Broken

chapter 3

I stir around in bed and  remember everything that happened last night, my conversation with dad.the time is 11:45, shit, it's late. Dad told me to get up early. I get out of bed and head to the mirror and nearly jump away from my reflection. My hair is a bird's nest, my eyes are puffy, I look like I've been awake for days but it's really just been one night. I guess everything can change in just one night.

I freshen up and head to dads room, just to check if he needs anything. He should be working at his desk. I knock on the door.

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No reply? Hmm that's strange, normally dad comes to my room to wake me up. The door is unlocked. That's weird i thought to myself.

I slowly push the door and walk to dad on his bed. He's asleep and he look so peaceful. Too lost in thoughts I stumble and knock over a glass on his nightstand. The glass shattering makes a loud sound but dad doesn't wake up.

Ignoring the glass with my eyes on dad as I walk towards him. I place my hands on his shoulders and gently shake him. He doesn't wake up. "Dad" i shake him more rough. "Dad!" I say much louder, my voice echoes through the whole house. "No. Dad?" Oh god please no. "Dad please wake up" still no reply. I check his pulse on his neck.... nothing.

I check his breathing with the back of my finger......still nothing. I don't know what to do. My dad is not breathing. Tears prick out of my eyes, I can't control it. I search through his room, I'm not in the right frame of mind. I look for something... anything. After a while of looking I finally found a piece of paper. I recognise its dad's handwriting, it says:

My dearest Evie

My smart girl. You found this letter which was only meant for you to find when this happens. I am so sorry you found me like this, but everything happens for a reason, isn't it?
Here is the number of my doctor, I need you to contact him, he knows what to do.
And here is the number of my lawyer.
Everything I have ever earned was for a better future for you. I want you to be away from your mother once I die and don't go back to her. I know how much she hates you but you don't need to worry about her. I love you enough for the entire world.

Your dad

More years fall out of my eyes and i can't stop it. My soft sniffles turn to loud sobs. I look at my dad laying in the bed one more time before I call the doctors number.

On the third ring somebody answers.

"Doctor Frederico here, who is speaking?" He says with a neutral tone in his voice. "H-hello?" "Hi, who am I speaking with?" "You're speaking to Miss Lodge, the daughter of Mr Callan Lodge" "Hello Evelyn" I burst into tears. "He's gone, he's g-gone, my dad left me, he's gone forever" the doctor tries to calm me through the phone. " Listen Evelyn, I'm a really close friend to your father for a very long time and I'm also his doctor" " I-i-i don't know what to do, he's lying on the bed and he's not breathing, he he...." The doctor cuts me off "Listen Evelyn, I need you to stay calm, I will be there in a few minutes, just hang in there" " please don't be long, I can't leave him like this" i whimper. The doctor hangs up and I am left alone with my dead father in the room. I scrunch up the letter and keep it in my pocket. This is the worsted day of my life. I sat on the floor in the corner of the room, waiting. My life cannot get any worse, i hate it. Just yesterday i thought I would see my dad getting old and wrinkly, I thought he would walk me down the isle, meet his grand children. But everything got shattered when he told me he was going to die. My dad is gone, he left me.

For what felt like hours, my cheeks have dry tear stains. I'm gone numb. I hear a knock on the front door but I'm tall tired to get up from the floor. The door suddenly breaks and i hear people coming up to dad's room.

I see a guy who looks like he's in his twentys. I think he's the doctor i spoke to earlier. He walks up to me, " Evelyn" he says causiously. I stand up and jump into his arms, I needed a shoulder to cry on. I needed someone to comfort me. "Hes gone" I say into his chest.

"He left you this" the doctor holds up a necklace that says 'Evie' on it. My heart clenches as I look at it. More tears stream down my cheeks. "T-thank you" "He loved you very much Evelyn" the doc says. "I know". After the people did everything they needed to. They took him to a morgue. I couldn't bear to see him go. I walk around the house looking for Bolt and found him sitting with his on my bed with his head on his paw, poor guy.

I'm now sitting in the kitchen with the doctor from earlier. It feels so comfortable talking to him, like I've known him forever.
"So how do you know my dad? He said that you we're best friends from a long time ago" he chuckles, as if remembering something."Your dad is my best friend, we met in school and we instantly clicked.he was a few years older than me. He was the only person who encouraged my career. He was the only person who stood by me when nobody else did" how come dad never introduced him to me?

" How old are you?" Curiosity in my voice. "I'm five years younger than your dad, I'm 28" wow he doesn't look 28, he looks more around 20. "You don't look 28" he laughs slightly " I get that alot" "Um at you hungry" I ask. " No, are you?"
"Not really" we sit in comfortable silence for a while before he speaks up, "Your dad has your name on this property, you need to call his lawyer" "I don't want this house, I'll never be able to forget what happened in this house" he looks straight into my eyes, his gaze burning into my soul. " It's the only thing you have of his" he says.

I sigh, this house was one of dad's first projects after he became an architect, there's no way I'm letting go of this house. "I'm going to keep it, it was one of his first projects" "He was really good, he designed one of my houses too" "He loved his job" i say.

I go to the coffee machine on the counter to get us some coffee, "Does my mother know about this?" I ask. " No she doesn't, when are you going to tell her?" "I'll tell her when i go back there". " You don't have to go back there Evelyn" he walks up to me to help me with the coffee. " So where am I going to live, I'm not moving here so soon" I say. He suddenly looks at me like he's got an idea. " Stay with me" he says with a pleading look in his eyes. My eyes bulge out of their sockets, " what?!", He looks straight into my eyes, he's determined, "Stay with me?". I-