Chapter 47

He drops the call. 

Dad heaves out a hate-harbored breath, shaking his head as he pockets his phone. Our luggage is still parked in the entryway, so we take each of our belongings to our rooms. I start unpacking, shelving what's clean, and tossing what's not into my laundry basket. Shortly, my dad enters the room without warning. I glance at him, smiling faintly as he seats himself on the chair. I stop what I'm doing to fix my attention on him, since that's what he wants.

"I'm sorry."

Simple but devastating words. I falter, sinking to sit on the edge of my bed.

"I never thought in any version of this existence that you would be paying the price for my sins." Long-suppressed emotions rattling his words. "I failed you… and your mother would be ashamed of me. I didn't mean for things to get this far, the lies… they kept adding up until they became my reality."