Love or Loyalty (Now Available On Amazon!!)

Chapter Four

We end up at Dave and Buster's around noon and spend almost two hours eating and joking before the boys leave the table and head to the games. My dad stares at me and raises an eyebrow he knows I have something on my mind. A part of me doesn't want to tell him because I may be making a big deal out of it, the other part wants to tell him in hope that he will be able to make everything better.

"How was dinner last night?"

"Dad, it was the worst. Had I known it was going to go the way it did I would have stayed home."

"What happened? Did you two fight?"

"We went to the Cheesecake Factory and I ordered the same thing I always get when I go there. Dad, he had the nerve to suggest we share it cause he didn't want to spend a lot."

"You can't be having money problems. Not after the article that was just done about him."

"No money problems." My dad has a confused look now. "I kinda had an attitude when he said that because I knew what he meant by it, which was me needing to lose weight. And of course, he did say it. Dad, it took everything in me to not cause a scene in there. Of course, once he saw that I was pissed he said he only said that because he cares about my health and wants me to live for a very long time." My dad chuckles a sarcastic chuckle and shakes his head. "It didn't get any better either," I say, reliving that moment in my head fighting back tears. "The night ended with him giving me the credit card and walking off to go wait in the car." I can tell my dad is now upset as he reaches for his phone. He is going to call Jonathan.

"Dad, don't even bother. At this point, I am not shocked or surprised about what he did. I'm fine, I did not lose any sleep or cry. I'm over it."

"You may be fine, but the situation isn't fine. Staicy, at what point are you going to say something? I don't like how he has been with you lately. I need to have a talk with him and find out where his head is."

"No dad, trust me I'm fine. It doesn't bother me at all." I dare not tell him the part about me having to walk to the car at the other end of the parking lot because he didn't want to drive to the front of the restaurant for me or the outrageous tip that I left. After all, he will know that it does indeed bother me.

"I don't get it. Does he not know what unconditional love is?"

"No, he doesn't."

"I don't like it. This is that new math and something is not adding up. I'm going to have someone look into this and see what he is hiding because it has to be something." My dad says with concern.

"I promise I'm fine."

"You say that until you end up on an episode of one of those TV shows. Let me look into this so that there won't be any surprises when the shit comes out."

"You won't see me on no TV Dad, it's not that serious. No need to go digging for anything. Besides, the night wasn't a total bust." I slyly smile as I think about Mr. Deep Voice a.k.a Darren.

"It's not now, but I know you very well. You'll just keep taking it and taking it and let it fill you up until you explode."

"I won't let it get that far."

"You say it doesn't bother you, but do you still love him?"

"I don't even know anymore Dad. Right now, it feels like we are coexisting. I guess I still love him, it's not like how it was at the beginning or just a few years ago."

"Okay, well don't think you have to stay because of the boys. I'm not saying I want you to leave. I just want you to think about yourself for a change and I want you to be happy not just coexist."