Above & Beyond ✔

17. And That Asshole is Still Your Father

I did it again. When things got too much and my brain refused to work, all I did was run. Where did this take me now? Nowhere.

The news about Dad's affair with Katherine hit me harder than I was prepared for. I'd had this suspicion about the third person coming into the picture but once I learned that it was Dean's mom, my brain couldn't handle it. The idea would never pop up in my mind, not even in my wildest speculation.

Katherine was like my second mother, figuratively speaking, given how much time I spent with the Parker family. I always admired her free spirit and happy nature. She made me laugh at my own stupidity, she could turn my gloomiest day into a bearable one, and she was the Pollyanna in our little family circle.

While my mom was everything about perfection, Katherine was anything but. I always thought I was so lucky to have these two sides of a mother figure. Their personalities complimented each other which supposedly helped me balance my perception of life.

Where did this start to take the wrong turn? Why did she choose to betray us after all these years we'd shared? What had we done wrong?

Dad, Katherine, and her ex-husband, Sam, met in uni and they had become good friends ever since, but I learned about their story mostly from Katherine. She said Dad had always been the reserved and quiet one, while she and Sam had been the wild horses. Katherine made fun of Dad because of how shy and awkward he was during college, and it was hilarious every time my old man's face turned red from the tease. Then came my mom to the rescue, saving my dad from further embarrassment.

I honestly never knew how Katherine and Sam started their relationship. Was it love at first sight? Or did the romantic feeling develop slowly? Did my dad always hang out with them as a third wheel, or did he also date someone at that time? Did he ever have feelings for Katherine during his years in college? My chest tightened just by thinking about it.

Groaning, I turned around and extended my hand to grab my phone just to find out that it was still dead. I groaned again when I remembered that my charger was still in my car somewhere in Bailey's parking lot. Such a brilliant way to start my day.

I propped myself up and scrambled out of bed. While sliding into a clean shirt, I pondered about how to get to Bailey's this early. I could ask Lea to take me there for sure, but she was still in bed at this hour. Maybe I should just walk. It took only forty-five minutes to go there on foot after all.

I was glad I didn't get myself totally trashed last night, or I would be waking up with an unnecessary headache this morning. Well, what happened at the end of the night was somehow sobering me up, in a painful way.

After running from Blake's car, I went straight to my room and took off all my wet clothes before throwing myself onto the bed. I was so drained emotionally that I couldn't feel my anger or sadness anymore. Once I felt my body warming up under my cover, the darkness took over.

I was sure the alcohol had left my system completely now, but his effects didn't. The memory of the way he looked at me, his scents, his touch, and our kiss was still imprinted clearly in my head. Every second being around him had been a battle to keep my mind straight. Gosh, I had no idea I was this hopeless.

I didn't need this right now. I had so much on my plate already that fitting in another complicated drama would earn me a ticket for a mental clinic visit.

Surprisingly, Lea was awake. The girl was sauntering in my direction when I opened the bathroom door. She was still in her sleeping attire, an oversize t-shirt that reached her mid-tight.

"Hey," she croaked, glancing down at my figure. "Where are you going this early?"

"I need to get my car."