Fakecation, page 12
The bed dipped with his weight.
“Okay, I’ll stay.”
“But you don’t—”
“I’m fine with staying,” he said. “It’s a little dark to be reading outside anyway.”
Amelia nodded, and he sat against the headboard, just barely touching her. She had room to move if she needed to, but she stayed rooted to the spot, enjoying his warmth.
For what felt like forever, she sat in silence. Usually, she would play on her phone, but she was so focused on being next to someone that she forgot to. She was lying down while he was sitting up, and if she moved just slightly, her head would be in his lap, which would be unbearably intimate.
“What are you reading?” she asked after a long moment of silence.
“It’s a fantasy. It’s one of my favorites, actually.”
“What’s it about?”
“Oh, you know, a kid in a bad environment being taken to a magical place where he can be himself,” he replied. “It’s a common trope, but . . .”
“It resonates with a lot of people,” Amelia said. “Maybe I can read it sometime. It sounds really good.”
“I could . . . read it to you now,” he offered. Eyes wide, she looked up at him and found his face turning red. “Never mind, that was a weird suggestion—”
“No,” she interrupted. “I’d love that.”
“Here goes nothing,” he muttered. “This is going to be mortifying if I’m a terrible out-loud reader.”
But he wasn’t. Hearing a world told through a voice she knew kept her engaged in a way most audiobooks couldn’t. It didn’t matter that he didn’t start on chapter one. She was putting together pieces, hanging on to every one of his words.
She didn’t want to fall asleep, even though she was exhausted. She clung to consciousness for longer than she should have, but eventually, she dozed off to the sound of his soft, low voice.
Chapter Fourteen
Daniel
Amelia was out not long after he started reading. Daniel could tell she was tired, and he could only imagine what had been going through her head when she ran off. He could see her getting more and more tense as the day went on, but there had been nothing he could do about it.
He was relieved that she’d opened up at all. There had been so many nights when Lucinda was upset but shut him out, and they never talked about it. Eventually, he began doing the same, and she’d found someone else.
At least Amelia hadn’t done that.
Thinking of his ex made him put down the book and rub his eyes. He never did any of this for Lucinda because he quickly learned that she would take advantage of it. But Amelia had fought to even accept help, despite the fact that she so obviously needed it. She had spent the trip making him comfortable, making sure he was having a good time. Of course, she would be exhausted.
He’d realized she was like him. She was willing to do things for others until she literally broke down. And he wasn’t used to being around people who put others first.
He looked over at her calm form. Seeing her run off tonight was the moment he realized she’d taken a piece of him with her. He had to know she was okay. That was all that mattered.
As he gazed at her, he noticed the smooth curve of her cheek and full lips. He looked at her hair, wondering what it felt like.
Amelia adjusted herself and moved to lie on her other side, facing away from him. Focus broken, he realized that maybe he’d been looking at her for too long. He went to the kitchen to get a glass of water, his throat sore from reading out loud.
“You’re up late,” Randy said. Daniel jumped. He didn’t know anyone else was awake. Randy held up his hands. “Sorry, kid. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s fine,” he replied. “I’m just lost in my own thoughts.”
“Is Amelia okay?”
“I think so. She fell asleep as I was reading to her.” His eyes fell to the floor. Maybe that was too much information.
But Randy smiled. “That’s a good way to calm her down. Thank you for doing it.”
Daniel blinked. “What? I thought you’d be . . .”
“Did you think I was going to get jealous or something that she has someone else treating her right? Nah, kid. The more the merrier. There’s always room for love.”
“Some dads are weird about it.”
“Not me. If my daughter is opening up to someone, then that means she trusts them. And I trust her. After the last guy she dated . . . I know it doesn’t come easy.”
Daniel let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he had been holding the whole trip. Randy patted his shoulder and settled onto the couch. He reached for the remote and turned on the TV. The silence was more comfortable, and it was nice to spend time with someone. It reminded Daniel of what he could have had with his own father, if only things could have been different.
“I don’t blame her. For not trusting people, I mean.”
Randy turned to him and smiled. “You’re doing a good job of getting her to trust you. Mandy told me this was new, and even I could see that, but we’re only a few days in. I wonder what’ll happen by the end of the trip.”
It was a terrifying idea, but it was also one he couldn’t turn away from.
“I just didn’t want her to be alone,” Daniel said. “That’s all it was.”
“That’s a good way to look at it.” Randy nodded.
“Is that how you look at it?” Daniel asked, curious. Obviously, he and Mandy were doing something right if they’d been together this long.
“That’s a part of it. Sometimes, everyone needs to be alone now and then, but I think Amelia has had enough of that.”
“Me too.”
“Sounds like you’re two peas in a pod.”
Daniel nodded but felt a lump in his throat. This was only temporary, he knew that. But hearing that Randy approved made him want to forget this was fake.
“Are you a fan of sports?” Randy asked, pointing to the TV. “We could probably catch a recording of a recent game.”
