The Trouble with Kissing Connor

Chapter 27 (Connor)

I ran. I had no idea to where. I just needed to get away from her. Get away from everyone.

It had been such a great day up until that afternoon. Because of McKenzie and Sadie's weirdness, I'd been in a kind of daze when the scout made the offer—an opportunity to compete for a full scholarship to the best tennis program in the country.

But, before I could get far, I ran slap bang into my father. I hadn't seen him since he moved out, well more like disappeared, from the house. My dad must have been oblivious to my anger, because he happily thrust his hand out for a hand shake—Well that's oddly formal.

I looked down at his hand ready to think about whether I wanted to shake it or not, and that's when I noticed it: His wedding ring. It's gone. I stared at his finger and saw a prominent white strip where the ring used to be. Where it had been for so many years, and now...gone. Just like him. It had been removed and tossed away. Just like everything else around him, like mom and me and the life we all used to live. Tossed into the trash heap along with our house, our memories, our family holidays, and all those good times.

Because that's was what that ring stood for. Not just a promise to Mom, which he'd broken–until death do us part­– but also a promise to me and our family. It was all a lie. Everything. I decided against the handshake and stepped away from him.

"Connor..."

"I don't want to talk to you." I looked into my dad's face and felt like spitting.

"Please, we haven't had a chance to talk and I really–"

"We haven't had a chance to talk because you're too busy bailing on your family and starting your new life and new job somewhere else."

He shook his head. "It's not like that."

"What's that thing you always used to tell me about winning a game of tennis. Never give up. Not once, not until the very last ball is served. And look at you, just giving up. After all these years with mom, and not even wanting to try and fix it."

"It's more complicated than that, Connor," he took a step towards me and I backed away.

"Complicated," I repeated his word. Everything seemed complicated at the moment. In fact, when the hell had life become so bloody complicated.

"Let's go for dinner and we can talk. Let me explain my side and maybe we can­–"

"No. I have nothing to say to you, dad." I pushed past him and carried on running.