Chapter 15

Damon

I parked down the street. Turned off the engine. Sat there for a minute.

This was insane.

I was about to walk into the home of Kael Collinson. A man I knew. A man I respected. A man whose daughter I had been sneaking around with.

And my son was inside.

I should turn around. I should go home. I should text Laura and tell her I could not do this.

Instead I got out of the car.

The air was cold. My hands were cold. I walked to the front door. My heart was beating too fast. I rang the bell.

The door opened.

Rick.

He looked at me. Confused. "Dad?"

"Hey."

"What are you doing here."

"I was in the neighborhood. Thought I would check on you."

He raised his eyebrows. "Check on me."

"You said you were staying here tonight. I wanted to make sure you were not bothering anyone."

Rick laughed. "I am not bothering anyone. Come in."

I walked inside.

The house was nice. Warm. Pictures on the walls. A coat rack by the door. Shoes on a mat. It looked like a home. The kind of home I never had.

Rick led me to the living room.

Kael Collinson was sitting on the couch. He looked up. His face went from relaxed to surprised to polite in one second.

"Damon."

"Kael."

He stood up. Walked to me. Shook my hand. His grip was firm.

"It has been a while."

"Too long."

"Rick did not tell me you were coming."

"I did not know," Rick said. "He just showed up."

Kael looked at me. His eyes were curious. "To check on his son. That is good. A lot of fathers would not bother."

"I try."

We sat down. Rick sat on the couch next to Kael. I sat in a chair across from them. The TV was on. Some game. The sound was low.

"Can I get you something to drink," Kael asked.

"No thank you."

"Are you sure. I have whiskey. The good kind."

I almost laughed. The good kind. I had bottles at home that cost more than his couch. But I nodded.

"Okay. One glass."

Kael went to the kitchen. Rick looked at me.

"You are being weird."

"I am not being weird."

"You never just show up anywhere. You have people for that."

"I wanted to see where you stay."

Rick shrugged. "It is just a house."

"It is a nice house."

"Yeah. Laura's mom keeps it clean."

Kael came back with two glasses. Handed me one. Sat down.

"So, Damon. How is business."

"Busy."

"I heard you are expanding. The new development on fifth."

"You heard right."

Kael nodded. Took a sip of his drink. "I almost went for that contract. Decided it was too big for my company."

"You would have handled it."

"Maybe. But I like my life. I like coming home at six. I like watching games with my daughter's boyfriend." He looked at Rick. Smiled. "I like having young people in the house. Makes it feel alive."

Rick smiled back. He looked happy. Really happy. I had not seen him smile like that in years.

"Rick is a good kid," Kael said. "You raised him well."

"I did not do much."

"You did enough."

I looked at Rick. He was comfortable here. Relaxed. His shoulders were not tense. His jaw was not tight. He looked like he belonged.

I felt something in my chest. Jealousy. Not of Rick. Of him. Of this family. Of the easy way they sat together. Of the way Kael looked at my son like he was family.

Laura's mom came in. Elena. She was holding a cup of tea.

"Damon," she said. "Rick did not say you were coming."

"He did not know."

She smiled. Polite. Warm. "Would you like something to eat."

"No thank you. I will not stay long."

"Nonsense. Stay. We have plenty."

She sat next to Kael. Put her hand on his knee. They looked at each other. A small look. A married look.

I looked away.

---

We talked for thirty minutes. Business. The weather. The school. Rick's grades. His plans after graduation. Kael asked questions. I answered. Rick sat there. Quiet. Happy.

I watched him.

He was different here. Lighter. He laughed more. He made jokes. He called Kael "sir" and Elena "ma'am" and he meant it.

I had never seen him like that.

At home, he was closed off. Distant. He stayed in his room. He did not talk. He did not laugh.

Here, he was someone else.

Someone I did not know.

"Rick tells me you work too much," Elena said.

"I have a lot to do."

"You have a lot to delegate. There is a difference."

I looked at her. She was not being rude. She was being honest. I respected that.

"Maybe," I said.

Rick looked at me. "See. Even Laura's mom thinks you work too much."

"I will take it under advisement."

Kael laughed. Elena smiled. Rick shook his head.

It felt normal.

It felt like a family.

I did not belong here.

---

An hour passed.

I stood up. "I should go."

"So soon," Elena said.

"I have an early meeting."

Kael stood up. Shook my hand again. "It was good to see you, Damon. Do not be a stranger."

"I will try not to."

Rick walked me to the door.

"You did not have to come," he said.

"I know."

"But thank you. For checking on me."

I looked at him. My son. Eighteen years old. Happy. Relaxed. In a house that felt more like home than mine ever did.

"You are welcome here," I said.

"I know."

"Anytime."

He nodded. Looked at me. "Dad. Are you okay."

"I am fine."

"You seem sad."

"I am not sad."

"Okay."

He did not believe me. He never believed me.

I opened the door.

Then I heard footsteps on the stairs.

I turned around.

Laura was coming down.

She was wearing shorts and a tshirt. Her hair was in a messy bun. Her feet were bare. She looked like she had just woken up from a nap.

She saw me.

Her eyes went wide. Just for a second. Then she fixed her face.

"Mr. Hales," she said. "I did not know you were here."

"I was just leaving."

She walked into the living room. Kissed her dad on the cheek. Kissed her mom on the cheek. Sat down next to Rick.

"You missed the game," Rick said.

"I do not care about the game."

"You should. Your dad's team is winning."

Laura looked at me. Just a glance. Quick.

"Are you staying for dinner, Mr. Hales."

"No. I have work."

"On a Saturday night."

"Someone has to."

She nodded. Looked down at her hands.

Rick put his arm around her. Pulled her close. She let him.

I watched.

Kael was looking at the TV. Elena was looking at her phone. No one was looking at me.

No one saw the way I looked at her.

No one saw the way her fingers trembled.

I walked to the door.

"Goodnight," I said.

"Goodnight, Damon," Kael said.

"Night, Dad," Rick said.

"Goodnight, Mr. Hales," Laura said.

I walked out.

The air was cold. My hands were cold. I got in my car. Sat there.

She had been upstairs the whole time.

While I sat in her living room. While I talked to her father. While I watched my son be happy.

She was right there.

And I could not touch her.

I could not look at her.

I could not do anything but sit in a chair and pretend she was nothing.

I started the car. Drove home.

My phone buzzed.

Laura: "you were in my house."

I typed back. "I know."

"you talked to my dad."

"I know."

"you sat on my couch."

"I know."

"and you did not even look at me."

"I could not."

"why not."

"because if I looked at you, I would not have been able to leave."

A long pause.

"then you should not have left."

"I had to."

"no you did not."

"Laura."

"my parents liked you. rick was happy. you could have stayed."

"and then what."

"I do not know. but you left."

"I am sorry."

"sorry is not enough."

"I know."

She did not write back.

I drove.

The streets were empty. The lights were red. I stopped at every one.

My phone buzzed again.

"come back."

"Laura."

"please."

I looked at the road. Her house was behind me. Ten minutes away.

I kept driving.

"I cannot."

"why not."

"because if I come back, I will not leave again."

"then do not leave."

I put the phone down.

I drove home.

The house was dark. Empty. Cold.

I sat in my study. Poured a drink. Did not drink it.

My phone buzzed one more time.

"goodnight damon."

I typed back. "goodnight laura."

Then I sat in the dark and thought about her walking down the stairs.

Her bare feet.

Her messy bun.

The way she said "Mr. Hales" like my name was a secret between us.

I did not sleep.