11. Thrash
Chapter 11
Thrash
T oday is the day. It’s been three weeks since Addie decided she was going to meet her father in person. He lives in Florida and we agreed to meet up halfway. The destination is a small town in South Carolina called Fox Grove. Addie and I have never been there before, so we decided to stay a few days and make a nice little mini vacation out of it. She’s been reading up on all the things to do there, but I think it’s mostly been a welcome distraction for her. She’s been a bundle of nerves and anxiety for weeks, so I told her to plan out a couple of fun things for us to do while we’re there. I want her to enjoy herself.
It’s early in the morning, and Addie is asleep in the passenger seat, her head resting on a pillow she’s propped against the window. We got a pretty early start because the trip is a long one. A little over eight hours in total. We’ll be staying at a little inn near the edge of town once we get there, and we’re both looking forward to it.
She looks so peaceful, and I’m glad she can relax a bit. She’s been so stressed lately, and I want her to enjoy herself while we’re on this trip. We’ve been talking a lot about what she wants out of this meeting with her father, and I think she’s come to terms with the idea that it might go well or it might not. She’s prepared for the worst, but she’s also hoping for a good outcome.
I know she’s got a lot of questions and things she wants to know. Hell, I have a lot of questions and he’s not even my father. Like why did he abandon her? But I tell myself not to jump to conclusions. There could be a legit reason he didn’t raise her. Maybe it wasn’t because he didn’t want to. I just hope that whatever happens, she gets closure. And if the fucker did walk out on her and she wants to let him know how she’s feeling about that, then I’ll make sure she gets that chance.
We arrive at the inn shortly after 4pm. It’s a large brick house with a wrap-around porch. There’s a big pond off to the side with a little gazebo next to it. I can see us taking a little stroll over at some point.
We check in, and the lady at the front desk shows us to our room. It’s on the second floor, and it’s spacious, with a king-sized bed and a private bathroom with a jetted tub. There’s also a little balcony that overlooks the pond and the woods beyond it. I can’t wait to take her out there and kiss her under the moonlight.
We unpack our things and get ready to meet her father at a nearby restaurant. She’s quiet. Maybe too quiet.
“Everything is gonna be alright, baby,” I say, stepping up behind her as she looks outside, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her back against me. “Whatever happens, you’ve got this.”
“What if I don’t though?”
“Then I’ve got you,” I say, kissing her neck softly.
She sighs and turns around in my arms, looking up at me. “Thank you,” she whispers, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss me. She’s been thanking me a lot for this. I keep telling her she doesn’t need to, that I’d do anything for her. I’m not sure she’s fully accepted that yet, though. I sometimes think that she thinks she’s a burden to me. I’m going to spend every day of the rest of my life proving that she isn’t.
“It’s almost six,” she says.
“You ready?”
“I don’t think I could ever be completely ready,” she says. “But yeah, let’s go.”
We head out to my truck to make the short drive to the restaurant.
I hold her hand the whole way, and as we approach the restaurant, I’m prepared to hold her up if she needs it or to catch her if she falls.