As I'm anxiously waiting for Jace to arrive, I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket for the second time. To my surprise it's not Jace, but my dad. He's texting us in the group chat with my sister.
Hey girls, how are you doing? he asks.
I answer him right away. Good, how are you Dad?
The talks with him are usually never really intimate, or long for that matter. We cover the basics, and that's it.
I'm terrible, actually. I've made a huge mistake and I hope you guys won't hate me. My heart starts to race as I have no idea what he's about to say.
What is it? Tell us I text back. My sister sends three questions mark, wanting him so say it too.
I don't know how to says this... I cheated on Julie, and she just found out. I feel terrible and can't take it anymore.
I can't believe the words I'm reading. My dad cheated on my stepmom, and he can't take it? I'm very close to throwing my phone out of my hand. I feel angry, sad, confused, but somehow I'm not surprised. Once a cheater always a cheater, I guess.
Let me explain. When I was six my dad cheated on my mom with Julie. They've been together for fifteen years, and now he broke her heart too.
My dad tells us a few details, and we ask him a few more questions. I can't hold my tongue, I tell him that we're disappointed. He tells us that he can't take the punches from all sides, but what does he expect? That we say "Yay, go Dad! Don't worry, everything's fine?" Because it's not. Nothing's fine. And even though dad cheated with Julie, I feel bad for her. She's been something like a mom to us for fifteen years now too.
Naturally, my dad is mad at us. He says that we don't support him and he tells us that it's obvious that we're on the women's side. I feel even angrier. My family is so messed up.
The tears are starting to pour out of my eyes, just when I hear a knock on the door. I'm so upset, that I start to shake slightly. Jace really doesn't need to see me like this.
If you need someone to talk, we're here. I send Julie the quick text, to let her know we're there for her too.
I wipe the smudged mascara off of my face, as well as the rest of my tears. Waving my hand in front of my eyes, I try to stop crying.
Then, I slowly open the door. Jace looks at me intensely as he comes in, and places a brown paper bag on my bed.
"Why are you crying?" he asks me worried.
Despite my effort, my plan to hide my tears didn't work I guess.
"What? I'm not" I say and look down to the floor.
Jace comes over to me and lifts my chin up, like he always does.
"Don't lie to me" he says sternly.
I don't want to put all of this on him too, my life's already complicated enough. "It's nothing" I try again.
"Mila. Tell me, now" he says. I finally give in and let the tears roll down my face again.
"My dad just texted us, he cheated on my step mom" I say quietly.
Jace looks confused. "Shit. And why does that hurt you so much?" he adds as he sits down on the bed, pulling me down on his lap.
I take a deep breath, so my crying doesn't get too hysterical. "I'm just... disappointed. Julie's my step mom, whom he cheated on my mom with. I know that sucks, but I've known her for fifteen years now too and I feel sorry for her. It makes me so mad that my dad lives up to once a cheater always a cheater. I blame all of the things that happened back then for my problems today, I think it was pretty hard on us as children. And now we're being pulled into it again" I say, full on crying as Jace hugs me tight.
"What do you mean, we?" he asks quietly.
"Me and my bigger sister Ava. She has some issues too, but in a different way" I tell him, remembering that I've never even really told him I have a sister.
"My family's so messed up. I'm messed up. How am I supposed to believe in love and relationships and trust when I have a male role model like that?" I say, wiping my tears away.
Jace is quiet, he doesn't know what to say.
"I'm putting so much on you. I'm sorry for the burden" I say sobbing.
I don't know why I'm falling apart like this, but talking about it intensifies all of my emotions at the moment.
"Stop it, Mila. You're not a burden" Jace says, as he once again makes me look at him.
He leans his forehead against mine.
"I understand what it feels like to be disappointed in a parent. And not every man's like your dad, you don't need him as a role model" he says and his words calm me.
My breathing gets steadier again, and the tears stop rolling. Jace wipes the rest of them away with the sleeves of his grey sweater.
"Thank you. I'm really sorry for always crying" I say.
