Crossing Boundaries

Reece

"I haven't felt this way about anyone since your mother. I've fallen for her, son. I'm sorry if this upsets you, but I love you both dearly, and I've always put you first. But now, I need to think about myself for once, and I want to see where this could lead. She makes me happy."

My dad's words played on an endless loop in my head.

By the time I got back from dropping Lorna off, my mood had already soured. I hated leaving her like that, but I couldn't deny it—Kady's taunting had gotten to me. As much as I tried to ignore what everyone was saying, their words clung to me, impossible to shake.

I kept telling myself that Lorna was just being Lorna, caring and kind hearted, she wouldn't want to hear anything bad about someone whom she believed innocent, that she didn't mean to humiliate me, that she couldn't really have feelings for Nick. But I couldn't shake the image of her, slipping from my grasp to chase after him. It replayed in my mind, taunting me on an endless loop.

Then came the whispers, the knowing glances, the things I couldn't ignore no matter how hard I tried. And she only made it worse by defending him again and again, as if he could do no wrong. Just when I thought I couldn't take any more, my dad blindsided Lance and me with one last shock: he wants the detective to move in with us. Just like that, another woman in the house he shared with my mom. How could he? How could he even think of replacing her?

I couldn't listen to him anymore—I had to get out of that house. I couldn't stand another second of him going on about how he was falling for her. Just thinking about it made me sick.

And now, here I am, sitting in a bar, throwing back shot after shot, just trying to drown out the noise in my head. I need to forget—forget Lorna, forget my dad, forget everything.

Lorna's calls just kept coming, making it impossible to ignore her. I hung up on her for the fourth time in a row, but then a text came through.

Lorna: Hey, I hope you're okay. I hope your dad's talk with you and Lance went well. I'm really sorry for everything, and I just want you to know that I love you. It'll always be you, Reece—nobody else. Just you. Please call me when you're ready. I love you. xx

I wanted to text her back, to let her know how I really felt—that her constant defending of Nick was tearing me apart. Each time she took his side, it twisted something inside me, a hurt that I hadn't wanted to admit was there. But I was afraid. Afraid that if I said what was truly on my mind, I'd end up saying something I couldn't take back. Was I mad? No, this went deeper than that. I was angry—angry at her, angry at my dad, angry at everything.

My phone buzzes again. I glance down—this time, it's my dad.

His message asks if I'm okay, where I went, and pleads with me not to do anything stupid. I scoff, a bitter laugh slipping out. He's worried about me doing something stupid? The irony stings. He's the one who's being stupid replacing my mom with that woman, treating her like she could somehow take her place. Like I wouldn't be bothered by it. Like it doesn't matter.

"Fuck you, Dad," I mutter under my breath, the words harsh, but the pain beneath them worse. I switch my phone off, not wanting to see another message, not wanting to be bothered by anyone. Tonight, I just want to forget.

I just needed to let loose, just for tonight. Was it a stupid idea? Yeah, absolutely. If I'd known what my choices tonight would lead to, I wouldn't have ignored her. I would've gone to her, laid it all out instead of bottling it up and drowning my frustrations in a drink. She would helped me through my turmoil with my dad and his new girlfriend.

"Reece?"

I turn to see who's calling my name.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Dean sits down beside me, giving me a look of genuine concern. "What's up, man? Why are you here drinking alone?"