Page 51 of In a Perfect World

Chapter 26

Kairo~

I couldn’t even remember the number of hours that I had spent looking for Triana, but when I’d finally had to face that she was gone, I’d gotten in my car, then had driven all the way back home, not giving a fuck about the speed limit, stoplights, or anything else along the way.The only thing that I’d had the presence of mind to manage had been calling into work, reporting my absence responsibly.However, since I hadn’t ever missed a day of work before in my life, it hadn’t been an issue.

So, instead of being at work, I was banging on the front door of my parents’ house, not caring that it was only six in the morning.Even if my parents weren’t early birds, I’d still be here because nothing was more important than Triana right now.

As soon as my father opened the door, I ignored his bewildered face, saying, “I need to talk to you.Now.”

“Jesus, is everything okay?”the parent in him automatically asked.“Is Dallas okay?Leyden?”

“They’re fine,” I answered as he stepped aside to let me in.

“What’s going on?”my mother asked as she came from the sitting room, rushing at the sound of me banging on their door.

“I need to talk to Dad,” I told her.“It’s...Dallas and Leyden are fine, though.”

“What about you?”she asked, her eyes knowing.

“I need to talk to Dad,” I repeated.“I...I just need to talk to Dad right now.”

“Okay, sure,” he said, gesturing towards his office off to the side of the house.

I didn’t say anything as he kissed my mother on the side of her head, assuring her that he’d take care of whatever was going on, and that just pissed me off further.He was assuring his wife that everything would be fine while Triana was making her way into Mexico on foot, and it was all my fault.

Once we made it to his office, he shut the door, then walked over to his desk, leaning against it, still dressed in his pajamas, and my mind wondered why he wasn’t dressed for work yet, seeing as how it was a Monday, but then I realized that I didn’t care.

“What’s going on, Kairo?”

“I’m about to tell you something, and I need you to listen until I’m finished telling you everything,” I told him.“Can you do that for me?Can you just listen until I’m done?”

My father gave me a tentative nod as he said, “Okay, son.”

I could feel my hands shaking, but that didn’t stop me from telling my father everything from the moment that I’d heard Triana’s voice the day that I’d gone fishing with Winston and my brothers.I told him everything about continuing to meet her, calling her, and while I hadn’t gone into detail, I had even told him how we’d slept together.

However, it wasn’t until I got to the part of leaving with her that I could feel my chest tightening with shame and regret, but not because I had betrayed him.I could feel my chest caving in because I was going to have to tell my father how I’d left her out there, all alone.

When I was finally done telling him everything, the look on his face was exactly what I’d been expecting.He looked horrified, disappointed, and worried all at the same time, and if he only knew how all of it was tearing me up inside.