Be with Me

Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Ethan's P.O.V

I gaze at my reflection in the mirror, taking in that this was going to be one of the very last times I get to do this. Was it weird to say that I'm going to miss this mirror?

Or this bedroom.

Or my everyday routine.

My friends.

My life here.

My shoulders tighten when I hear a knock on my door, yet I felt relieved as the knock probably spared me from what would have been hours of overthinking.

Hurrying over, I opened the door to see my dad standing in front of me. I was sủprised, to say the least. The last time he knocked on my door was when mom was still alive, which was years ago. And for the first time, he doesn't reek of alcohol and cigarettes.

"So, your flight to London is today?" he asked, still standing outside.

I nodded. "At one."

"You packed everything?"

He sounded like he actually cared, which worries me.

"Yeah, I'm done packing."

"That's good."

A heavy silence fell and we stood there facing each other for what seemed like an eternity.

His voice came out in a hoarse whisper. " I just wanted you to know that I loved your mom. She was my high school sweetheart, my first love, my everything. And when she passed away, everything started to collapse. There was this emptiness in my heart, which I tried to fill with girls, alcohol, and drugs. I know I should have been there for you, but I always feel so heavy, like the weight of the world is on my shoulders and there isn't anything I can do to get out of it."

"You don't have to—"

He continued. "I never got to tell her I loved her one last time. I never got to take a good look at her beautiful face. It all happened so quickly. The only thing I managed to do was hold her cold, dead body close to me, and all I have left of her is fading memories in my mind."

I could hear the pain laced in his voice. "There isn't one day where I don't think about her."

"Dad..."

"You remind me so much of her. Strong and caring. Maybe that's why I pushed you away all these years. Every time I saw you, it would remind me of her," he confessed, a shaky breath flew out of his mouth.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, but I just want you to know that I'm going to change. I'm not going to be that floozy asshole that sits around all day and does nothing. I'm going to get off my ass and get a job. There's a repair shop near here that's looking to hire."

My entire life, I thought he was heartless because I rarely saw him cry. While everyone was crying during the my mom's funeral, he didn't even shed a tear. That was until I saw him break down in his room after the funeral.

And to see him cry in front of me right now, like a child letting his emotions go, I couldn't help but start tearing up.

"Goddammit, I don't cry," he mumbles, "real men don't cry."

I stepped forward and threw my arms around him. After so long without him, it felt so good to hug him like how I used to when I was young. Before I knew it, I was hugging him tightly, my tears dripping from my cheeks and onto his shirt.