Chapter 181 Happiness is overrated

Chapter 181 Happiness is overrated
“Your father is an asshole,” I tell Mace. He giggles. “No, don’t laugh, Macey. Let’s hate him together.” 

Someone clears their throat behind me. I jump and hide Mace from their view. It’s Dad. Walking around Mace’s crib, I try to smile at my father. He leans on the door, watching me like I would watch Mace. 

“I didn’t mean that,” I state to diffuse the tension. “Well, maybe. Only a little bit.” 

“Are you okay?” he asks from the door of the guest room in his London house. He might not have understood why I asked us to leave Wells but he drove us back to his house. I suspect Calum will check mine.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I reply. 

“Cathy.” 

“I’m fine,” I whisper. I just buried my best friend, and my baby daddy walked back into my life. Of course I’m okay, I’m cool. “I’m fine. I just need to be alone for a bit.” 

He spreads his arms open in a hug. “Come here.” I fly into his arms, almost taking two of us to the ground. Dad steadies us and squeezes me tight. “It’s okay. It will be fine.” 

It won’t. Everyone is a liar. It’s not okay. 

Dad walks me back to my bed. We sit side by side as my phone rings a second or third time. I don’t have to check to know it’s Mr Dissick. Now he wants to talk? Yeah, right. I’m done with him. Mace and I were fine without him, and we will be after he leaves. He has his grandpa. The only important man in his life. 

“Why did we have to leave so fast?” he asks. 

My gaze descends to my hands tangled in my gown. I’m still in the white gown. My chest heaves, and I look out the window. It’s dark outside. We arrived a little over an hour ago. I smoothen the lace at the hem of the gown.

“Calum.” I bite the inside of my lips and let myself take in a much needed air. Dad’s hand drops to mine, he pushes two of his fingers forward and locks them with mine. I try to smile at his kindness. “Calum showed up at the house to pay his condolences.” 

The full force of his gaze hits me when I lift my head. “Did you two get a chance to talk?” 

“And I made sure to let him know that he isn’t wanted here. I don’t want to see him.” Dad’s silence pries my already broken heart open. He squeezes my hand. “Say something,” I whisper. “Did I do the right thing?” 

“Do you think you did the right thing?”

“Yes,” I answer a bit too fast.

I don’t want a man who only shows up when there’s a tragedy. I want a man who shows up, day in and day out. On the good, bad and ugly days. Calum has proven what kind of man he is. It took Amelia dying for me to see it. He’s not worth any of my tears.

“What if I said it wasn’t the right thing?” my dad asks. I shrug. “You know it’s my fault.” 

“It’s not your fault,” I scream. He has to stop saying that.

“It is. Mine and Dani.” 

I shoot to my feet. “It’s not your fault, Dad.” 

“You’re not the girl I used to know, Cathy.” 

“People change, Dad. Especially when they have had a kid. They change.” I look at my son in his homemade crib. Dad made it from scratch. He’s the kind of man I need in my life. Not a Calum Dissick. Jason is so much better than him. Dad’s eyes water. He clenches his knees. “You’ve also changed.” 

“Yeah,” he answers, nodding. He releases his knees and I barrel forward to hug him. Happiness is overrated. It’s unattainable. I have Mace, I have my father. I have my best friends. They are alive. That’s enough. Dad sits me down on his leg and runs his fingers through my short hair. I grin. “Was he the one calling on our way back here?” 

The ringtone cuts through the air. Sweet Jesus. That man is hell-bent on frustrating me. He called for most of the three hours journey to London. He can’t take a hint. I don’t want to see him. I don’t want to talk to him. 

I stomp to my purse on the table with the rest of my stuff. As expected, Calum is calling. I didn’t save his number but I memorised the digits after hearing his voice the first time I mistakenly picked. I end the call and it rings less than two seconds after. Bubbling with anger, hate and many more dark emotions, I type in four words. He has done enough damage.

Me: Fuck off Calum Dissick.

“You should pick,” Dad says. 

What if he sees Mace and decides to take him? He is rich and popular. The media loves him.

“Not interested.” My hip digs into the table when I whip to face Dad. I fold my arms on my chest, no interest in the phone vibrating on the table. Dad’s fingers sink into the edge of the bed. I imagine the wheels in his head are spinning from trying to think up a counter. “Even you, Dad. You’re not allowed to talk to him. He is not welcomed here.” 

“Catherine.” 

“I just lost my best friend, Dad.” Fresh tears rush to my eyes. I close my eyes and they roll down my cheeks. If he cared, he would have shown up earlier. I’ve moved on. “I don’t want to talk about Calum.”

“Okay.” I think he’s done talking about that but he whispers, “I’ll never truly be happy knowing what I did. I may have ruined your chance at happiness, Catherine. I should have given him a chance to talk. Both of you. I need to make it right.” 

The rest of his words fly over my head. My mind zeroes in on—ruin, echoing the word over and over again in my head that I fear it will explode. The only person who ruined anything was Mr Dissick. He ruined my life with his empty promises. 

“You didn’t ruin anything. You took me to the hospital, not him. You’ve been here for me every step of the way, not him. So, you didn’t ruin anything. And that’s that, Dad.” 

“Just talk to him. Even if it’s only once.”