Daniel panicked for a moment. Was this an invitation? Was Randy just being polite? Lucinda’s dad had never done this before.
“Not really,” Daniel replied. “But I can manage.”
“Then what do you like?”
He considered it. “I don’t have time to watch a lot of TV, but maybe . . . comedy? Something light?”
“I can work with that.” Randy changed the channel to an old sitcom. “You can sit with me if you like,” he offered. “It’d be nice to have some company since everyone else is asleep.”
“Sure.” Daniel sat next to him awkwardly.
They watched in silence, but Daniel found a sense of peace that he hadn’t felt around his girlfriend’s dad in . . . well, ever.
Fake girlfriend’s dad, that is.
They caught the last few minutes of an episode, and it ended with the family all hugging each other after some major fight.
It must have inspired Randy to ask, “Tell me about your family, Daniel. Hopefully, they’re like this.”
He bristled. “Uh . . . My mom is great. She lives an hour and a half away from Atlanta. My sister is in Nashville.”
“And your dad?”
Daniel only looked away.
“Sorry, kid,” Randy said. “I don’t wanna bring up bad memories. I’m just curious.”
“It’s fine. We’re just . . . not close.”
That was an understatement.
“Not everyone is,” Randy said, sighing. “Actually, Amelia and John have never known Mandy’s parents. They weren’t what you would call supportive. So, it’s okay not to be okay with who you came from.”
“My dad recently did something pretty awful, and I don’t think I want to forgive him for it,” he admitted. He didn’t know why he trusted Randy, but he desperately needed parental advice, and he sure as hell wasn’t bringing his mom into this.
Randy hummed. “That’s hard. Is anyone hurt?”
“Me,” he replied.
“Then it’s on you to forgive him, or not to.”
“Not according to him.” He muttered the words, mostly meaning them for himself, but Randy heard it. He raised an eyebrow, and Daniel sighed. “My dad thinks he can atone with God for anything he does, but not me.”
“Well, that’s a shame because we live on Earth with each other, not God,” Randy said. “And if he’s not apologized . . . hell, even if he did, you don’t have to forgive everything to move on. It might help, but if you’re not ready, it isn’t gonna do anything.”
“All my life, he’s told me that because we’re related, I should forgive him. This time included. He was the reason I got divorced and he’s never apologized about it. He’s never even shown any remorse. How can I look at him when I know he cares more about himself than me?”
“You can’t, son. Some things are just unforgivable. You can try and let it go, but only for yourself. I know I don’t have a right to say any of this, but from what I’m hearing, he’s a shit father that got lucky with a good son, and you’ve outgrown him emotionally. The same thing happened to Mandy. Ultimately, it’s easy to believe family always deserves forgiveness, but that’s not right. We all deserve to be held accountable, family or not.”
Daniel looked over at Randy and nodded. He had been working toward accepting that he wasn’t going to be able to forgive his father and hearing someone else confirm it helped. Especially someone older and someone who was also a dad.
“Thank you,” Daniel said. “I needed to hear that.”
“I can tell. Now, enough about bad people who don’t deserve our time. We’ve got another episode to watch.”
Chapter Fifteen
Amelia
When Amelia woke up, Daniel’s arm was slung around her waist, and he was in a deep sleep. She felt an eerie sense of calm being in his arms. It would be so easy to stay here forever.
She got up, knowing that she didn’t need to dream about things that wouldn’t happen. Stepping into the bathroom, she changed clothes and ventured into the condo’s living space, mind on coffee.
“Hey, honey,” her mom said as Amelia was walking out of the bedroom. “Where are you going?”
“To get some coffee,” she replied. “Do you want anything?”
“Mind if I go?”
“Are you feeling up to it?”
Her mom nodded. “I think I’m on the upswing. My medication is still working, even at the lower dose.”
Amelia’s eyes slid to the door, and she prayed Daniel was still asleep.
“Amelia, maybe I should ask—”
“Let’s head out. We can talk on the way there.”
She led her mother out the front door, eager to keep all medicine talk away from her significant other.
“You realize those medications mess with your brain, right?” Andrew used to say. “Doesn’t that scare you?”
Daniel wasn’t Andrew. She knew that, but she was still working on believing it.
“You’re really not telling him anything?” her mother asked when they got to the elevator.
“He knows about the anxiety.”
“But nothing else?”
Amelia slowly shook her head.
“Has he given you a reason not to tell him?”
“No.”
“Really? You seem so adamant in keeping it quiet. Usually, people don’t hide things without a reason.”
The elevator doors opened and they headed toward the sidewalk. “He’s a good guy. He’s done nothing wrong.”
“There is no other reason to hide it, unless Andrew was truly that—”
Amelia stopped walking. “Mom, can we not talk about this?”
“That’s exactly what it is, isn’t it?”
She pressed her lips together. Hearing Andrew’s name almost sent her over the edge.
“Yes, Mom. That’s exactly why.” She turned around. “But before you ask why or what happened, just know that I can’t talk about it. Yesterday was bad enough and I just want to enjoy the last few days of this vacation and not be stuck in the past.”
