Our luggage was being offloaded and transferred directly onto the bus. While everyone was distracted, I tucked myself into a corner of the private terminal and called him back.
“Cara, why didn’t you answer my calls?” Dad demanded to know by way of greeting.
“I was on the plane, Dad.”
“Oh, sorry,” he said, not sounding the slightest bit apologetic. “Look, I need you to talk to your mother for me. You have to make her see sense—”
“Dad—”
“She’s refusing to even talk to me about anything and that’s not fair—”
“Dad,” I said louder, my voice sharper, but he just continued rambling without even stopping to take a breath.
“I don’t want to lose her. She went out last night and didn’t get home until after midnight. She was on a date—I’m sure of it. We’re supposed to be together. I waited for her to come back, but she wouldn’t even listen to me when I tried to speak to her. Talk to her, please.”
He finally ran out of steam, and I paused a moment, waiting to see whether he would start up again.
“When was the last time you slept with Danielle, Dad?”
“That doesn’t matter. This is about your mum. She went out on a date.”
I laughed, but it held no humour. “You’re missing the point, Dad. Itdoesmatter. How can you ask Mum to give you a chance when you’re still cheating on her?” Mum was living in the guest house on their property, so he could see when she was home simply by looking out the window, but it was still creepy that he was keeping tabs on her.
“Fine—last night. But it was because your mother wasn’t home. I went to the guest house, and she wasn’t there. I was upset and called Danielle. She came over to comfort me, then next minute, it just happened.”
“You don’t just accidentally sleep with someone, Dad,” I bit out. My blood was boiling. He was up in arms because Mum had come out with me. But he’d gone and slept with Danielle while he was waiting for her to get back. Talk about bed hopping. Had he even showered before he was trying to get back with Mum? If I had any respect left for him, he’d lost it in that moment.
“You don’t understand—”
“No, you’re right, I don’t,” I snapped back. “You’re weak, and you’re so busy blaming everyone else for your failures that you don’t even see you’re the one at fault here. You took your vows to Mum and spat on them. You’re assuming that she went out on a date, and you’re upset because of it. But you won’t prove to her that you can change or that you’re even willing to be faithful again. You’re hurting Mum, and you’re hurting me. Every time you call me, it’s about a problemyoucaused that you wantmeto fix. You’ve asked me to lie for you and cover up your cheating for you. Now you’re asking me to do it again. I won’t do your dirty work, Dad. Until you can understand and respect that, I don’t want to hear from you.”
There was a silence so profound on the other end of the line that I could have heard a pin drop. I pulled the phone away and checked that it was still connected.
“I’m just a man, Cara.”
“Are you kidding me?” I exploded, much louder than I should have been. “You’re blaming your appendage for lying and cheating?” I shook my head and ground my teeth, huffing as I bit back the curses I wanted to let fly. I didn’t do that—I didn’t swear or scream. He was bringing out a side of me that I despised.
My head was suddenly heavy, the throbbing in my temples feeling like I’d taken a baseball bat to the face. I rubbed my eyes, wishing away the headache.
“No,” he said quietly. “Just that I’m human. I wish that I was a better person too. I’m not infallible. I’m not even worthy of your respect anymore.”
“I’m glad we agree on that.” My voice cracked, and I hated myself for not being strong enough. I didn’t want to cry. I wanted to rage.
“I’m sorry.”
His words may have sounded sincere to someone who didn’t know him, but I could hear the lie behind them. “Don’t apologize to me, Dad. I’m not interested in empty words. You’ve hurt Mum over and over, and I won’t forgive you for that. You need to stop doing it. Until then, I need a break from the mess you got yourself into. Please don’t call me again.”
I hung up and squeezed my phone hard enough to break it. My eyes stung, and I closed them tightly, but tears tracked down my face anyway. I sucked in a shuddery breath and faced the prospect of not speaking with my dad again. I loved him, I really did, but I hated him too.
I rested my forehead on the wall, hiding from everyone. I wanted to curl up inside a blanket fort and shut out the world. With ice cream.
Screw cheaters. They sucked.
I dashed away my tears, frustrated at myself that he’d managed to upset me again, and straightened my shoulders. This was my trip, the chance of a lifetime. I’d already had an unforgettable experience, and I wanted more of it. I wanted to have fun. If I got more time with Monroe and Alec, that was great. But if not, I had another hockey game to watch.
“You okay?” Monroe asked quietly from behind me, startling me.
I exhaled heavily and as I turned around, I put on a smile that I didn’t entirely feel, but I knew I would soon enough. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”
