"It's great seeing you here again, sweetie, and I'm just glad you aren't upset this time," dad said to me. We were in his office and to hear him say that was a bit of a relief since I barely made myself decent. My makeup was light and my hair was slightly wavy, and even though I still felt shitty, I was faking it around my father who was telling me not to long ago I shouldn't be with Anthony, but tells Anthony otherwise.
"Yeah, a lot has happened since I last saw you," I told him. I sat in the chair that was in front of his desk and he sat down in his chair while looking at me with a smile. "I should go to that diner more since it's that good."
"I didn't expect the food to be, but even our waitress was really great. She deserved our tips," dad admitted. I raised my eyebrows and let them down instantly. Yeah, not the right time to bring up Shayne's ex girlfriend when I'm already feeling down about Anthony. "At least then, you weren't upset."
"No, but I was annoyed when you kept telling me how I needed someone like Shayne instead of Anthony," I told him. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Not to mention that I just found out two days ago that you told Anthony that he could propose to me."
"Ronnie..."
"What the hell, dad?" I asked him and sat up in the chair. "You tell me how I need a man like Shayne and not a man like Anthony since Anthony's life is going nowhere, but as you're telling me this, you told Anthony he had your blessing to marry me?"
"That was a few months ago before I knew all this shit was happening between you two," he stated.
"But why didn't you tell me?" I asked him. "You heard all the shit I told you in here about him and Miel, and then during our huge talk at the house and at the diner, you still hadn't brought it up that he would propose to me."
"Why would I tell my daughter that her boyfriend was planning on marrying her?" Dad asked me. I sighed and leaned back into my chair.
"Ex," I corrected. Dad looked at me confused and I just looked at him with hurt in my eyes. "We broke up."
"Sweetie, I'm sorry-"
"It's not your fault," I said to him. "I did something that you did in college and that got me in a lot of trouble."
"Veronica," Dad said to me.
"Lecture me if you will, but I already know I fucked up, dad," I stated. "I got drunk after I left here and I woke up naked in..." I hesitated, but took a deep breath and looked away from him. I couldn't face him when I said it. "Shayne's bed."
"What?" Dad asked me. "This happened after you left here?"
"I went to a bar and only drank a little, but Shayne came to check up on me since everyone at work had no idea where I was and he was able to find me," I admitted. "He just talked to me, related to me, and we just told each other how we felt. I didn't think after that night, something was going to happen between us."
"So when he came over that day to your house-"
"Anthony's house," I corrected.
"Whatever," Dad said. "When me and your mom were there, you and him were..." I nodded my head and dad cleared his throat. "Wow, Veronica."
"Anthony and I were going to work out our relationship, but my feelings for Shayne kept getting in the way of that and I just couldn't stay away from him. Hell, Tristan had to lie to Anthony for me a few times and that made me feel like shit," I said. "To know my best friend had to lie for me so I didn't get caught staying at Shayne's apartment shows how awful I really am and don't deserve happiness."
"No, that just shows that you should've left Anthony a lot sooner," dad pointed out.
"I honestly couldn't, dad," I said. "I wanted too, believe me, but I couldn't find the words to tell him it was over or to even tell him what happened that night with Shayne after we left the bar. Your words kept clouding my mind and I knew it would've been right to tell him, but he just had this fear of losing me and I was just scared of letting go. I was scared that I would lose him as one of my best friends than losing him as my boyfriend and it didn't help that apart of me really hoped that our relationship would work out, but it didn't."
"Obviously," Dad said. He sat himself up and looked at me. "How did Anthony find out?"
"From other people," I replied. "Too many people knew since Shayne and I got careless towards the end and Anthony found out from one of the girls." I chuckled and shook my head. "The same girl who told Anthony about Shayne and I's dance." That thought felt like ancient history to me since it's not as bad and important as what has happened now. I don't think any of us thought that after that dance, we would become something more.
"So let me get this straight; you cheating on Anthony was just gossip at work? This was a serious thing, Veronica," dad told me.
"I know, but you act like I wanted people to know," I stated. "It just happened. Shayne's best friend found out by walking in that morning after the bar and Boze found out by walking by the office."
"But how did she-" I just looked at dad and he put his hand out and shook his head. "Don't explain. I'm just going to think that you two kissed and she saw it."
"Probably better that way," I said to him.
"I would ask if your loser of a best friend knows," dad started off saying. I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders at him with my hands up. "But you probably told him right away."
"I had him pick me up a few blocks away from Shayne's so he wouldn't ask, but I couldn't just keep that a secret from him," I told dad.
"How did Tristan react?" Dad asked.
