Page 61 of Coastal Runaway

“Speaking of women—” Nolan looked at me.

“No one said anything about women.” I lifted a brow towards him.

“As I was saying, speaking of women, we were talking and we think you should invite your girl over for dinner.”

I started to panic. This was getting out of hand. Lies were stacked on top of lies. “I’ll ask her and let you know,” I said simply.

That seemed to get him off my back for now; he dropped the subject and started talking about some new girl that he met on the beach with killer D-cups. I chugged my beer, picked up the fresh one the bartender left for me, and threw that one back as well. Everything was starting to lay heavy on my chest, and I was afraid that if some of the problems didn’t get resolved soon that the wave would drag me under and I’d drown.

twenty-six

Keegan

I hung up the phone and went to check the front door. When I opened it I was surprised to find my dad standing in front of me.

“Hey dad, I didn’t know you were back in town. I thought you weren’t back until after Halloween!” I reached up to hug him.

Since we all relocated away from the East Coast, my dad spent more and more time here in LA. But his job still took him away to New York for a few months at a time. He left after Nolan and I’s birthday. I didn’t know he planned to come home early.

We walked into the kitchen and I put on a pot of coffee, “why did you knock? You literally own the house,” I laughed.

“I might own it, but this is your space. I don’t like to just charge in.”

We stood in awkward silence for a few minutes until the coffee machine beeped. I grabbed my two favorite mugs and filled them with the hot, glorious, brown liquid. I slid a mug over for my dad, knowing he liked it black, and grabbed the creamer from the fridge for me.

“So, what’s up?” I asked, taking a sip.

“I’m worried about you.”

That made me pause, “why?”

He sighed, “look, Keegs, I have tried really hard to stay out of the way as you find your path, but recently it seems like the more space I give you, the more lost you become.”

His words landed hard against my chest, “I know you saw the pictures.”

“Yeah I saw the pictures. The entire country saw the pictures. And you didn’t even call me before I had to see it blasted on the internet.” Anger was starting to pour out of him as he placed his mug on the counter.

“The family lawyer called me; it’s been handled. I took care of it.” Defiance rolled through me.

“You could’ve asked me for help!” His voice was starting to raise.

“What would you have done, dad? You would’ve called the family lawyer. We cut out the middle man.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and held my chin high. I love my dad, but I'd made decisions on my own for a long time. Luke wasn’t the only one who didn’t come after me when I left.

“Keegan,” he sighed and hung his head low, “I know that I gave you kids a lot of freedom growing up, but that doesn’t mean I’m not available when you need me.”

“But you haven’t been available when I need you,” I said knowing the words would hurt.

I didn’t know what it was like to have a mom, not really. I only knew what it was like being raised by nannies and a father who worked hard to provide everything in life that we could ever want, but was rarely ever around. I used to hear wild tales of my dad—someone who had fun, and laughed, and was the life of the party. But, it’s like the day my mom died that man disappeared and the ghost of a man standing in front of me was born.

“I have made a lot of mistakes, okay, when you left⁠—”

My laugh was incredulous, “when your seventeen year old daughter left and drove across the country alone, you didn’t even call.”

“I called. You didn’t pick up,” He barked.

“You called four days later! I was already here! I was a lost little girl who needed her dad and you let me go.”