“Don’t go back, Mercedes. I know you think he’s the one, and you’re ready to explain away all of the things he’s done, but you’re blind. You need to know that before you get hurt.” She leaned forward, and I looked up to meet her eyes. “Can you promise me that you won’t take him back?”
“Yeah.” The sobs crashed through me. “I can.”
“Good. You sure you don’t want that shot?”
“I’m fine. Is it okay if I step outside for a bit?”
She nodded and gave me a smile before I walked outside. She knew what she was talking about. Every single word she said hit home. I had a complex about my father, always had. He was never home. I used to wait up and talk to my mom at night while she stayed in the kitchen smoking, and we both waited for my father to come home.
We hated that he wasn’t there. My mom would cry about how hard life was, and how difficult it was that he couldn’t be there with us. It hurt, and I spent a lot of time thinking about that. There was obviously something inside Jake that reminded me of my father, so I attached myself to him. It was just like Brenda said.
I had to stick to my priorities. I wasn’t taking care of my father like I should’ve, and my mother was still losing her mind.
“Shit.” I slammed my foot against the window and pulled out my phone. I had to pay my financial aid bill. They found my cell phone number, and I was behind on my payments. If I didn’t start sending something soon, they were going to call over and over, and that was the last thing I needed.
I dialed the number and leaned against the front wall. The automated voice came on the line with a long list of menu options. Once I’d finally found the one, the voice came on again. “Your current balance is zero dollars and zero cents. To pay your bill, press one. To repeat your balance, press eight.”
I pressed eight. This was an accident. I owed more than a house to these people, and they were saying that my balance was zero. Bills didn’t pay themselves.
The voice came on the line again. “Your current balance is zero dollars and zero cents.”
My breath caught in my throat, and a sob rolled through me like a steamroller pressing pavement. I couldn’t believe that he did that. He actually paid my loans. I had to talk to him. I couldn’t just let him do this and walk away from him without saying something.
I dialed his number, but before I could hit the call button, my mother started calling. “Hello?”
“Mercedes?” She was frantic.
“Mom, what’s going on? Is Dad okay?”
“Listen, I don’t know what happened. I-I’m sorry.” She was sobbing.
“Mom, is he okay?”
I heard her sob again, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying.
“Mom?” I was shaking. “Mom?”
“I’m here.”
“Where is he? Is he alive?”
“Yes, he’s alive,” she sniffed.
“What hospital is he in?”
“He’s home.”
“Then get him to the hospital. What are you calling me for? Now.”
“It’s not your father. I mean, it is, but it’s not what you think.”
“What is it? You’re driving me crazy.”
“Some angel, I have no idea who. They won’t tell me.”
“What are you talking about? What angel?”
“Someone paid for his treatments.”