Repair Me (Kin #1)(33)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“I am very confused. I thought you went to the beach.”

“I did. Ford took me, since my car was being worked on. He’s around my age and had friends there. When he dropped me off, Mack was there and they had an altercation. I’ll spare you the details, but I ended up leaving with Ford. We spent the next day together and it was amazing. He made me feel like no other guy ever has…”

My dad threw up his hands. “I really don’t want details. I know you’re an adult, but there are some things a dad doesn’t want to hear.”

“Dad, it wasn’t just the sex. I felt like he understood what I was going through. His sister died in a car crash last year. He’s so broken over it. I could see the pain in his eyes from the beginning.”

My father sat down his cup of tea and leaned in again. “So where is this Ford guy?”

I looked down at my cup. “He left. His ex-girlfriend showed up and I don’t even know what happened after that.”

“Jesus, I am more confused than you are. I have to ask. Are you more upset about your break-up with Mack, or this new guy Ford?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I felt like Ford made the pain go away. Being with him made me realize that I wasn’t happy with Mack. As much as I want that perfect relationship, Mack isn’t the guy for me. I have to believe that, somewhere out there, I can find happiness with a guy who gets me. Mack was only in the relationship for himself. He claims to love me and want a future, but I couldn’t even will myself to want that as I was leaving campus. I felt like I was trying to do the right thing and hold on to what we had, but my heart was elsewhere.”

“It was with this Ford guy?”

“Yeah, I guess it was.” I wiped my face and sat there quietly for a second. “Dad, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t stop thinking about Ford. As much as I wanted to continue seeing him, I know I can’t. When I went back to pick up my car, his ex was at his place. I think they’re back together. I have to admit that after two days, I felt jealous. Honestly, I could see Mack with someone right now and not give a crap, but seeing Ford’s ex open his door crushed me.”

“I think you need to purchase a chastity belt and shun all men for a while. Right now, I feel like I need to grab my shotgun and stand at the door to protect you.”

I fought back the tears. “I’d settle for you just sitting here listening to me. This was the only place I knew I could come and feel happy.”

I walked over and hugged my father. He stood up and kissed the top of my head when I wrapped my arms around him. “You are always welcome here, pumpkin. I won’t let anyone hurt my baby in this house.”

I was home. I could turn off my phone and ignore the world until I was ready to face it again. Mack wasn’t going to be able to harass me and Ford was going to become just a memory. He was right when he said that time would heal me. I just wasn’t sure how much time I needed to forget about the guy that turned my heart into Jell-O and rocked my soul.

Ford

It took me a few moments to regain my composure. I guess it was all too much to take in. Mourning my sister, meeting Sky, helping the mother that abandoned me and then seeing her sitting with my father had all taken a toll on me. Thankfully, the woman didn’t get up to help me, when I fell to my knees. I didn’t want her pity or anything she had to offer me. My life sucked as a direct result from her leaving us.

Shayne walked with me into the living room and we sat down on the couch. “You alright, man?”

I rubbed my face. “Yeah. It’s all f**kin’ too much.”

“Where’s Ash? Did you send her home?”

I turned and looked at him. “Why would you ask me that? She’s the least of my concerns.”

He held up his hands. “I’m askin’ because you shouldn’t be left alone. When’s the last time you ate somethin’?”

I shrugged, thinking of the last thing I really ate, it wasn’t food, that’s for sure. “I don’t remember.”

“I’ll make you a sandwich. Your ass needs to stay here until I get back. Don’t go walkin’ out to your apartment for more of that fine girlfriend. You look like Hell.”

I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. “She ain’t my girlfriend.”

“When I came up to get you earlier, she looked like she was. You’re a lucky guy. How many people do you know that can f**k two hot chicks in the same week? Ash is a keeper for puttin’ up with that.”

I shook my head. “We aren’t together! I drank a bottle of Jack when we got home. I don’t even remember bein’ with her, man. In some twisted way, she thinks it means we’re goin’ to get back together. I f**ked up, but it meant nothin’. I’m done with that girl.”

Shayne laughed as he walked back into the kitchen. I opened the end table and found the pain pills that my dad had stashed. Alcoholics always had headache remedies so they could get by the next morning. I swallowed three pills without drinking anything. My head was pounding and I wanted to go back to bed until this was all over.

When Shayne came back into the room, he was carrying a sandwich wrapped in a paper towel. He took a bite out of it and then handed it to me. I shook my head and bit off the other end. “Thanks.”

He sat down across from me, pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. “Who was the chick?”

I shrugged while chewing. “I rescued her off the side of the road.”

“Dude, are you serious? She just slept with you? That’s f**kin’ awesome.”

I took a deep breath and sat my sandwich down. “It ain’t like that. You wouldn’t understand even if I tried to explain it. What happened between us was somethin’ we both needed.”

“So, you goin’ to see her again? Does she live around here?” I hated that he was all up in my business.

“What is with the twenty questions? Damn!”

He started laughing. “I haven’t seen you in forever and when I do, you’re shacked up in a shitty motel with some stranger. I think I have a right to be nosey.”

“She’s a nice girl, and it doesn’t even matter, I ain’t goin’ to ever see her again.”

“At least you have Ash to take your mind off of her.” He was still fishing for details and I hated his tone. It was like he knew some secret and wasn’t going to share it.

“Ash could never be Sky. Trust me, cuz, they are completely different women.”