Bad Seed

“I don’t doubt that,” Dad said, his voice low. “He has changed. On the outside. But deep down, he’s still the same punk kid he always was.”

“He’s not,” I said firmly. “No matter what you want to believe, he’s not.”

“So, is that what your stepmother wanted us to talk about?” Dad demanded. “You and Caleb?”

“I think she wanted us to work things out,” I said. “She wants us to be okay again.”

“Not while you’re seeing him,” Dad said with disgust.

“Are you serious?”

I stared at him in shock. His face contorted with rage. He was so angry for no reason. He was too stubborn to believe Caleb could ever change, even when the evidence was right in front of him.

“I can’t allow you to throw your life away for that boy,” Dad said. “It’s a mistake, and I won’t sit back and watch you do it.”

“It’s not a mistake,” I said, my own anger flaring up. “God, Dad, do you even hear yourself? This guy is your wife’s son! How can you talk about him like this?”

“Because you are my daughter,” he snapped. “And Caleb constantly pushes you to do things that are inappropriate.”

“What’s inappropriate?” I asked.

“Dating your stepbrother, for one thing,” Dad said. “Dating your patient for another.”

My eyes narrowed. I couldn’t believe what I heard.

“First of all,” I said, “Caleb and I are not brother and sister. My God, we met as teenagers! Ask your wife. She’ll tell you the same damn thing.”

“Maybe so,” Dad said quickly. “But he is still your patien

t.”

“For another week,” I said. “After that, what excuse will you come up with?”

“These aren’t excuses,” Dad said. “These are valid reasons why you shouldn’t be with him. You haven’t been here to see the endless parade of whores he spends his time with, I have. How can you just overlook that?”

“Because I can,” I said bluntly. “Caleb hasn’t held anything back from me. I know what he’s done the past ten years. But I’ll have you know that since I’ve been back, I’ve been the only one on his mind. The only one he’s spending time with. The only one he loves. Dad, I love Caleb more than I’ve ever loved anyone. He and I are going to be together whether you like it or not.”

My father’s eyes flashed, and for a split second, I thought he might throw something. His fists clenched on top of the table as he glared at me. His lips were pressed so tightly together that I could barely see them. His face was flushed red, and his knuckles were white.

I wanted to say something, anything, that would calm him down. He was overreacting, just like always, but this was different. Caleb wasn’t the only thing we needed to talk about. I had something else to tell him, something much more important.

He didn’t give me a chance. He shoved himself away from the table, making his chair slam to the floor as he moved. Without a word, he marched out of the cafeteria.

I sat alone at that table, staring at the place he’d been. I knew he was heading up to his office where he could be alone and calm down before the day truly began. I thought about following him, but I couldn’t move. My legs felt like lead, cemented to the cafeteria floor.

My head was spinning, and my stomach churned uncomfortably. It was just a conversation, one conversation, and yet, it felt like the end of something. If I couldn’t make my father understand my relationship with Caleb, how could I tell him about my cancer? How could I possibly trust him to understand when he couldn’t even accept my boyfriend?

Cathy had been so sure everything would work out. She left the PT building on Saturday full of confidence. She even made me believe things would be okay. I thought she would be able to make my father see sense.

Now I was ready to give up. My temples were throbbing, and a shooting pain in my stomach told me a headache was coming on. I groaned and quickly jumped to my feet. I threw away the trash from our breakfast and ran through the hospital. I didn’t slow down until I reached the PT building.

Thankfully, it was still empty. I barely made it to the trashcan before I heaved. My breakfast flew into the trash, and my head pounded mercilessly. I groaned and fell to my knees. Caleb was right, I needed my dad. I needed his support, and after our talk, I didn’t think I would ever get it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - CALEB

Dr. McGee kept us waiting for half an hour. This appointment was my final one before I could be cleared for duty. I was done sitting at home while my buddies were out every day, risking their lives, fighting fires, and saving people. I belonged with them, not on my damn couch. I couldn’t wait to get the all-clear, but after sitting in Dr. McGee’s office for twenty minutes, my patience was wearing thin.

I stood up and paced around the room. Tara was sitting in front of Dr. McGee’s desk. She was slumped in the chair, her shoulders sagging and her eyes red with exhaustion. She had another headache the day before. It knocked her on her ass and left her in bed all day. I hated how much pain she was in, but I was glad today seemed to be easier. Other than being tired, she felt fine. Or so she said. Her facial expression told me something different.