The flashing lights with sirens were always a bad sign. I was getting pulled over, or there was a medical emergency. There was only one other time that I saw those flashing siren lights with my mother. I was suddenly brought to tears which wasn't surprising since I was drunk, but I was reminded of that same pain I experienced not too long ago. I got home, and Marissa laid me on the couch and went next door. She started knocking on his door.
"Lee? Lee, are you there?"
It seemed like the house was completely vacant. Lee either wasn't home or didn't want to answer the door. He'd been either ignoring my texts or had disappeared. I tried to text him and dropped my phone. Marissa picked it up and texted him.
"Lee, this is Marissa. Kylie, well she got drunk, and I was jw can u come to watch her for me?"
But unfortunately, he didn't respond. Marissa looked at me seriously.
"NO," I said because I knew what she was thinking. Not my father.
"Kylie, you have no other choice!"
"I barely know him, I just met him, and what if all the stuff my mom said about him was true!?"
"Will it make you more comfortable if I stay with you?" Marissa said as she was very concerned.
"Yes," I said with slurred speech.
Marissa put me back in her car, and she buckled me up. She put on her seatbelt and drove to my father's apartment. He had moved from the hotel to a more permanent place. She helped me inside the building. She asked me what apartment was his, and I couldn't remember. She checked the mailboxes and found his apartment which had his name on it. She proceeded to knock on the door until my father answered.
"Kylie?"
"Hi, dad," I said while laughing and stumbling into his apartment drunkenly.
"I can't have her alone, and she can't be at my house. My mom would literally kill me. You don't have to worry about watching her though I will. I can stay to watch her and keep her safe."
"Okay? I don't really have a choice. She is my daughter!"
"Yes, just tell Kylie and me to leave if you don't want us here," Marissa said curiously because she couldn't understand his tone.
"No, I want to help her, her mother raised her basically, and I want to help her now because she really needs it," my dad said.
"She really wants me to stay here for the night, so I'm going to do that. Kylie and I can crash on the bed or the floor. It doesn't really matter to me. Kylie is going to remain awake for a while though. So we will talk if that's okay?" Marissa questioned my father.
"I'm not worried," he said smiling and looking at her admiringly.
My father went to the other room and went back to bed. "Try to keep it quiet, gals," he said as he turned off the hallway light. I was kind of rambling and muttering all this information in my mind. It all just kind of spilled out of my mouth. I wondered why Lee had to go. Where was my mother? Why was my father suddenly back in my life? Nothing Marissa could answer. I finally asked for something Marissa could help with. Water. So she got up and got water for me.
"Marissa?"
"Yea, Kylie," she asked.
"Why doesn't Mystery man text me back anymore?"
"Is there something maybe he didn't like?" She questioned.
"I told him I have this horrible disease. He said it wasn't a big deal and told me about his ex-girlfriend. How he loved her and how he was attached to me. How he actually thought Lee still loved me and how I didn't see it because I loved him back and denied everything. In a lot of ways, Lee is very much like Mystery man.
I started getting tired. Mumbling even more, becoming almost incoherent. I don't know how Marissa continued to stay my friend. Always so much drama with me.
"I hope Lee is okay; I really love him, you know?"
"I mean your love is something I will never understand. You guys compliment each other. It's like he's protective of you but in a less overbearing way than your mother." she explained.
"My mom, where is she?" I started to cry.
"Kylie, you're an amazing person, and I have no idea why all these awful things happen to you, but you'll find your way. You always do," she smiled as she patted my back comforting me.
"I want to hear you talk about your life enough about me; maybe it will put me to sleep. My head hurts, and the room is spinning; I have hives all over me so help me sleep please?" I needed to hear anything besides what was inside my head. Anything.
"Well, Marc and I are getting back together," which was the last thing I heard before I completely nodded out of it. I didn't know I wouldn't remember anything that was said.
I woke up the next day and had no idea where I was. However, I had my sidekick, Marissa, next to me, which helped. I had the worst headache. I stood up to use the bathroom, and somebody was already in the bathroom. So, I waited, and then my father came out. So I slowly put the pieces together as my head pounded.
"We are in your apartment?" I looked at my father as I questioned him.
