The Sound of Love // Steddie

Chapter 8 - Steves' POV

After I drop the kids off at the Wheelers house, I decide to head home for the night. I'm borderline exhausted and Robin and I have to work the closing shift tomorrow as well. As I'm driving back to my house I think about what Eddie said, how he asked, or rather demanded  I call him as soon as I get a chance. Since Vickie took Robin home I didn't get to ask for Eddies number. A small part of myself is wondering if I should even call him in the first place, but I quickly smush that thought down and remind myself that this is what I wanted. More friends my own age, right? But something about simply thinking about calling Eddie had my stomach doing flips.  

As I pull up to my house, I notice my dads car in the driveway. I sigh lightly, preparing myself for what could be either my parents pretending I don't exist, or a screaming match between my father and I while my mom stays quiet. 

I park my car and walk up to the front door, opening it as quietly as I could manage. Despite my effort to keep inconspicuous, I hear the sound of footsteps walking down the stairs towards where I'm standing in the entryway. 

"Steve." My dad looks me up and down, picking me apart with judging eyes. "Where have you been?"

I run my hand through my hair, trying to contain the sarcasm I can feel immediately building up. "I've been at work, Family Video, remember?" I try not to take his lack of interest in my life personally. 

He rolls his eyes. "Why do you insist on working at a buisness of that level when you could work for me? That place barely pays minimum wage with hardly any benefits. I thought you would have gotten wiser as time has passed, but it seems I have overestimated you."

 He glares at me in a way that makes me feel sick to my stomach. I've gotten better at ignoring his constant nagging, but I can't help but feel hurt by his words. "God, do you have to make everything a fight? I'm making enough to pay for what I'm responsible for and I'm happy. Why can't that be enough for you?"

He scoffs and waves me off, as if I'm a pest. "If everyone did only what made them 'happy', nothing would ever get done, and the world would be filled with sensitive pussies who cry when they can't get what they want. Did I raise you to be that kind of a man, son?"

I feel the pinprick of tears, threatening to spill over. "No."

"No?" He looks taken aback. "What do you mean, no?"

"I mean, you do not have the right to call me your son. You don't have the right to say you had any part in raising me. You and mom stop by maybe once a month if I'm lucky, and its been that way since I can remember. You may have taken part in my conceiving, but I raised my damn self. I did that. So yeah, I'll continue to be happy no matter what you think, because I would rather die than become a miserable old man like you have become."

My fists are clenched so hard my fingernails have dug deep crescents in my palm. I loosen my grip a bit and take one last look at my father, who has been shocked into silence, before opening the front door and getting in my car to leave. Normally when we fight I end up caving in and apologizing for nothing. But not today. I'm too exhausted to deal with his shit. I worry for a second, will I be able to go back home after walking away the way I did? I decide that it will be fine, since they ignore my existence 95% of the time anyway, so I guarantee they will just return to that normal when I have to be in their vicinity again. 

After a couple minutes of driving in silence, I realize I have no clue where I'm going. I wrack my exhausted brain to try to come up with a plan. I think about going over to Robins house, but her parents would never allow a boy to spend the night. For a second I consider going to Dustins, but my pride gets the best of me. I really don't want him to see me in a situation like this. After another moment of thinking, I think about Eddie. My stomach immediately ties up into a knot at the thought of spending the night at his trailer. I brush it off as nervousness due to us not knowing each other well, although it's not really like I have any other options.