dakota's pov +

as i came downstairs from finishing my homework, i checked my phone to see i had six missed calls from an unknown number just before the doorbell rang.

i ignored my phone for a second and opened it - feeling my heart in my mouth when my dad stood before me.

"no, no, you need to leave" i instantly rushed and tried to push him away from the porch.

"dakota, i tried to call before coming but you didn't answer. i'm sorry for what happened, but you're my—".

"no, leave" i angrily whispered. "someone will see you and—".

"harry?" my mom appeared behind me at the door, her eyes filling with tears of disbelief.

"sarah" dad stretched out a smile.

"what are you...—when did you—" she tried to speak.

"look, i know that me being here is a shock but i've been dying to see you all".

with my luck, nate walked down the stairs and immediately locked eyes with his uncle and froze on his spot.

dad comfortably walked into the house as he stared in awe at nate, "nathan. wow, you're so tall now".

"what do you want?" he spat back.

"i wanted—".

"and don't say you wanted to see us because you've had all the time in the world to do that or were you just too high to do so?" nate retaliated.

dad scratched the back of his neck at the rising hostility in the room.

"i've been trying to pick up the courage. i knew that you all wouldn't want to see me but i had to come back despite what you said dakota" he explained, leaving my chest to tighten at his words.

"what did you say?" mom inquired.

nate's head snapped towards me, "have you been speaking to him?".

i shook my head nervously, "no...well, not technically".

"you've been in contact with your father all this time and you never told us!" mom shockingly yelled before pushing her hair back and shaking her head at me.

"but he left us, mom! i thought you wouldn't want to see him".

she pointed her finger at me, "you don't know what i want, young lady. how selfish could you be?".

my shoulders disappointedly dropped at her choice of words, "mom".

"your father and i could have talked and sorted out our differences, we could have helped him" she added.

"he's still taking drugs to this day!" i began to cry. "nate, listen to me. you get why i did it right?".

i hopefully stared at my cousin until he looked away from me with the same look that my mom was giving me right now.

"it wasn't just your choice to make" he responded.

how can they not understand why i kept this from them? and how are they possibly taking his side over mine right now.

"please don't blame, dakota. she's the reason that i got the balls to come here" dad answered.

"don't defend me" i pierced my eyes at him. "you were never here to defend me from anything, so don't you dare start now!"

with tears heavily in my eyes, i hastily walked past them all and out the front door. my dad being back and the way my mom reacted to him being here is only a matter of time before he's back in our lives for good. back to ruin them all over again.

at this moment, i only wished that i had a car so i could drive far away from here and pretend like this wasn't happening right now. but that won't change anything.

i need someone to listen to me and understand that i'm not the one in the wrong right now. but no one knows that i've been in contact with my dad except for one person.

the person that i recently said that i didn't have time for.

"dakota, so nice to see you again" katherine warmly smiled before frowning a little at my red eyes. "is everything alright?".

i nodded assuringly, "is-is jack here?".

"yes, sweetie. he's out in the back, go ahead".

i said a quick thank you and headed inside their house, making my way to the back yard.

"jack?" i immediately walked outside to be confronted with not only jack, but a bunch of his friends sat on the lawn chairs.

i froze as all eyes faced me and immediately wiped my eyes.

"dakota?" jack furrowed his brows in confusion.

crystal, being one of the six there, rolled her eyes at me.

"i'm sorry, i'll go" i replied, turning back into the house.

"wait, dakota" i heard behind me but i tried to walk as fast as i could out the kitchen until my arm was pulled back.

i was now face to face with jack with him stroking my cheek in concern.

"what's wrong? what happened?" he panicked.

"it doesn't matter".

"it clearly does. come on, talk to me".

"hey dude, what are you doing?" dillon came in to question as if jack talking to me was an unusual move.

"i'll leave, it's okay" i insisted.

"no. just fuck off dillon for a second, please" jack snapped at him, leaving his friend to resist and join the others.

jack's face soon returned to a softer tone as he whispered, "just tell me".

i wasn't able to get everything out into words right now so my tears did the talking and started flowing out, ready for jack to catch on his red tee.

"sh shh, i'm here for you" he smoothed down my hair for while.

he gently pushing my shoulders back so i could look up at him again - i sniffed and wiped my cheeks.

