"I need that extra ten minutes to grill you about Mom going to Vegas? I didn't know about that. What did she say? How long is she going? Who's paying for it? What's up with that shit?" Blasting me with questions, Laurie sounded increasingly frustrated. "Doesn't she see he's an asshole? Maybe she didn't tell me because I'm not as polite about disliking him as you."
"I'll call you back, okay? I'm gonna shoot my secretary a text and convince myself you're right." I hung up before Laurie could hound me for answers, and I heaved a massive breath. "Fuck... What do I do, now?"
My question had no answer other than the pounding of water on tile, and I ran my hand through my wet hair to shake my head. The obvious solution is to talk to Mel, but I couldn't until after she did her intake at Sahper's practice. Chances are, if I leave my apartment, I'll run into her by some fucked up twist of fate... so I think I'll stay in today.
Chapter 16
Melissa
Yawning as I stared blankly through the television screen, I sniffled hard through my swollen sinuses. My eyes watered constantly, and the stress of the past few weeks seemed to finally catch up to me. I hate May, and the past two weeks had been particularly miserable. All of a sudden, all the trees decided to attack me, and I hadn't been able to do anything.
Terry offered to get my groceries, for God's sake. I'd watched almost everything on my Watchlist on Netflix. I got a Hulu subscription because I ran out of stuff to watch!
I scowled as I wiped my eyes with a tissue, pulling my knees higher to dig my toes into the sofa cushion. My CPAP machine was my only saving grace, and my allergy medication wasn't helping.
"After the universe spent so much time getting Carl and I together, now it's punishing me for it." My nasally grumble made my intense migraine flare, and my scowl darkened as I reached to rub my nose between the butts of my palms. "Ugh..."
Carl's sister's call still rang in my ears, that he felt so panicked and was downright paranoid about losing his job. I'd made the appointment with the other pulmonologist in Providence as soon as she hung up, and they were able to get me in two days later.
But that didn't excuse the fact that I put him in jeopardy for a quickie I couldn't quite remember all that well. Of course, I knew he knew that I'd transferred to another doctor, but I hadn't actually seen him. Through my bleary, watering eyes, I couldn't see anything at all.
For almost two weeks, I'd contemplated texting Carl, but what could I say? Lol sorry for maybe killing your career but you dtf?
No.
My doorbell rang, snapping me out of my muddled misery, and I groaned loudly as I flung my legs over the front of the sofa. My muscles ached in protest when I stood up, and the room spun a little as I shuffled heavily. The soles of my feet never left the carpet, and I hiked up my pajama shorts with sluggish, shaky hands.
I wheezed just from the minimal effort it took to round the couch and reach the front door, and I pulled open the barrier with a jerk. My dad stood on the other side, his hair combed over and his cheeks red enough to reach past his ears.
"... I came to apologize, Mel."
Instantly, I was on guard as my dad's voice knocked around in my head painfully. Frowning when he cleared his throat, I had to squint to really see his features twist in discomfort.
"Can I come in?"
"No, you can stay right there and say what you need to say."
He tensed, my dad, like this was so hard for him, and my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. Pointing an accusatory finger at him, my head threatened to explode as heat slithered up my neck.
"What do you want, huh? Just say it, so I can tell you to fuck off because I'm not doing anything for you. You're only apologizing because you want something— otherwise, why would you be nervous, huh? Not because you screwed me over, surely!"
I practically shouted, my lungs on fire as I stabbed my dad in the chest with my fingernail. My slow brain couldn't pinpoint what about his demeanor told me he was only apologizing to ask for something else, but even my swollen face couldn't hold back my words. In the apartment next to mine, I heard a loud, muffled thump, and my wheezing intensified as my dad rubbed his palms on his shirt.
"I got married, and I want you to meet her. I offered to have it here because my house is a mess." That irritation that gripped me vanished— sizzled from my blood as my heart and lungs seized up in shock. My dad took a half step forward, looking a little desperate, and my eyes widened when he grabbed my shoulders gently. "Please, Mel. Just do this for me, and I'll leave you alone for the rest of my life. I really need this to go well. She's got two kids and neither of them like me— her daughter's your age. After today, you never have to worry about me anymore."
For a long moment, I was silent, trying to process what my dad had revealed and what he was asking of me. He watched me with hope blossoming on his face, so clear that even I could see it beyond my thick sheen of tears. I'll leave you alone for the rest of my life. After today, you won't have to worry about me anymore.
"... After today, if you ever contact me again for any reason, I'm going to ruin your life. Understand? After today, you're not my dad anymore. You're just a pathetic, money-grubbing piece of shit I'm unfortunately related to. And I'm not gonna lie to this stupid, poor woman you're leeching off of. I'm not gonna sink to your level." Disgust engulfed my whole body when my dad perked up, and I clenched my hands into tight fists by my sides. "What time?"
"4:30. Thank you, Mel—"
"I'm not doing this for you, you pig!" My screech echoed down the hallway, and my dad jumped in shock as the urge to punch him almost overwhelmed me. "Get the fuck away from me! I can't stand to even look at you!"
Throwing my hands up— like I was some animal and looking bigger made me more intimidating— I trembled as my dad scurried toward the elevator. Did he not see how awful I looked?
No, he did. He just doesn't care. Sniffling harshly, I reached to wipe the snot dripping from my nose with my tissue as I glared at my dad's back. He was just a sperm donor, never a dad.
"Mel—" My head whipped to the side, and Terry held up his hands in surrender. "You know it's three in the afternoon, right?"
"What?" The last time I looked at the clock, it wasn't even 10 a.m., and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. My apartment was a mess, and there wasn't even time to order something and get back here. I couldn't even properly dress myself up! As if sensing where my thoughts were going, Terry walked over to grab my bicep and squeeze comfortingly. "Jason and I will help you. I don't know why you're worried about getting all dolled up, though, considering..."
"You heard him if it 'goes good', he'll leave me alone forever. I— I— what...?" Dizziness blurred Terry's concerned features, and I squeezed my eyes shut tightly to take a stabilizing breath. "I'll make this place the Met Gala if it means getting away from him."
"Then, the Met Gala you shall have." Terry's eyes blazed with determination, and I flung my arms around him to hug him with all my meager strength. I was so friggin lucky to have a friend like him, and he patted my back firmly before pulling back to cup my flaming cheeks. "You take a cold shower and sniff some curry or something. I'll get Jason onboard."