Chapter Ten: The Best Deceptions (Part Two)

I looked into the living room before going to pee. A bunch of people had already left the party, probably going somewhere to get lucky. The only people left that I could see were Marco, by himself, Manny and Craig making out on the couch, and Jay and Emma in the kitchen, with Emma on the counter, making out. I shook my head and smiled, making my way to the bathroom. When I got there, I noticed that the door was open, but locked. Someone must have been in there earlier and didn't shut the door all the way before locking it. Someone who was probably drunk.

I heard the shower on and sighed. And whoever it was left the shower on. I threw back the curtain to turn the water off and nearly screamed. Someone was having sex in my shower. Paige to be exact. How disgusting. Only she wasn't with Spinner. I couldn't see the guy's face, but he seemed familiar to me somehow.

Paige's legs were wrapped around this guy's waist, and her back was pressed up against the shower wall. She was bouncing herself up and down and moaning. Dear lord help me. I started walking backwards. For some reason, I didn't want to know who she was having sex with, and I didn't want to pee anymore. I turned to walk out of the bathroom, but stopped when something on the ground caught my eye. Their clothes. I saw the familiar camouflage pants and shirt, lying on the ground, and recognized the name tag. Nash. Then I screamed.

"DAD?" Paige and, yep, my father, I could tell now that he turned his head, immediately stopped. "What the fuck are you doing?" I yelled, knowing very well what they were doing.

"Ellie, honey," my dad started to say.

"GET OUT!" I screamed. "And take your nasty little slut with you!" I watched my dad scramble for a towel and throw it around his waist. I shoved his clothes into his arms and pushed him out of the room as hard as I could. Sean ran into the bathroom when he heard me screaming. He looked like he was going to puke. "Get him out of here!" I yelled to him.

I watched as Sean dragged my father out of the room, and waited until I heard the door slam before I turned to Paige. She had turned the shower off and was just standing there. I threw her clothes at her. "He's fucking 38 years old you little skank!" I yelled. I grabbed her by the arm, and led her through the apartment, still naked, and threw her out of the back door, into the alley.

I looked around my home and saw Emma, Jay, Craig, Manny, and Marco getting up to leave. They were all drunk. I took Jay and Craig's keys from them and gave them all money to take the bus. I didn't want anyone driving. After they all left, I looked at Sean. He came over to me and wrapped his arms around me, holding me as I started to cry.

My own father was having sex with someone from my school. I'm sure that it was the first time that happened, but it was still horrible. I hated him for it. He ruined my party and my time with Sean. Bastard. I let Sean lead me back to his room. He closed the door and brought me to his bed.

"Can I have something else to wear?" I asked. I was exhausted with anger. He handed me sweatpants and a huge t-shirt, then turned around to let me change. I collapsed into his bed, and he followed. He wrapped his arms around me, and for once in my life, I felt safe without Marco. As I fell asleep, he whispered in my ear. The last thing I heard him say was,

"I love you."

I woke up next to Sean once again. But I felt good being near him. Maybe I can get over Marco. But…maybe not. This is so frustrating. I don't think I'm ready to let Marco completely out of my heart, but I think that I may be able to let Sean in. Then there's the whole thing about the baby. I sighed and rolled over, kissing Sean lightly. He woke up at me and smiled.

"Hey Sean…" I started to ask.

"I meant it," he said, before I could get the question out. "Ellie…over these past six months, I think that, um, well, I think that I've fallen in love with you." I didn't say anything to this. We just lay there in silence. "You don't have to feel the same way. I just like having you here with me."

"You mean Sean Cameron actually has a heart?" I joked.

"I think you gave it to me." I kissed Sean again. That was so sweet. I was finally ready to say something.

"You're a great guy, and I do have feelings for you. I just don't know if I can let go of Marco yet. I know that he's gay and we could never be together, it just takes some time to get over. I also know that I've been 'getting over it' for six months already, I just need a little more time, that's all," I explained.

"I'll give you all the time you need." We started making out but didn't go any farther than that. I sat up and smiled. I need to take a shower," I told him. Then I remembered what my dad did in our shower last night. "Actually, maybe not." Sean knew why I said it.

"I'll go disinfect the tub and walls for you," he said. "And before you say it, yes, Sean Cameron knows how to clean," he said, smirking.

