Unexpected lovers [Lauren/You]

Chapter 26

My father is leaning on the door frame, watching me closely as I am re-reading the documents about our new client.

"You know, I love to watch you work. I've never said it before but you're good at it," I put my hand into the air signaling him to stop talking, "if mom send you I don't want to hear it dad."

"It's not just mom, we're all worried, you've been locked inside here for almost two weeks, you sleep on the floor of your office, the only person allowed in here is your daughter. You don't even want Clare near you, I know you only let me come here because I always yell at you and give you something to work on. But this. This is not healthy. What's going on?" This might be the first time after my brothers death that he sounded worried about me. I look up from the papers and I can see confusion inside his eyes.

I sigh deeply as I close my eyes and lean my head back on this comfy chair, when I open my eyes I am faced with the white colour of my ceiling and it makes me feel bad. What if my life is just like that, white, nothing is special about this ceiling and I am almost certain that nothing is special about my life either. I am just here, I am not living I am just an empty shell. I am a body without a soul, I wake up everyday just to go back to sleep.

"I know. I know okay? I know that Clare isn't my wife, Lauren is. I know Leo is my son, I know you freaking played me. What kind of a father are you?" He nods his head as he sits down on the opposite chair. His eyes are dark, his face looks younger than it should, his arms are resting in his lap as he observes me. For a moment it feels like I am an open book and he can read me without even trying it.

"There is more isn't it? Maddie told me something, is it true?" I look up from the papers again, my fingers start playing with the pen that I am holding.

"Is what true?" I ask confused about his question.

"That you love her? That you love Lauren?" Oh, that. Well it's over now so I might as well just tell him the truth, he doesn't care about my feelings anyway.

"It was. It was true."

"What happened?" I thought that he won't be asking any more questions, since my brother passed away our conversations were small, one sided even. It often seemed like I was talking to a wall.

"She slept with Luke a few days after we told eachother that we were both deeply in love. And it hurts, it hurts so much." He nods and I can see how his shaking fingers run through his hair, he always does that when he is nervous or when he is thinking about something.

"Fuck that prick. And fuck us. If you love her don't let her go. You'll go through this, but only if you work on it together. As far as I know she left him two weeks ago, now I understand why. Fight for your girl." I have to admit it, that's the first time ever I heard my dad speak like that.

"I can't." I tell him calmly.

"Why not? You're my daughter there is nothing you can't do." I smile at his words.

"I am leaving in two days," I tell him and his face changes in a second, there is no colour on it anymore, he is pale like the wall behind him.

"Leaving? Where?" His voice seems broken as he stutters this out.

"Army, I've got a call and I accepted the offer. It's just a mission. Two missions or maybe more I don't really know." His fists are clenched, it looks like the memories are running back towards him, attacking him harshly and he doesn't know how to escape his own mind.

"For how long?"

"4 months, half a year, maybe even a year or two," I say quietly and he punches the wooden table roughly. His eyes hold so much emotions inside, so much emotions I haven't seen till this day. I thought I heard him whisper don't go before he left the room in a hurry.