Summer
Love
Chapter Eleven
“I think I get kind of attached to people,” I said.
“It really bothers me that I can’t just be normal. I
mean, I have my dad’s fans following me everywhere just
because I’m his daughter and it’s awful. He did all
he could to give me a normal childhood but it wasn’t
enough. I never had any privacy and was always being sucked into
drama with him and my mom. When he decided not to hand me over to
foster people, he got a lot of crap for it, and so did I. I was
hunted down and threatened until I was thirteen. I don’t
really know why it stopped around that age, but I guess no one
was really interested in me anymore. When I started dating this
kid, Anthony, all the press started up again. Well he turned into
an abuser and it took me forever to get away from him.”
“Cole,” Mariah said quietly. “You aren’t
as tough as you seem, are you?”
“Of course I’m not,” I said and Niall put his
arm around me.
“But I wouldn’t dare talk about my emotions.
Ever.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because I’ve given up trying to get through to
people that I’m not okay,” I said quietly. “I
used to see someone that was supposed to help me, but my dad
always came in with me and talked about my terrible behavior.
After a while it wasn’t about helping me, it was about
making me behave so life at home would be easier for him. I think
once I realized that I really stopped trusting people. I kept
everything to myself and don’t really open up much
anymore.”
“Why don’t you try to?” Niall asked.
I thought for a second. Should I tell them I cut?
“I’ve been hiding something for a while,” I
sighed.
“What?” Niall asked and I took a deep breath.
“I’ve spent a lot of time ignoring people,” I
said. “I like to tick people off, so they yell at me and
get angry with me. I don’t know why, but when people are
yelling at me and I’m yelling at them I feel a lot better
than, like, affection. I just don’t like positive
attention, I guess, but in all reality I do. I’ve pushed
people away and hidden from affection for so long that I
don’t know how to ask for it and seek it. I guess
that’s the problem, really. I like negative attention but
somewhere deep down I hate it, but I’m too scared to ask
for positive attention and affection, and when I get it, it
isn’t satisfying enough.”
“Cole,” Niall sighed and he went to pull me closer to
him.
“No,” I said, shaking my head and moving away from
him. “Just…”
I got up and ran out of my bedroom and downstairs.
“Cole?” my dad asked and I ran into him and bawled
into his shirt.
“I’m sorry,” I cried and he hugged me.
“Sorry for what?” he asked and I cried into his shirt
more.
“I’m just sorry,” I cried and he rubbed my
back.
“Cole,” he said quietly. “Are you
okay?”
“No,” I cried and he continued rubbing circles on my
back.
“It’s alright,” he said quietly. “What
happened?”
“I talked about my freaking emotions,” I said,
pulling away from him and he chuckled.
“Why is that a bad thing?” he asked.
“Because it makes me like this!” I said, not able to
contain my little smile, and my dad chuckled.
“Would you like me to get you a Popsicle like I did when
you were upset as a little girl?” he asked.
“Yes please, Daddy,” I said and he chuckled and went
into the kitchen.
After a few moments he came out with a pink freeze pop, the
bottom wrapped in a paper towel, just how I liked it.
“Thank you Daddy,” I said and he laughed and hugged
me.
“It’s okay to not be tough all the time, you
know?” he said and I nodded.
“I know,” I said and he smiled.
“Now go upstairs with your friends,” he said.
“They’re probably worried.”
“No one is ever worried about me, dad,” I said.
“Besides you, no one really cares about me.”
“I have a feeling that’s going to change this
summer,” he said and I shrugged.
“I dunno,” I said, putting some of the plastic and
freeze pop into my mouth, shrugging, and going upstairs.