Chapter Twelve

Not much else was said between us that day. Daniel did come back a few days later, though.

            "Can you just tell me the truth?" I asked. He was still in the middle of coming through my window.

            "About…?" He replied. He sat laid down on my bed next to me. I hadn't been this close to him in a while. Suddenly, every emotion I thought had gone away came right back again.

            "Why did you really always spend time here? Why did you really stop talking to me? What really goes on when you're not with me?" I was surprised I put all my questions together into only three. I had thought this conversation would go on for hours, but it would probably only last two minutes.

            "My mom was sick. You knew that already. Well, I went through a lot with her while she was sick. I went to chemotherapy with her, went to her doctors appointments with her and stuff like that. She was sick for two years before she died.

            "My dad wasn't the most faithful person out there. I mean, he loved her more than anything, but when he found out about the cancer, he avoided it as best as he could.

            "My mom started going out of town for better treatment. She couldn't stand the thought of dying. I couldn't go with her because she didn't want me missing school. Every time she left, my dad would bring s***s home from work. Seeing him with other women wasn't exactly how I wanted to spend my days.

            "My dad also started working a lot so he could always have his mind on something else. He would throw work parties at our house and always be doing business calls when he was home.

            "When I saw you, you were my escape. I could hide out here all the time and no one would care. My mom wouldn't notice because she'd be gone and my dad wouldn't notice because he'd be preoccupied. Everything worked out."

            "Was I really just an escape? Someone who could get you away from what you didn't want to face? Danny, you didn't want me. You wanted my house," I said.

            Everything was crashing down on me all at once and it was too much. It had been a while since I last cried. Months.

            "That's only how it was at first. But then I met you and you were amazing. You understood every word I ever said. I never had to explain myself to you."

            "So what are you saying?"

            This could be my escape. No more worries about falling in love, or having a friend, or having an enemy. I would never have to be unhappy again. His face made me smile, thinking of him gave me butterflies…this could be my happy ending.

Reviews

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Finally, explanations about his mother. You stated that the father "loved her more than anything". I can see the father maybe dating, when he knew his wife was dying, trying to find comfort, but bringing home s***s and the partying?