That weekend, Dad informed me he was taking me on a father-son bonding trip.

"Where to?" I asked dryly as he stood in my doorway on Sunday morning.

Dad crossed his arms. "To the city," he said simply.

I waited a beat. Then shrugged. "Okay."

He frowned suspiciously. "You're not gonna fight me on this?"

"No," I replied, sliding off my bed. I stuffed my feet into some shoes and grabbed Cash's hoodie from where it hung in my closet, pulling it on. I knew I'd need his support to get through this trip, even if it was only in spirit. "I know there's no use arguing with you. The sooner we get this over with, the better."

Dad sighed heavily and called goodbye to Elena as we left the house and climbed into his car.

"So," he began, starting up the engine, "how's school going?"

"Fine." I quickly pulled out my headphones. "It's fine."

"That's good," Dad said brightly. "Have you been doing your homewo-"

"I can't hear you over the music," I cut in, raising my voice for emphasis. I wasn't actually listening to anything, but I'd take any excuse not to make small talk with Dad. "Sorry."

Dad sighed again, and I turned away and stared resolutely out the window as we backed out of the driveway.

Oh yeah, this was going to be a fun trip.

- - - -

Dad ended up taking me to a museum. It was an old building, with smooth stone pillars, broad oak doors, and a musky, old book smell about it. The car park was relatively empty, so it mustn't have been very popular.

"Do you remember this place?" Dad asked as I opened the car door. "Your mother and I used to take you here as a kid all the time."

"Not really," I muttered blandly.

We trudged in silence up to the front entrance, awkwardness stretching between us.

Ugh, I thought resentfully, glaring at Dad from the corner of my eye. Why would this have ever been a good idea?

As we entered the museum, however, a uniformed guard stepped out from behind the front desk. "Sorry, sir" he said, clearing his throat, "but we're closed on Sundays."

"What?" Dad cried, in obvious bewilderment. "Since when?"

"We've had the same opening hours for years, sir," the guard replied.

"That's wonderful," I scoffed loudly.

"Oh geez..." Dad rubbed at the back of his neck. "I guess I didn't realise. It wasn't like this when we used to come here."

I cocked a brow. "And you didn't check the website for updates?"

His face turned red. "I guess I just assumed..."

"Sorry about this," I said to the guard, pulling Dad away. "We'll leave now."

"Alyx!" Dad called after me as I stormed back to the car. "Wait! I'm sorry!"

"It's fine," I muttered. Truthfully, I didn't really care. In fact, the shortening of our trip was welcomed. "Let's just go home."

"Hang on," he protested. "At least...At least let me take you to lunch. Let's go to McDonald's or something."

I hesitated. Stared at my reflection in the car window, my hand on the door handle.

I don't know what possessed me to say it.

"Fine."

- - - -

Twenty minutes later I was sitting in a McDonald's, texting Cash.

'What are you doing right now?' he asked.

'Eating greasy food,' I replied, 'in the finest culinary establishment known to man: McDonald's.'

'Jealous.'

I laughed into my palm. 'What about you?'

'Football practice. I'm risking everything to secret text you.'

'Then get off your phone,' I teased, with a winking emoji.

"Alyx, can you get off your phone," Dad muttered, sliding into the booth. He set a tray of food onto the table. "I swear, you're always on that thing."

I rolled my eyes but shoved it back into my pocket. "Actually," I retorted, taking a handful of fries, "You're not around enough to make that assumption."

"I wasn't aware you wanted me around more."

"I don't."

Another of our infamous silences fell over the table, punctuated only by my obnoxious slurping as I sipped from my drink.

Then Dad shook his head. "Well...I want to be around more."

There was real uncertainty in his eyes, and I could tell it had taken him a lot of courage to admit that. I could tell that he was self-conscious about it. That he was expecting me to reject him. That he was afraid.

And I didn't care.

"That's nice," I said, with an air of dismissal. "But don't worry about it. I've got Elena, and besides, I'll be in college soon."

"Exactly." Dad leaned across the booth, as though attempting to press upon me the importance of what he was about to say. "Alyx, I-I want to be in your life more. You're growing up so fast, and I don't want to miss it."

I didn't respond. Couldn't respond. Words were stuck in my throat like a piece of lodged food.

"And I know you spend all that time in your room," he continued. "You're always doing school work, or texting on your phone-I want you to get out more. To spend more time in the outdoors. There's a whole world out there, and I don't want you to-"

"To what?" I sneered, anger coursing through me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You have no right to tell me how to live my life. You don't even know anything about me-"

"Alyx, I'm not-"

"Forget it." I stood suddenly, my appetite gone. "Let's just go."

- - - -

The drive home was rife with tension. We didn't speak, and this time I did listen to music; angry rock blared in my ears, drowning out the thoughts racing through my mind.

When we pulled into the driveway, I leapt from the car and stalked quickly to the house.

"Alyx!" Dad called, hurrying after me. His voice was frantic, each word sailing sharply through the air. "Can't we just talk about this?"

I ignored him determinedly, quickening my pace. But before I could reach the front door he clamped a hand onto my shoulder, pulling me back.

"Wait up-"

"Don't touch me," I spat, throwing him off.

"Can't we just talk about this?" Dad begged.

Something in his face made me snap.

"Fine," I hissed, folding my arms. "Let's talk."

"Why won't you let me into your life, Alyx?" he cried, throwing his hands into the air. "I'm trying, I really am-"

"Are you?" I sneered, thrusting my chin forward. "Are you really?"

He fell silent then, and though I ought to let it go, now that the wound had been pulled open, I couldn't stop from tearing it further.

"You don't get to stop trying after Mum left," I continued, "you don't get to put all the parenting duties on Elena-who was a high school student-and then stroll back into my life years later and pretend like everything's cool."

Years of pent-up anger was boiling within me, and I let it engulf me, let it swallow me up and drag me into its depths.

"You stopped being my Dad years ago," I concluded, letting my voice drop into an icy caress. "The least you can do now is to stop trying to fuck up my life again."

Dad didn't respond. There were so many emotions flickering over his face, and I didn't care to understand a single one of them.

"I'm only going to say this one more time: Leave. Me. Alone."

A/N: Thanks for reading! If you're enjoying so far, please leave a vote and/or a comment :)