18

I was home alone, which was fine with me, and I immediately went to my room to look at myself in the mirror with my sweater pulled up. Micah was right. It looked really good and I was starting to love it.

"Mia?" I suddenly heard a voice from the living room and when I realized it was my father, I straightened my sweater and walked down the hall smiling.

"Dad," I beamed at him and threw myself into his chest. I hadn't expected him at all and I was all the happier about his spontaneous visit.

"How are you, little one?" he asked, smiling and pulling away from me so we could both sit at the glass table.

"It's awful here without you," I admitted, looking at him pained. Of course I didn't want him to worry, but I wanted to be honest.

"I don't think it's nice to be separated from you either, but I'm not completely innocent. Your mother told me that you were going through a difficult time and asked me to talk to you."

He took my hand on the table and ran his other hand through his blond hair.

"What do you mean not entirely innocent?" I asked him, frowning.

"I lost a lot of business, got into debt and put your mother in this situation. We are both to blame for this situation and I am so sorry that you are the one suffering," he explained and I immediately pulled my hand away from him, stunned .

"You can't be serious?" I shook my head, getting up to pace angrily in front of him. "You might have had problems at work, but she cheated on you and let the guy move in here a few days later. She cheated on me too. I don't see how you can protect her after all this!"

"Your mother fell in love again, but that doesn't mean we're not a family anymore," he still defended the situation and then got up as well.

"It's a great family. Will we all celebrate Christmas together?" I rolled my eyes annoyed and crossed my arms.

"Mia, I-"

"Dad, you don't understand. Thomas is totally-"

Before I could tell him how aggressive Thomas was, he entered the house and gave my father a friendly hand. I just looked disappointed in my dad's eyes and then turned my back on him. I didn't want to hear or see anything, much less want to be in the room with that asshole named Thomas.

I slammed the door to my room, lowered the shutters and turned on my CD player just to tune out everything to the music in my ears.

It wasn't long before there was a knock on my door and, hoping my father would still be here, I got up and opened it.

"Come into the living room, please," my mother stood in front of me, fiddling with her reddish hair. I wasn't in the mood, especially not for her or Thomas, but I followed her and was glad that my father was still sitting at the table. But the disappointment came just as quickly when I saw Thomas and Kiyan.

"We should all talk together. It can't go on like this," my mother said and pushed me to the table where I sat across from Thomas.

"Well, Mia," my mother took a seat and looked at me lovingly. Apparently they were acting in front of my father. Such hypocrites. "I know that all this is not easy for you, but despite everything, we are all always there for you."

All eyes were on me, even Kiyan's, and I felt like I was the only one who didn't find this normal. "I spoke to your father about the fact that you can visit him at any time and Thomas would be really happy if you would also do something with him from time to time so that you could get to know each other better."

I would have liked to jump over the table and shake her awake. No one but me had seen him push Kiyan to the moving truck. He wasn't a good person and just as I was about to tell them this, my father took my hand and looked at me intently. "I would be really happy if this all worked out," he said in a soft tone, and I really had to hold back tears. If I told you how Thomas was really on it, nobody would probably believe me and my father would be the only one who would be worried. I did not want. Especially not since he was already under so much stress because of his job.

"Okay," I agreed, my voice cracking, and the three adults immediately stood up.

"Very nice," my mother beamed, then turned to me and Kiyan. "We wanted to go eat something. Would you like to come with us?"

I immediately shake my head in the negative. Acting wasn't my forte and I couldn't survive playing an ideal world for a whole meal. Kiyan also refused and we just watched as the others left the house together. My father gave me a kiss on the forehead beforehand and I was alone with Kiyan and there was a long silence.

I got up first and walked down the hallway without saying anything, but before I could disappear into my room, I felt Kiyan's hand on mine and turned to him in surprise.

"What did you get done?" he asked, glaring at me. What was his problem?

"What do you care?" I retorted at the thought of his girlfriend and pulled my hand away.

"I don't want to see you there anymore," he then said seriously, leaning his shoulder against the wall next to him. He must have just arrived before the interview because he was still wearing his black jacket.

"Why? Because your girlfriend doesn't like me?" I crossed my arms provocatively.

"She's not my girlfriend!" he defended himself and he was starting to make me really angry, but at the same time I also felt this beautiful tingling in my stomach at the sight of him. How inappropriate!