"look, go up to my room and wait for me. give me a second to get rid of everyone and we can talk properly" he explained.

i shook my head, "no, you don't have to".

"i want to, dakota".

i took in his soft brown eyes and nodded at them just as he went back to the backyard to make up an excuse to kicking his friends out.

when jack finally joined me upstairs after a minute or so, i explained everything to him from my dad coming back to how my mom blamed me for not saying anything.

he hardly spoke, but just listened and paid attention and that was all i really needed to be honest.

"how does he think that he has the right to just turn up like that? is he still there? because i'll go over here and—" jack rose up until i stopped him.

"don't, that won't change anything. plus, maybe my mom was right, i was being selfish to her and nate" i realised.

"you were doing what you thought was for the best".

"but you should have seen the way my mom looked at me, it was like those days when my dad would come to the dinner table high and she would look at him with so much disappointment and hate".

"hey, no" jack turned his body to face me and held my face in his hands. "your mom does not hate you - she was just in shock".

he slowly rubbed his thumb against my skin and licked his pink lips, "...okay? no one could ever hate you".

his whispered deep voice pierced through me whilst our faces sat inches away from one another, and i was internally beating myself up for what i was shamefully dying to do next.

i pulled back before i couldn't resist my urge, leaving jack to apologise.

"i probably shouldn't have come here anyways" i stood up from the edge of his bed.

"no, dakota, please stay" he begged. "look, i miss you. i just want to be able to talk you again like old times, y'know. and ask you how your day is and talk about your future and cheetos".

the light smile on his face at the memories forced mine to do the same.

"i'm fine, if you must know and finals are going well so far. how about you?".

he sighed and chuckled, "i'm getting there".

my phone ringtone interrupted the conversation, forcing me to take it out of my jeans back pocket.

"it's liam" i announced. "...hey...uh, yeah sure. how long will you be?...wow, already?...okay, i'll be there in a sec".

i hung up and watched jack fiddle with his hands in his lap.

"liam" he stated.

"yeah, he wants to go out for lunch".

he looked up at me and shrugged awkwardly, "so are you two...".

i creased my eyebrows and cocked my head at his sudden interest, "why?".

"no reason".

"okay, well i gotta go. uh, thank you for listening, jack - it won't happen again, i just had no where else to go".

he nodded, "anytime".

once i exited jack's house, i spotted a brand new toyota car parked outside my house with liam sat patiently in it.

i could still see the dirty pick-up truck that my dad must have arrived in nearby it, but i tried my best to ignore the fact that my dad is probably in there trying to reconcile everything with my family.

"hey" i greeted, getting into the car.

"leaving jack's house?" liam questioned.

"yeah, uh, my mom made me take some lasagna over to his mom. they're still sharing recipes".

"so you didn't see him in there?".

"i did but we obviously didn't talk. any ways, what's up?" i rushed to change the conversation.

he rubbed the steering wheel and dashboard like a new puppy, "nothing, i just wanted to show my best friend my new wheels".

"still can't believe your parents bought you this" i chuckled.

"you know how they're always out of town. they feel like they're giving me abandonment issues, so this baby is a make up gift" he explained.

he did a little goofy dance with excitement over his car and encouraged me to join, but i just giggled and pushed him away.

"so where do you wanna go to eat?" liam wondered.

catching my attention, crystal, johnson and sam started leaving jack's house with him escorting them outside. i didn't even realise that they had stayed after everyone else left.

the boys gave jack a quick bro hug whereas crystal was her extra self and hugged jack a little too tightly and long.

she moved his hands as low as she could on her waist so that they were resting just above her ass. my body angrily began to heat up and increased even more when she kissed his cheek when they pulled away.

i can't complain because jack and i aren't together and i don't own him, but it annoys me that he still hasn't learnt to set boundaries between them two as if he doesn't actually care whether he manages to get me back or not.

i looked away from the scene and back at liam, "um, are your parents home?".

"nope, they're gone for the weekend - business trip".

"let's go there" i firmly suggested.

liam frowned for a second to question it but soon shrugged and started the engine, "sure".

-

such a rushed chapter omfg but long time bbys

but i just want to finish this book already even though i love it so much

i love you if you're still here reading this book btw !!🌹

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