Wounded Secrets

Dad picked me up in his arms and walked off the bus. I hugged him tightly, as if I was four again and he was bringing me in the house to clean off my knees because I fell from my bike. He kissed the top of my head before catching a cab and climbing in the back.

"Closest hotel." My father ordered the driver. He put it in drive and we sped down the road.

"Hey, your Gerard Way, aren't you?" The taxi driver asked. My father looked at him through the mirror.

"Yes, I am, if you could concentrate on the road." He replied, clearly short-tempered as he held his daughter, clothes prectically falling off her body.

After a moment of silence the driver spoke up again. "You know, my daughter has been obsessed with you since she was just 4 years old."

Usually dad would be happier about this, but at this moment he couldn't care less. "Nice."

"W-What's her name?" I asked, looking out the window.

"Kylie." He smiled into the mirror.

"Kylie Nelson? Brown hair, brown eyes, amazing artist?" I asked, looking at the mirror this time.

"Yeah, you know her?" He asked, surprised.

"Yeah. She's been to my house a few times too. Must not have told you." I shrugged, leaning back on dad's shoulder.

"Oh, Kylie? She's really talented, but I thought she-" he looked down at me. I nodded my head, acknowledging his Implication that she had died last year.

"Really? She met you? She hasn't talked to me in a few years. I mean, we fought when she was just 13 and I haven't seen her since." I burried my face into dad's chest and held the tears coming.

"Don't." I said when I looked up to see dad open his mouth to talk. We stopped outside a large hotel. We payed the driver the amount with a $20 tip and hopped out of the cab. I looked back through the open window and reached my hand in.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Nelson." I said.

"Bandit?" He asked. I had already turned around and walked into the hotel, dad trailing behind me.

"What was that?" Dad asked me.

"Remember when I went through that stage and I wouldn't leave you. I was, say, 13/14." I asked as we walked towards the desk.

"Yeah?" he looked at me sideways.

"That's because Kylie's father moved back to Canada without her even though he was the only besides me she was close to. And I didn't want you to leave like he did." I looked at my feet as we reached the counter.

Dad as talked with the person at the desk and got us a room and we didn't talk until we were in the elevator and just pressed the button for level 10, where we were staying.

"Bandit, I'm sorry. And I would never leave you." He sighed as he looked at the ceiling.

"I know, dad." I hugged him.

"I'm sorry." He repeated. I looked up at him.

"For what?" I asked, suspicious of his sudden apology spree.

He sighed, looking away guiltily. "When Frank came back in the Arcade..." I could see him choke back his tear and I let go of him, looking at the floor we were on. Only the 5th floor. Fucking slow elevator. "...and we- well, um, yeah."

"Are you fucking serious?!" I shouted at him. "We finally make up then you go and betray my trust?! Fuck!"

I pulled on my hair, hoping causing this pain would take away the pain in my heart. The elevator came to our level and I briskly walked to the door and swung the door open and locked myself in the bathroom. I curled myself up as far away from the door as I could, which happened to be in the shower that was thankfully dry, and cried as softly as I could.

"Bandit, let me in." Dad said, knocking in the door softly.

I just held my legs closer to me and cried louder. "P-Please, just g-go!"

"Bandit, I'm sorry! I didn't know what was happening, it all happened so fast, and I didn't stop myself. I'm sorry." He said. The stein in his voice proved he was crying too. I wanted to go hug my daddy while I felt really bad, but this wasn't a boo-boo or a paper cut. This was serious and it was his fault.

"D-Dad, but st-stop! P-please?!" I yelled. I heard shuffling before the door opened an closed with loud thuds. I took that as a sign that he had left so I walked out of the room. He was gone, so I ran into the room and slid under the warm covers.

&&&

Notes

Ugh. So short. I'm sorry. Ugh. More tomorrow.