"I wasn't going to say it, but okay." I smiled at him and he kissed me on the cheek before getting up. Ten minutes later, he returned.

"All set," he told me.

"Thanks a bunch." Did I really just say that? It sounded so…so…Paige-like. Ew. I really need to get my head straight here. Could love turn someone into Paige? If this is even love. I don't know. All I do know is that I don't want to break Sean's heart.

I got up and went into Sean's dresser drawers, pulling out another shirt and sweatpants. He just watched me and didn't protest to me going through his stuff. I smiled at him and went into the bathroom, not bothering to lock the door behind me. I was actually comfortable here now. Plus, if Sean had to pee or brush his teeth or something like that, he could just do it and not have to wait for me.

After a long, hot shower, I got dressed in Sean's clothes and ran out of the bathroom, welcoming the cool air on my face. I walked into the living room and found Sean sitting a chair, looking very uncomfortable. Seated on the couch were two police officers, one male, and one female. I recognized them from the night that my mother died. Maybe they're here to tell me something about her.

"Ellie, the officers want to ask you a few questions about your dad," he said, giving me a weird look. Maybe not. They're here about my dad? I wonder why. Maybe they found out that he had sex with a sixteen-year-old. Great. I really want everyone to find out about that.

"What do you want to know?" I asked, sitting down on the arm of Sean's chair. He placed his hand on the small of my back as if steadying me.

"We need to know where he's staying," the man, Officer Blake, told me.

"Is this about what happened last night?" I asked. Sean nudged me, meaning that I was wrong, and he already knew what they wanted.

"It's about your mother," the woman, Officer Vida, explained. Neither of them cared that something had happened last night at all. This was big. I could feel it. "It's extremely urgent that we know where he is right now."

"He's staying at the hotel over on North Highland Boulevard. I forget the name of it though. The number is 268," I offered the information. "Now, can I please ask why this has anything to do with my mom? She killed herself six months ago…"

"Ms. Nash…" Officer Blake began.

"Call me Ellie," I said, interrupting him. Officer Vida took over.

"Ellie," she said. "Your mother did not kill herself." The room fell silent. Sean put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. My back was resting on his left shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused. "My dad already told me everything that happened."

"He was lying to you Ellie," Sean interjected.

"I think you're all lying!" I yelled, tears forming behind my eyes.

"Listen to me Ellie," Sean said to me. "They found the gun that killed her. And it didn't have her prints on it. It would have to have her prints on it if she held it to her own head," he said forcefully.

"Whose prints were on that gun?" I asked, staring at the Officers.

"Christian Nash," Officer Blake finally said.

"No, you're lying! My dad would never kill anyone! He's been away in the Army!" I yelled, standing up. Sean stood quickly and rushed to my side. Both of the Officers stood up as well.

"You're father was never enlisted in the Army. We've already looked into it," Officer Vida told me.

"That's a lie too! Where else would he have been all of this time? He enlisted when we moved here over a year ago!" Sean pulled me to him and put his arms around me.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered in my ear.

"Get out of my house!" I screamed at the Officers. They obeyed. They had their information. My father is not a murderer. He's in the Army. He protects our country. I turned to Sean and put my head to his chest, soaking his shirt with my tears.

That night, my father was arrested for the murder of my mother. I actually went to see him in jail a few days later, where he was awaiting his trial. There, I meet this woman named Riley. She looks like she is about twenty years old. The 'hotel' my dad was staying at turned out to be her house that he bought for her.

And she has a son, Kieran, who is one and a half years old. He is my father's son. My half-brother. He wasn't in the Army. He was playing house with some teenager, barely older than me. And he cheated on her with Paige, someone even younger than she was. I told Riley about Paige and my dad, and I left, never looking back. She probably forgave him.

The next day was the trial. I didn't show up. I learned that he confessed to the murder. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison. I could feel my heart break and I just let it. Nothing could stop this pain. Riley will wait for him. They'll always be a family. We were never a family after what happened to Matthias. He was the beam that held us up, the chain that linked us together. When he died, the beam fell, the chain broke, and we all came crashing down. My mother is dead. My father might as well be. It's his fault. Now I'm the only one left. And I can't handle it.