"Like a big brother," I replied. "But he helped my situation more than he needed too and I only wished he didn't." I sighed and leaned forward on the chair. "I'm not happy with the choices I've made, dad, but the least I can do is take responsibility for it."
"Yeah, almost a month later, Ronnie?" Dad asked me.
"I'm not perfect, okay? I'm sorry that it became more than just a fling. It became love; I fell in love with Shayne, dad," I admitted. "I fell in love with the man you basically approved of when we went to lunch to that day. The same man that you were okay with calling you by your first name."
"But I never imagined him shacking up with my daughter while she was still in a relationship," dad said.
"I initiated it the first time it happened, dad," I told him. "I could've stopped it from happening, but I fell for Shayne way too hard and I didn't want us to stop it."
"Then why didn't you leave, Anthony?" Dad asked me. "If you fell in love with Shayne like you have clearly stated more than once, why couldn't you just end things with Anthony?"
"Because I had so many people in my fucking ear, that's why!" I said as I shot up from the chair and stood in front of his desk. "Too many people knew and kept trying to give me advice on what I should do."
"So you're telling me that you let people control your life and tell you to stay with a guy you were constantly cheating on?" Dad asked me.
"No, I had people telling me to wait until he left Smosh officially because if not, he was going to be depressed losing a job and losing a girlfriend," I replied.
"Seems like you cared a lot about his feelings," Dad sarcastically said. Anger filled throughout my body and I turned away to walk out. "Veronica, stop."
I had my hand towards the door knob and looked up from it as I sighed. "What?"
"I don't want to argue; I just wanna talk," he said to me. I turned and he was finally up from his chair and walking to me. "Look, I'm your father and I am going to lecture a bit since I know you're better than that, but it is your life and I only want you to be happy. Right now, I know you aren't."
"I'm just still coping with all that's happened," I admitted. "I know I'll be happy soon, but right now I'm just dealing with the consequences that I deserved."
"That's why I didn't want to ask you how you're doing after you told me everything," dad stated. I closed my eyes and shook my head, but I felt dad's arm wrap around my back and I couldn't help but to wrap my arms around his waist. I laid my head on his chest and kept holding all the emotions back. I didn't want to cry anymore; I just wanted to get better, but I knew that was going to take some time. "You're gonna get through this, Veronica."
I hoped so because it felt like I wasn't.
Shayne
"How you been, man?" Damien asked me. I had Damien come over since the whole Veronica thing was still fucking me up and I just had to talk to him about what Veronica had said to me. I knew Damien pretty well and I knew he wouldn't be upset for long about it. I just knew he hates being put into situations like that when he really doesn't deserve it.
"I honestly have no idea," I replied with a chuckle. "Seeing Ronnie yesterday in a tank top and sweatpants with her hair up in a bun and her eyes puffy as ever really messed me up." He nodded his head and I sighed. "I'm sorry you got involved the way you did. Veronica feels like shit about it and thinks you hate her."
"Oh god, no," Damien said to me. "No, I know she was upset and she felt like she had to call me out since you called out two of the most important people in her life." Mia and Tristan, fuck. "I can always talk to her."
"I would really appreciate it, Damien," I said to him. I got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen to grab myself a water bottle from the fridge. As I opened the door, Damien followed me into the kitchen and when I grabbed the bottle and shut the door, I turned to see him looking at me. "What?"
"Are you worried about what's going to happen between you two now?" Damien asked me. I twirled the cap off and sat it on the counter while taking a drink of the water. "She might be messed up for a while, Shayne."
I stopped drinking the water and just looked at him. "Yeah, maybe, but I don't want to worry about it. I was before until she told me yesterday that we would figure it out." Damien just looked at me and I sat the water on the counter. "I mean, if we have to wait still-"
"Shayne, what about people at work?" Damien asked me.
"What about them?" I asked him. "I understand what they heard but they don't know what the real truth is."
"That you slept with Veronica six times while she was dating Anthony and since you two were in love, it made it all okay?" Damien asked me. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms while leaning back on the counter.
"Could you state the obvious again, Damien?" I asked.
"I'm just saying, Shayne; she just dealt with one of her worst fears at the party and has to deal with it again tomorrow," Damien stated. "If she is still messed up by tomorrow and people even give her the slightest look of disappointment or anger, she's going to break and that could possibly ruin any chance you both have in the future."
"So what should I do, Damien?" I asked him. "Do I get everyone together once again and tell them to not to make Ronnie feel uncomfortable so I can make sure I date the girl I'm in love with?"
"Of course not," Damien replied. "You need to talk to her about it once you both get back to work. I know she said you guys will figure it out, but that needs to happen now or else what you've both have started could end at any point."
Was he right?