"Well, it's a good thing I brought ice cream" he says smiling at me.
He grabs the brown paper bag from earlier and pulls out one carton and two spoons.
"I hope you like vanilla?" he asks. I smile back at him.
"I love vanilla" I answer.
Did you tell mom? I read, as I feel my phone vibrate once again.
No, should we just tell her in person? I text back, not sure if it's a good idea.
I'm texting her right now, it's weird not to say anything Ava says back and I put my phone away.
I guess Ava's going to tell mom. I'm curious to know how she'll react. At least she now knows my dad didn't cheat because of her. He has always bragged that Julie was his dream wife. Guess she wasn't after all.
"Do you know why he did it?" Jace asks me, as he opens the carton and signals me to dig in.
"He had some money issues and said that caused problems between him and Julie. I think he's just too ignorant to say he made a mistake and it sucks. He always needs an excuse. Back then he blamed my mom too" I explain him.
"I know what you feel. My mom left us, and I hated her for such a long time" Jace says and I feel empathy for him. „Are you going to keep up the contact?"
"He's my dad, I'll always love him in some way. I know better than anyone that nobody's perfect. So yeah, but maybe not for a little while. I need some time to process" I tell him honestly.
I eat one or two spoons of the ice cream and notice that my appetite's gone.
"Sorry, I'm just not hungry. But thank you for this" I say and lay the spoon down.
Jace happily eats the rest, while looking deep in thought.
"You know, one thing I've learned is that you're not defined by your parents. I know it's mentally hard for you now, but I'm sure that at one point in your life, you're going to feel better, with everything. And I'll help any way I can" Jace says to me, as he lays down the empty carton.
I almost tear up again from his words. They're so sincere and I feel like I don't deserve any of them. I think about his promise for a while.
"I can't make that up to you. There's nothing I can give you back" I tell him, because I genuinely don't know how I ever could.
"Just be you Mila, that's enough" he says and I can't take it anymore.
I throw my arms around his neck and hug him tight. I don't know what he sees in me. I'm a mess, such a big mess. All I do is panic and cry. But he's here, and he makes me feel all of these incredible things.
"Feel better?" Jace asks me, after I stay in his arms for a while.
"Yeah" I say, still very close to him.
"Good. How was your first week in college anyway?" he asks, changing the topic which I'm glad about.
I slightly pull back from him. "It was good. Many first impressions. I'm excited for week two" I say, and actually am.
"Don't worry, it won't stay that way" Jace laughs and I join him.
"What do you study anyway? I've never asked you" I say curiously.
"Economics" he casually says, and I'm a little impressed.
I smile at him. "You know, I think you can usually tell by the appearance of students what their major is. Looking at you, I would've never guessed" I tell him honestly.
"What was your guess then?" he asks me, resulting in me eyeing him up and down again.
"I honestly have no idea" I laugh at him. "But you don't look snobby, like all the other business students usually do" I add.
"Not everyone's so cliché" Jace chuckles at me.
"I know, I know" I agree with him.
Soon after, we decide to lay in bed and simply watch Netflix for a while.
"Are you staying tonight?" I ask Jace.
"If you want me to" he says and looks at me, quickly licking his lips.
"I'd like that" I say and it's not long before we both go close our and sleep in the small single bed.
My clock wakes us at about eight in the morning, after a peaceful night. I notice that not only falling asleep in Jace's arms, but also waking up in them is the best feeling in the world. Jace groans, as the loud sound fills the room.
"From now on we're sleeping at mine, your bed makes my back ache" he mumbles into the pillow, and I laugh a little.
"Do you have classes too?" I ask him, while I get up to grab my things for my shower.
"Yeah" he says and leans up just like me. "Come on, we'll shower at my place and then grab coffee on the way" he adds and I think about it for a second.
An actual shower would be really nice, when I think about the packed shower rooms.
"Do we have time?" I ask him.
Jace checks his phone.
"Yeah, let's go" he says and I happily grab my clothes.
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What happens at Jace's place?
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