."

"There wasn't really an option, Harlen.  You were always going to grow up to be him.  Your heart is too good to be anything other than...well good."

I smiled, my heart picking up.  "Reign, um..Elijah," I corrected, feeling my heart jump into my throat.  I wanted to tell him how excited I was to go to coffee with him.  How he made me feel like I was really and truly going to be okay.  "I-"  My words were cut off by the sound of a key sliding into my door.

My eyes shot to my door.

"Harlen?  Sorry, I think I lost you for a moment."

Fear filled me.  "They made a key," I whispered, my hands shaking.

"What?"

"They made a key," I repeated, getting up from my bed and backing up towards the window.  "They made a key to my bedroom door."