Runaway With My Heart [Complete & Revising]

Damon's POV

The holiday season was approaching quickly and I was excited. I spent ten horrendous holiday seasons with Katrina. Her family members were a bunch of rich, snobs who had never pulled their weight or done their fair share of manual labor. They were a bunch of gossiping, unhappy people who did shit like compare engagement rings, name brand items, and their latest gadgets. Even their children were walking around with iPads and cellphones before knowing how to properly wipe themselves. The women were catty and often times tipsy off of wine or coffee spiked with hard liquor. The men looked as if they wanted to run away constantly. The only thing holding them together was the kids and those weekends when they got to leave their wives and crack a cold one open with the boys. Katrina's family was worse than mine. At least in my family, we halfway cared about one another.

This year was going to be different, though. This year the holidays would be great. Next week was Thanksgiving, then a month later, Christmas. I was racking my brain with gifts to get Charlie, something to show her that I truly cared.

While that was in the back of my mind, I was on my way to my parent's house for Sunday dinner. Last time I came I brought Charlie and things went south really fast. She wasn't with me today because I was going to have a sit-down, a heart to heart if you will, with my family. There were some things that I needed to say to them, some things I needed to get off of my chest. No matter how angry I am with my family, I love them. I only have one mother, she's a horrible woman, but she is my mother.

Pulling into the driveway, I parked my truck and got out. Erica and Jaclyn's cars were already there. I took a deep breath as I walked up the steps. No one was expecting me. I had to prepare myself for the stares.

I opened the front door then proceeded to walk into the dining room. My mom and Erica were standing up putting food on everyone's plate. Clearing my throat loudly, I caught everyone's attention.

"Damon?" My mother asked in disbelief. "I can't believe you're here."

"Well, here I am, in the flesh." I said.

"I'll go get a plate for you."

Jaclyn walked into the kitchen to grab an extra plate for me while I sat next to my mother. The last time I sat beside my mother at the dinner table was well over ten years ago. We stopped seeing eye to eye and agreeing on most subjects when I started middle school. By high school, we didn't agree on anything. To avoid arguments, I sat by my dad and Erica, the only two people with sense.

Jaclyn came back into the dining room, fixed my plate, then sat down for dinner. My father said a quick prayer and not much longer after that, the questions started coming in.

"So, you decided to have dinner with us tonight?" My mother asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Where's your girlfriend?" Jaclyn asked. "Did you two finally break up?"

"Uh, Charlie is actually the reason I'm here."

"Oh?" My dad said.

"Recently, I flew her family out because she hadn't seen them in three years. Seeing them together, happy like that, it made me look at myself and how I've been acting ever since grandma died."

"No." My mother said. "We're not going to talk about that at the dinner table."

"Then when are we going to talk about it, Mama?" Erica asked. "You know, I usually try to be neutral and stay away from the drama, but Damon is right."

"Damon is right?" My mother asked.

"We don't get along, but I want us to. Things between us have never been great, but they got a hell of a lot worse when grandma died." I said