Page 4 of Fame & Chaos

Joseph, Dee’s best friend, quickly ushered me outside while Mum cried and Colt shouted inside the house. I sat on the front steps staring at the massive front doors while Joseph tried to distract me with random conversation, but I barely listened.

All I wanted was my dad.

Eventually, Mum came outside. Her makeup was ruined from crying, and her hands shook as she wrapped her arms around me, then she took me back inside.

Colt was waiting near the fireplace.

He looked completely different somehow.

Not angry anymore.

Just broken.

When I walked over, he slowly crouched down in front of me, his eyes locked on mine like he was trying to memorize my face. And for the first time since meeting him… I felt scared.

Because the way he looked at me felt like goodbye.

But I loved him.

God, I loved him.

And no matter what anyone said, he was still my dad.

“Just remember that I love you no matter what happens, okay?” Colt said softly.

I nodded and threw my arms around him instantly, hugging him as tightly as I could. I hated seeing him upset, and the second I wrapped myself around him, a broken sound escaped his throat. A small sob he tried and failed to hold back, and when he pulled away, his bottom lip trembled.

“Thanks, Dad,” I whispered.

Colt gasped like I’d physically winded him.

The next second, he lost his balance completely and dropped onto the floor.

Dee was beside him straight away, while I stood there frozen, panic clawing up my throat. I didn’t understand what was happening, only that everyone looked devastated, and somehow I was in the middle of it.

“That’s the first time you’ve called me Dad,” Colt choked out.

I smiled uncertainly and nodded because… well, he was my dad and I thought calling him that might make him feel better.

Instead, he looked like his heart had shattered right in front of me.

Dee gently rubbed his back while Mum stood near the doorway, looking pale and sick. The entire room felt heavy, thick with tension and grief I couldn’t understand.

How was I supposed to fix something when nobody would even tell me what was broken?

“I’m sorry, Colt,” Mum whispered shakily. “I’ll tell Caleb when we get home.”

My stomach twisted instantly. “Tell me what, Mummy?”

Mum quickly ushered me toward the front door, away from Colt and Dee. “C’mon, baby. Let’s get you home. You’ve had a really big day.”

I looked back over my shoulder at Dad. He sat slumped on the floor beside Dee, looking completely wrecked, and something about it made panic rise inside me.

“Can’t we stay with Dad a little longer?”

At the word ‘Dad,’ Colt buried his face in his hands.

I stopped walking.