“But how can I not ask questions when my daughter is hurting? It took you five years to even try with someone else.”
More than that, considering this was all fake.
“I’m fine,” she replied. “What happened with Andrew is over now. It just taught me what the real world is like. Now I know.”
“But you know you’re not . . . broken or anything, right? Your dad and I never wanted you to feel like you were.”
“I know. It’s others who see me that way. I’ll tell Daniel if I feel like I need to, but for now, we’re good.”
“But if you trust him, then you should tell him.”
“You don’t have to fix my problems for me,” Amelia said. “Just like you didn’t before we went on this trip. Honestly, this reminds me of when I was a kid and you would have a manic episode.”
Her mom sighed. “Yes. It’s very similar to that. I’ve had mini ones since reducing my dosage, but I’m not as dizzy, so that’s a bonus. I’m sorry. I know I was overbearing before, but I just want you to be happy.”
“You don’t worry about John like you do me. At least about relationships. You respect that he doesn’t want one. So why not me?”
“Because you planned your wedding when you were four. You watched romantic comedies every day in high school. So when one day you said you were done with dating, I knew something bad had happened. And that something is still affecting you.”
Amelia bit her lip. Her mom’s observations were exactly right. She used to live for romance. She used to want a life partner and constantly daydreamed about her wedding.
And now, she couldn’t think about it without getting sick.
“But . . . I’m getting too involved,” she said. “I know that. I just miss the bright-eyed, hopeful Amelia.”
“Me too,” she muttered.
“My only hope is that you find someone who is as understanding for you as your dad is for me.”
Amelia nodded. “We’ll see. Tell me about your decrease in medication. I’d love to hear more.”
Her mother accepted the change of topic easily enough, and Amelia was grateful. It was nice to hear why she’d needed an adjustment and how she was feeling now.
They got their drinks, plus one for Daniel. They went back up to the room and Amelia found that he had woken up and was freshly showered. He sat on the couch rather than sequestered in their room as he had for most of their trip.
“Hey,” she greeted. “I got you a tea.”
Daniel smiled. “I appreciate that. I could almost go for a coffee. I’m exhausted.”
“How late were you up?”
“Way too late, but I can’t seem to sleep in no matter what I do.” Daniel took a sip of the tea.
“What made you stay up late?”
And was it her?
“Nothing major. I was up talking to your dad, actually.”
“He said something about that,” her mom said. “I tried to wake him up, but he muttered something about families in comedies.”
“Yeah, we watched some TV too.”
“Glad you two had fun,” her mom said. “I think I’m going to try and wake him up again and go for a walk on the beach. Do you two have any plans for the day?”
“I was thinking about going to the pool,” Daniel said.
“I’m up for that,” Amelia replied. “It’s early, so it shouldn’t be too busy.”
Chapter Sixteen
Daniel
Out at the pool, Daniel’s phone rang the moment he took off his shirt.
Amelia’s eyes slid to his screen. “Is that . . . Lucinda?”
“Looks like it. I should probably take this, or else she’ll keep trying.” He grabbed the phone and stepped away, ignoring the feeling of Amelia’s eyes following him.
“Why are you calling?” he asked in lieu of a greeting.
“Where are you? You’re not home.”
“Why are you at my apartment?”
“You never responded to the invite to the wedding,” Lucinda said. “And no is not an acceptable answer.”
“That’s the answer you’re getting. No, I will not come. And why are you at my apartment?” he repeated.
“Excuse me, I chose this place. If anything, it should have been mine.”
“You got my dad’s mansions all over the country. Why are you worried about an apartment that you agreed to let me have in our divorce?”
“It’s not like you’re using it. Where are you?”
Daniel rubbed a hand over his face, feeling a tension headache bloom in his temples. This was like the night before the trip when she’d come over unannounced. She was trying to stir up some sort of emotion from him, but he didn’t feel a single thing toward her.
Except annoyance.
“I’m on vacation,” he said.
“What? Since when do you go on vacations?”
“Since my girlfriend invited me on one.”
“Oh, the girlfriend? That’s right. I heard about her. What is she—a rebound? I bet she’s not even prettier than me.”
“Lucinda,” he ground out.
“Come on, you can admit it.”
“The only thing I can admit is that you are a thorn in my side. You divorced me, Lucinda. That means you leave me alone.”
“We’re never done, sweetie. I’ll always have a piece of you.”
“You never had any of me from the start,” he snapped. “You were the worst mistake I ever made. I don’t want you. I don’t care about you. We are done, and I am with a woman who is nothing like you and I love every second of it.”
“Nothing like me? What does that mean?”
“It means she’s not a manipulative bitch like you are. I’m done talking to you. Goodbye.”
He hung up and then turned his phone to silent. This was how all of their arguments used to go. Lucinda would push and push and then get mad if he said what he truly felt.
“Wow,” a voice said. “You said everything I thought about her.”
