Facing The Past

| Chapter Three |

“You’re here.” My Dads groggy voice had me smiling.

“Hi Dad.”

I squeezed his hand taking a deep sigh of relief that he was awake. It felt good to hear him, it felt amazing that he had woken up. Since yesterday he hadn’t come round at all and I was starting to get worried.

“You look beautiful.” I chuckled at his words.

“You look skinny and sick and a little tired, but I love you.” He laughed at my snarky words.

“I love you too.”

“We are going to get you better and I don’t care what you say, you will do whatever it takes. You promised to walk me down the aisle at my wedding and I’m not even engaged yet, so I need you to stick about.” I smirked as he rolled his eyes.

I looked at his sunken brown eyes promising myself that I would do whatever it took to get him better. He was my Dad; he was my world, and he wasn’t leaving me anytime soon.

“Where’s your Mum?”

“She went home to get a change of clothes; she hasn’t left your side. Typical that the time I tell her to leave is the time you wake up. You always have to be stubborn.” I laughed at his snort.

“You’re just as stubborn as me girl.”

“That I am.” I replied with raised eyebrows because I was and there was no point denying it.

I wanted to ask him why he hadn’t told me about Adrian but now wasn’t the time. I wasn’t going to make him feel guilty, not when he had to focus all his attention on getting better. Lifting his water up I gave him some, he thanked me his eyes closing. He was trying to fight the inevitable sleep he would succumb to, but it would win, he was exhausted.  

“Get some rest old man.”

I sat there in silence smiling down at him. Something in me had settled, maybe the anxiety that was eating at my soul. I had spoken to him and it warmed my heart, he was going to be fine.

My Mum rushed through the door, bags in hand, looking flustered as ever. I had been speaking to her, but it was awkward. I felt betrayed by them both, they should have told me about Adrian but now wasn’t the time to hold a grudge. We were a family and family stuck together.

“How is he?” The bags dropped to the floor in a loud thump as she came over.

“He woke up.” Her eyes widened looking at me then my Dad.

“Did he, I missed it. I can’t believe I missed it.” She sounded so broken.

“It was only for a minute. He asked for you, but he drifted back off. He must just need the rest.”

She stroked his check with her thumb leaning down to kiss him. There was something so sincere about that moment, something special. I could taste their love in the air, and it was precious.

Looking over at the chair in the far corner I frowned at my Dads jacket. An idea took my mind, and I could almost feel the chill of adrenaline running through me.

“I’m going to go drop my stuff off at the house Mum. Will you be ok while I’m gone, do you need anything?"

“No, you go. I’ll keep your Dad company.” I nodded at her even although she didn’t take her eyes off my Dad.

Walking over to my Dads jacket, I slipped my hand in the pocket taking his keys. Looking down at them with a smirk I put them into my pocket.

It didn’t take me long to get to the house, I rushed my things in the door, quickly taking them up to my old room. I could have laughed; it hadn’t changed a bit. The purple walls were dull taking me back to my obsession with the TV show friends. I had painted my room purple to match Monica’s living room. The bedding was pink, the dresser in the corner old and worn, it was my Mums before mine. When she gave me it I cried, at the time I thought it meant I had graduated to adulthood.

Throwing my stuff on the bed I left the house as fast as I entered. I had a plan, one that I couldn’t wait to accomplish.

Adrian wouldn’t get one over on me.

Pulling up at the Garage I looked at the worn sign for longer than was necessary. I had spent so much time here, helping my Dad or just hanging out with him while he worked. It brought back so many memories and they seemed even more important now that he was sick. Life was so unpredictable and sometimes it takes something bad to happen to realise how important the people around you were.

Eventually leaving the car I unlocked the padlock on the shutters. I pulled them up with a sharp tug. The sound in response was like nothing I had ever heard; I gripped my ears.

“Fuck.” I panicked.

The alarm rang like thunder through the sky, it’s high-pitched wail deafening. I ran to the corner to what looked like the alarm controls. It needed a code, surely that would be easy enough.

My birthday, my Mums birthday, their anniversary, the day they met. Nothing, absolutely nothing worked. I’m pretty sure the whole town could hear the alarm by now. Was it getting louder? It surely felt like it.

“f**k, f**k, fuck.” I repeated literally feeling my heart ricochet in my chest.

Phoning my Mum, she didn’t answer, I cursed her silently knowing that it wasn’t her fault. She was looking after my Dad, but I had never needed her more than now.

There was no choice, I just had to make a run for it. Bolting into the back I grabbed a tyre, one that would fit my car. I’d just change it later, I had tools in my boot.

I came out from the back only to stop in my tracks. Taking a shaky breath, I gripped the tyre tighter to me. It was bloody heavy.

“Going somewhere?” His voice was like silk and I hated my body for responding to it.

“Eh, home. I’m going home.” I stepped forward only to frown with what Adrian did next.

He turned shutting the shutters and locking them from the inside. I swallowed thickly as he turned that sexy smirk on his face as he put the key in his back pocket. Suddenly, I was aware of how little space was between us.

“I don’t think so.” He remarked dryly.

The alarm was still going, and I prayed it would stop. Adrian walked over, leaning over my shoulder, his breath dusting my ear. I shuddered at the contact.

I hated that he affected me, but my body craved his touch, it always had. Even with what he had done to me my body didn’t care, she had a mind of her own.

“That’s better.” He whispered pulling back.

I dropped the tyre between us looking up into his clear eyes. The silence would have been welcomed if it weren’t for my embarrassing panting.  What was wrong with me? The man broke my heart, why did he still have this control over me?

“What do you want Adrian?” I whispered.

“You.” I swallowed thickly at his honesty.

“You had me; you lost your chance. I’ve moved on.”

“You want me Sydney.” He tucked a bit of hair behind my ear. “You need me.”

“No, I don’t.” My voice was barely a whisper.

“Then stop me.” He leaned closed and I panicked but that panic didn’t make me move, it held me frozen to the spot as inch by inch he closed the gap between us.