Our Toxic Love

Chapter Fourteen

*Ethan's POV*

I sit at the dinner table with my mom and Luke. The three of us are trying to avoid the two empty chairs beside us.

My mom's eyes are bloodshot and her face is pale. She's been quite depressed ever since dad and Sasha's car accident. She also hasn't been eating much.

"Mom, stop playing with your food and eat," I say quietly. "Please."

It kills me to see her like this. It feels even worse to think that she might be losing her grip on reality.

She gives me a weak smile and takes a bite out of lasagna.

"Don't forget we have dinner tomorrow night with an old family friend," she tells me.

Luke frowns. "Who?"

"Joseph," she replies. "We've been good friends for a long while now. He knows your dad too."

"How come we've never heard of him before?" I ask.

"We just discovered he lives near here two weeks ago and made plans," she responds.

"And why do Luke and I have to go?" I question.

"He has a daughter about your age. I think you two would get along."

I'm about to ask "is she hot" when I remind myself that I'm talking to my mom here.

I continue eating my dinner in silence.

*Ariana's POV*

It takes me a two hour long shower and strange shampoos to finally get the paint off me.

I wear my pajamas and tie my damo hair into a loose messy bun.

My dad calls me from downstairs and, for a moment, I consider ignoring him. But my attitude has grown lately and I don't want it to overwhelm me. So instead, I head down and see what he wants.

"What?" I say.

"We need to talk," he says, gesturing for me to sit next to him on the couch.

My thoughts drift to the way I've been acting lately and I start to wonder if he's going to ground me or something.

"Our relationship is not friendly," he starts as I sit down.

"I'm well aware of that," I say.

"I know I haven't been a good father to you lately-"

"Lately? You've never even-"

"Please just listen," he cuts me off. "The whole thing about your mother dying has affected me greatly and I know this is not an excuse for my bad parenting but I've been empty when she was gone. And when I realized that I really can't recover, I wasn't fond of you."

"Is anyone ever?" I mumble under my breath.

Thankfully, he didn't hear me.

"But for the past few days I've noticed how much you changed," he goes on. "You looked so much like your mother that morning when your hair was loose and your face was held high."

"Just because I look like mom now, you're willing to actually be a good dad? Sixteen years later? Seriously?"

"I'm not done," he says patiently. "I've noticed how sad you've been and it hurts me to see you like this."

"I've been sad before," I say coldly.

"Every time I pass by your bedroom door you're crying," he tells me, his voice cracking. "I haven't heard you cry since you were four. I deeply regret the way I've neglected you."

I laugh humorlessly. "You regret it? Now you regret it?" I stand up. "You've made me feel completely guilty for mom's death all these years! You made me feel like it's all my fault that she's dead, that I don't have a mother. You spent sixteen years ignoring me and not even caring about what happens to me and now that you see how miserable I've been lately, you decide it's time for you to start caring? What the hell?"

His eyes are wide with surprise. "I know it's stupid-"

"It's ridiculous! Idiotic, ludicrous, completely retarded, really, that you'd think I'd suddenly just forgive you because you're my dad! You're not, okay? You never were."

With that, I rush up the stairs and slam my room door, and start to cry.

I'm really getting fucking tired of crying.
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I take a quick shower then dry out my hair.

I open my closet and pick out a sleeveless red dress that's tight from the waist-up and loose from the waist-down. I put it on.

I apply some mascara and eyeliner but its thicker than usual. I then put on some lipgloss. After making sure I don't look like a panda with all the makeup I put, I slip my feet into black heels-this is the first time I wear them but this is sort of a formal event and I want to look good.

My hair looks a little messy, so I decide to curl it for the first time in my life.

I take one last look in the mirror and go downstairs.

"Okay," I tell him. "I'm ready."

I'm still mad at him after the way he'd just suddenly decided he wants to be a good parent. I haven't spoken to him much since then.

He tries for a smile but I pretend I don't notice.

He leads me to the car and we make our way to some fancy restaurant.

I open the door and climb out of the car. Both my father and I enter the large doubledoors of the restaurant.

It's a huge full place with dark wooden floor and bright lighting. The walls are scarlet and there are multiple tables covered with white cloth.

"This way," the waiter leads us to our table, smiling.

"Here we are," my father smiles. "This is the family we're meeting."

My heart nearly stops as I see Ethan sitting on one of the chairs around the table that we're standing next to.

"What?" I question, panic rising in my chest.

"Ariana, this is Ronda Miller, my friend," he says, smiling. "Those are Ethan and Luke. We'll be having dinner with them tonight."

Shit.