CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - TARA

Cathy swore she would talk to my father. She left the PT building that day, tears in her eyes and a determination I’d never seen. She promised she would make my father see sense.

“Don’t tell him about the cancer,” I said firmly. “Let me do that. Please.”

“I promise,” Cathy said. “I’ll just talk to him. Hopefully, I can make him see how stupid he’s being. You and Caleb aren’t brother and sister. You never were. If you want to be together, he needs to get out of your way.”

“Do you really think that will work?” I asked. “He hates Caleb.”

“He doesn’t,” Cathy said with a weak smile. She turned to her son and touched his cheek. “Darren doesn’t hate him. He never has. He’s just scared. Tara, he lost your mom, and he’s terrified that he’ll lose you too.”

“That doesn’t give him the right to act like this,” I said.

“It doesn’t.” Cathy nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

I thanked her. Caleb kissed me goodbye, lingering on my lips just long enough to make me want more. He smiled sadly and followed his mom out to the car. I watched them go feeling more confused than ever.

If Cathy was right and she could convince my dad to lighten up about Caleb and me, then what? I would have no choice but to tell him about my cancer. Even after telling Cathy, I still didn’t know if I was ready to have that conversation.

The weekend passed in a blur. I suffered through the rest of my sessions on Saturday and spent Sunday with Caleb. We holed up in his apartment, ordering in and watching Netflix until the sun set. It was easy and simple, exactly the kind of day I needed.

My headaches hadn’t yet returned, which felt like a miracle. I let myself believe the doctors were wrong. It didn’t make sense, but while I sat with Caleb on his couch, I pretended my diagnosis was a mistake. I imagined getting a phone call from my doctor, telling me the results were mixed up. I only needed to take migraine pills. It was a daydream I held onto for hours. It kept me happy until Monday morning.

I was sitting at my desk, finishing up some paperwork when the door to the PT building clanged open. I frowned and looked up to see my father walking toward me.

It was early, too early for any PT sessions, so we had the building to ourselves. Dad walked over to me, his face set and his eyes closed off. I could tell he wasn’t ready to talk to me, but Cathy sent him. Immediately, my guard went up.

“Dad,” I said. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought we could have breakfast,” Dad said. “Unless you’re too busy.”

“No,” I said, glancing down at my desk. “I was just finishing some paperwork. My first session isn’t until the afternoon.”

“Great,” Dad said, though he didn’t seem happy. “Does the cafeteria sound okay?”

“Sure.” I shrugged and got to my feet.

We walked into the main hospital and rode the elevator to the third floor. The cafeteria was mostly empty, which I thought was a good thing. If I did end up telling him about my cancer, it would be best to not have an audience.

We got our food, and each grabbed a cup of coffee. When we sat down, an awkward silence settled around us. Dad sipped his coffee and avoided my eyes while I took small bites of my blueberry muffin. It was uncomfortable in a way it shouldn’t have been. This man was my father, the only living parent I had left. I shouldn’t be afraid of him. And yet, I was.

“So,” Dad finally said. He set down his coffee and met my eyes. I swallowed my food and stared at him, preparing myself for a lecture. “Your stepmother said you and I should talk.”

I sighed. “She did?”

“Yes,” Dad said. “She seems to think this rift between us is unhealthy.”

“Well, it is,” I said honestly. “I know you don’t approve of Caleb.”

“So you two are together, then?” he asked quickly.

“I thought you knew that?” I asked, frowning.

“I guess I was hoping to be wrong,” Dad said with a sigh. “Last time I spoke to Caleb, he mentioned that you were pulling away from him. I hoped that meant you’d finally seen the error of your ways.”

“Dad,” I began. “Just listen, okay?”

He stared at me as if he wanted to argue but he didn’t. He pressed his lips tightly together and nodded for me to continue.

“I love him,” I said. Dad flinched. I pressed on. “I know you don’t like him and honestly, I understand why. When Cathy and Caleb came into our lives, Caleb wasn’t in the best place. He was a rough kid who had a lot of problems. Trust me, I know that better than anyone. But I loved him then, and I love him now. The only difference is he isn’t that person anymore.”

I paused, expecting my dad to interrupt. He didn’t. He stared at me and waited for me to continue.

“He’s grown up to be an amazing man,” I said. “He’s a hero now. I mean, what he did for that family. Dad, it was incredible. He saved their lives. He’s not the same kid we all used to know. And I know deep down you know that too.”

Dad nodded, but his face stayed set.

“I wish there was a way I could show you that he’s changed,” I said with a sigh. “You watched him go through military school. You were there when he joined the army. Hell, you’ve seen him more in the last ten years than I have. How can you doubt, even for a second, that he’s changed?”

“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 patient.”

“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.