He pulled me into his room,
"Yup. Now that you are sober, I gotta say shame on you. You are supposed to be the responsible one; instead, you almost get caught drunk by the cops. Why do you think I am here? To prevent that stuff from happening. Your mother is an alcoholic! That's probably why she ended up in the hospital, but she didn't want to tell you. She can look straight into your eyes and lie to you. Promise me, Kylie, you will stop drinking and won't have anything to do with drinking anymore. You can go to parties but don't drink Kylie. Alcoholism runs in the family. He pointed his finger at me while lecturing me. I asked the first thing that made sense in desperation to get out of the lecture.
"Can I go to the bathroom now? I really have to pee?" I said while moving around, reminding him how badly I had to pee.
"Oh, oops. Yea sure I forgot you wanted to use the bathroom."
"Thank you," I said with relief. Not sure if I was more relieved to be able to use the bathroom or if I was done with that conversation.
I got back into the living room and texted Mystery man.
"Hey" at 10:00 am
"Hey" at 10:01 am
"Can we hang out today?"
"Yea sure, what do you want to do?"
"I want to go skip rocks."
"Lake Mead?"
"Let me ask my father." Not that it really mattered what he said, but I figured I would give him a chance. At least he was here.
I asked him, and he told me to be careful and hoped I would have fun.
I had to be careful. After all, Lake Mead was water.
"Yes, sure, I will pick you up in 20 minutes."
"Oh wait, not yet. I'm at my dad's."
"Okay that's fine; I'll pick you up there."
"Where is the address?"
I gave him the address.
"It might be a little quicker to pick you up since your dad lives closer to town, so I'll be there in about 15. I have to change and wear my mask to protect my identity."
"Okay, I guess. Although I don't understand why you still need to protect your identity, Kyle."
He knocked on the door. My dad told me to answer once he rang the doorbell. Marissa was getting ready to leave as well. He rang the doorbell, and then my dad opened the door. I itched at the hives creeping up my arm.
"Hi there Kyle; I want to tell you that girl means everything to me, and I know how to use a gun and shovel so watch your step, or you might be digging your grave. I just reconnected with her and haven't been there in the past. However, I am now. Treat my daughter the way she deserves to be treated and don't let her too close to the water."
"I understand that you want to protect your daughter, sir, and I want to do the same thing. I'm trying to show your daughter the things she refuses to believe such as there are reasons she is going through all this, and there's a reason she met you and her mother ran away. It could all work to her advantage." He said.
I had no clue what he meant or how he was putting all the mishaps in my life into any arrangement that made any sense. Or how this could have any advantages for me. It was a constant heartbreak.
"Ok, you crazy kids have fun then," my dad said while smiling.
"Okay, I'll see you later!"
When Kyle and I were on the highway, I put my hands out of the window and felt the heat on my hand, giving me hives. It took only a few minutes, and we were there. I felt the wind on my face and the way the sun trickled on my skin, but I had to be careful because I didn't want to get more hives and then end our trip like that; not fun! I needed fun, not more problems.
Kyle grabbed a rock and skipped it across the water; taking turns was extremely fun. It was like every stone unleashed some anger that I felt. I also especially had fun when I buried him in the sand. My heart may have felt ripped out, but Kyle made it much better. I could be myself and forget all the new life events. I looked at him and smiled. I thought giving Kyle a chance wouldn't be such a bad thing. I was so happy, and it was strange because I felt my heart pound like it did when I was with Lee. It must have been connected or something.
"Hey, Kyle?"
"Yeah?"
"I just really feel connected to you!"
"Really?"
"Yes, I think we should give ourselves a chance."
"But what about Lee?"
"If it's true love and it is meant to be I will be pushed back into his winds" I replied.
Kyle picked me up by my waist and spun me around, creating indents in the sand. Then, we decided to leave our markings in the sand, so we drew a heart and put our initials and prints on them. I took a picture, kept it in my memories, and kissed his cheek. I also took a picture of that and saved it on my phone. I was happy, but I hoped nothing destroyed my happiness this time because I didn't know how much more heartbreak I could take like the impending dread of wondering if that person will be taken away also.