Sunflower, Vol. 6

kids in the kitchen, listen to dancehall

Sunflower, Vol. 6

Chapter Nine: Kids in the Kitchen, Listen to Dancehall

[Three Months Later]

"Neil? I didn't know you knew Andrew!" Renee said, kindly greeting Andrew before turning back to Neil. "Unless you guys are just now meeting? I'm a bit flustered, I apologize."

"Oh, I, uh-"

"Renee, this is the dad I was telling you about."

Renee's eyes widened before she forced her expression back to one of neutrality, "Oh?"

Neil felt there was more underlying their conversation but he said nothing to interrupt them. He may have known Renee, but he knew her wife much better. And obviously Andrew knew Renee more than he knew Allison. Neil broke away from them and went to find Allison.

He did a double take when he saw Andrew standing next to exy legend Kevin Day. He would have noticed if Andrew had passed by him. And since when did Andrew know Kevin Day?

Neil decided he had to be seeing things. He looked down at his drink, swirling it around slowly. Andrew had gotten it for him, so it must have been safe. He felt his head to make sure he wasn't running a fever. He looked back to where Kevin Day and Andrew stood, expecting them to have disappeared, but what he saw was much worse than he could have imagined.

Andrew was too busy sucking Kevin's face off to notice Neil walking up behind him. Neil felt cold anger rise in him, and he did the one thing he swore he would never do, because it was too much like his father: he hit him. "You goddamn bastard! I let you come into my life and be around my daughter and this is what you fucking do? And with Kevin motherfucking Day? You told me you hated exy!"

"Excuse me? Fuck you!"

"What the fuck do you mean? I was the one who just caught you cheating on me!"

Andrew opened his mouth to respond but Neil was gone. He found his way to the bathroom, hugging his knees to his chest. He should have just stayed with Paisley. His phone pinged with the tone he set for Andrew. Neil buried his head into his knees, hoping that it would make everything go away. Neil's phone starting ringing then, and he swiped the call away, letting it go to voicemail. His phone rang once more before pinging with a notification that he had a new voicemail from Andrew. Neil didn't want to hear it. There was no way to make it any better. Neil had seen everything; more so, he saw everything he needed. His stomach couldn't take any more, but his brain kept going. What all had they done? Was it because he had a kid? Was Kevin Day that much better than him?

Neil let a sob escape him, and he crumbled even further into the ground. This wasn't what Neil Josten was supposed to look like. Neil Josten was a badass survivor who never got hurt. He didn't show pain.

Someone knocked on the door that Neil was leaning against. "Occupied," he croaked, cringing at how weak he sounded. It was all Andrew's fault.

Andrew, Andrew, Andrew.

Andrew was all that could make Neil feel better, but he was the only one who could make him feel like this.

"I guess you met Aaron," came the muffled voice through the door.

"Fuck off. I don't want to talk to you right now."

"Neil..." Andrew took a breath, "Sweetheart, that wasn't me. I know that doesn't help. But if you just come out, I can show you. Please?"

There was a loud silence as Andrew waited, hand against the bathroom door. The lock clicked and there was a shuffle as Neil opened the door to peek out and see Andrew. As soon as he saw him, it was like he collapsed. Against his better judgement, Neil let himself fall into Andrew's arms. "I thought," Neil sniffled. "I thought you left me."