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“No one of any consequence,” I said as I pushed past him and closed the car door.
“Addie,” he called out to me as I made my way to the diner. “Addie! Fuck!” he shouted.
I ignored him and entered the diner. He followed closely behind me, I could sense his presence and his unhappy disposition as I entered and began to work. Sofia had been busy, but nothing she couldn’t handle. I hated the smug little smile she gave me, like she was telling me she had everything under control and she could handle it all. Yeah, like I was just going to drop the Yale thing and let her rot in here, like Daddy and I did. I don’t fucking think so.
“Go home,” I barked at her.
“Why?” she asked, almost hurt because I hadn’t acknowledged her.
“Because,” I said taking an apron. Daimon had sat himself down in a small booth in the back of the diner and watched me closely.
“Addie? Your face.” She reached for me but I walked away from her.
“Home!” I insisted again.
“Addie, did he hit you?” she asked, as she followed me to the back of the diner.
“No! He would never hurt me,” I fired back. Not physically that is. Daimon stood up from where he sat and followed us.
“Then who?” she began to panic.
“Try her ex, your fun loving Frank,” Daimon hissed as he stood with his hands in his jean pockets. Sofia turned to face him and then me.
“Frank would never hurt her,” she fired back. Daimon only chuckled.
“How fucking long are you going to keep her in the dark about this?” he spat out to me.
“Daimon shut up already,” I hissed trying to keep my voice low enough so our customers wouldn’t hear us.
“In the dark about what?” she cried out.
“Sofia, go home. Dad needs you, so please just go home,” I pleaded with her.
“Why?” she almost sobbed. “What happened at his doctor’s appointment?” She looked at me, her eyes wide.
“The meds aren’t working.” My voice cracked and I was on the verge of tears.
“Addie?” she whispered.
“Take the car, it’s a few blocks down. Go be with Dad. I got this.” I smiled, attempting to reassure her.
She ran past me, took her jacket along with the car keys and left. Only Daimon and I stood in the back of the diner. I closed my eyes, the hard lump smoldering in my throat. I knelt down and began to cry again. “Fuck,” Daimon muttered as he slowly walked over to me, reached down, and wrapped his arms around me. I let him hold me only because I needed someone, anyone and that anyone was him. His warm embrace almost melting away the hard exterior I had built up all these years.
“Enough,” I said meekly, as I pushed him off me and began to walk away.
“Addie.”
“Daimon, I have to work. I don’t have time for this.” I left a bewildered Daimon standing in the back of my diner.
He stayed with me, but only for a little while. Once he realized I wasn’t going to give him the time of day, he left. However, I was left with a text from him.Daimon:This isn’t overI ignored it and continued with my work. The day was long and exhausting. After the small dinner rush no one else came in. Each minute that passed only added to my stress. I watched the clock, almost counting the amount of money we were losing. How the hell was I going to tell my dad now? There would be no way I could simply bring up closing the diner.
I cleaned up and locked up. The same sleek black sedan was waiting for me out front, but the older gentleman who usually drove us around wasn’t there. A younger, buffer man stood in front of me as he held the door open.
“Mr. Evans wants me to drive you home,” he said. I nodded and gave in instantly.A FIST FULL OF DOLLARSThe porch light was on. It was early in the evening and this usually was the date night I had with Daimon, but he didn’t call or text. I put the key into the door and felt my heart sink as I walked into see my father hunched over the couch trying to be comfortable when all he could do was hurt. Sofia was next to him watching an old movie they both loved.
“You’re home,” my father said over his shoulder.
“Yeah,” I said as I placed my things down on the floor near the door.
“Was it busy today?” he asked as I sat down in the armchair.
“It was okay,” I said as I looked at the television and not him.
Sofia barely acknowledged me as all three of us sat and watched the movie. It was “A Fist Full of Dollars.” My father loved westerns and would often make us watch them with him. He thought Clint Eastwood was the best. I smiled a bittersweet smile at the moment we were sharing. The best part was the ending when ‘the stranger’ who was played by Clint Eastwood challenged the bad guys. My dad relished the ending, his eyes would sparkle and he would forget for a moment about all that affected him. Instead of the ending, I sat back watching my father, looking at him intently, trying hard to remember the last time he was like this. I was going to brand this moment in my mind and keep it there, as fuel to keep me going. He smirked when Ramon, one of the characters in the movie, got what was coming to him.
