Down For The Count

Confirmed

Paisley's POV

"Paisley." Dad said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked up from my dinner plate, wondering what it was he needed. "Can you pass the salt?"

I nodded, handing him the small shaker which he quietly thanked me for.

The first time in days that I've eaten dinner?

Yup.

The first time in days that I've spoken to Dad?

Yup.

Since everything went down...things have just been weird. He hasn't hit me anymore, which is really good, but everything's just really uncomfortable.

We continued to eat in silence, pretty well ignoring each other like we've been doing for the past couple of days.

"Can we just talk about it." Dad sighed after a while, putting his fork down. I shrugged, because honestly I would rather do quite literally anything else. But I definitely don't want to make him mad.

"Sure." I said quietly, watching Dad frown. He didn't say anything for a while, just kind of stared at me. It was uncomfortable.

"About what happened the other night...um...listen, I-"

"I'm sorry." I blurted, causing Dad's face to contort into confusion.

"What?"

That's probably one of the most important things I learned living with Dustin. Swallowing your pride hurts a whole lot less than a punch to the face. If an apology will boost Dad's ego, then sure. I'll take it over getting hit again.

"I shouldn't have talked to you like that. I was in the wrong, and I'm sorry." I said quietly. Dad still looked confused, but after a while he smiled.

"It's okay. Thank you for apologizing."

I nodded, continuing to move my food around the plate, not really making an effort to eat any of it.

Of course I didn't get an apology back, but I honestly wasn't expecting one.

Maybe I was in the wrong. Maybe I deserved that hit to the face. Maybe he wasn't out of line...maybe I really was out of line.

"Why don't we do something fun tonight? Do you want to watch a movie?" Dad suggested like we were best friends, like it was the most casual thing for us to be doing.

"Um...I guess...if you want to." I shrugged, hoping that he would catch onto my hesitation because I really just wanted to go to my room. But of course he didn't, because he smiled and nodded, looking happy.

"Okay! Well why don't you get changed and I'll clean up." Dad suggested. I nodded, standing up from my spot at the dinner table, my food still having been barely touched. Dad didn't say anything, and I guess that is the one good part about being here. Dad never says anything about my eating, and he doesn't make me eat nearly as much as Lin and Vanessa did.

It's just hard now, I guess. I was actually starting to do better with the whole eating thing. And it's not like I'm intentionally trying to skip meals. I'm just...so used to not eating by now. There's never any food here.

I closed the door once I had stepped into my room, changing into some comfier clothes. I was ready to walk back out when I looked at my phone, remembering that Dad said he was going to be cleaning up dinner. That gave me about two minutes, give or take.

I quickly opened my phone, just needing to talk to Lin. I haven't talked to him in days, and that's strictly because Dad has prohibited me talking to Lin and Vanessa...literally. Before it was just that he got upset when I would talk to them, but now it's actually a set rule, or else I'll be grounded.