wrong number ; jack gilinsky

twenty-one

dakota's pov +

jack and i decided to hang out upstairs in my room instead. we sat opposite one another on the bed, telling each other more about our plans after high school.

prom, graduation and then college are only a few months away and it's just nice to know that someone else isn't completely set on what they're going to do with their life.

i fiddled with the fur of the pillow on my lap, watching jack finish the milkshake that i tried to, but couldn't.

i started to wonder whether to speak up on what i was thinking right now.

i can trust jack and i always have this urge to tell him things that i usually find hard to tell others. but my mouth decided to open up before i could decide what to do, and i looked up at him.

"i got a text earlier, from my dad" i confessed.

i watched his head shoot up and his eyes widen a little, "what?".

"yeah, i don't know how he got my number but he sent me this" i tapped through my phone to get up the message and handed it to jack to read.

he scanned his eyes over my phone multiple times, then handed it back to me.

"wow, is this the first time you've heard from him since he left?" he asked.

"no, actually. he tried to get in contact with me maybe a year ago" i replied. "he always sends texts from random numbers but when i respond, i never hear from him again".

i just wish that i had one of those normal teenaged girl lives with the normal family that contains two normal, loving parents.

you know the ones where your dad embarrasses you in front of your friends, is protective when you get a boyfriend.

and he has those annoying dad jokes and dance moves that you say you hate, but secretly love or a dad who assures you that the one man you can always rely on in life is him.

"like i just hate that disappointment when i don't hear from him again, so i decided to stop replying" i explained.

at this point, i was trying so hard to hold back any tears that were working their way onto my waterline.

"but it looks like he just wants to make sure that your family are all okay without him" jack shrugged.

i scoffed, sniffing in my tears and shaking my head.

"if he wants to know how we are, he should just come and see for himself" i began to raise my voice.

but this is exactly what i didn't want - to get so worked up and emotional over this.

"he can't just expect me to suddenly remember i have a dad, respond to his one text then forget about him until he decides to pop up again".

"i know—".

"it took me so long to get over him leaving my mom and i, that i just can't keep going through that over and over again" i said, allowing a tear to fall down my cheek.

jack leant forward slightly so that he could comfortingly touch my leg.

"hey, dakota. i get it" his soft voice spoke. "you don't have to respond if you don't want to. your dad should understand that".