Hunter paused, walking over to Kenzie and taking her hands in his.
"That could be a reason, Kenz," he said. "He might think of himself as a monster. He might think he'll hurt you again. He doesn't want that, not likely. That's why maybe he didn't meet up with you."
"He could at least have written me a letter," Kenzie muttered.
Hunter was breaking down her arguments with his words, simultaneously calming her with them, as well.
"And get hurt if you didn't respond?" Hunter's life with his father was tough. He despised his father, and he wasn't being rebellious for attention. His father was the same. Hunter never meant anything other than something he needed to gain more power and wealth. He couldn't let Kenzie not meet up with her father, a father who, albeit an idiot, cared for her. "Kenzie, your father's probably just afraid and thinks you don't want to see him ever again. The fact that you didn't reach out to him probably made it worse. You need to see him, spend some time with him to let him know he didn't lose his daughter."
"I don't even know where he lives anymore," she stated, her voice trembling. Choking back a sob, she slid her hands out of Hunter's, only to wrap her arms around him.
Hunter hugged Kenzie tightly, running his fingers through her hair softly.
"Do you know anyone who knows of him?"
"No," Kenzie murmured. "You're the first person I've told since… Well, ever."
Hunter felt happiness course through him at that, but he kept it down.
"I'm really happy about that but… I meant, do you know anyone who might know where he is?"
Kenzie let out a shaky sigh. "My mom," she whispered. "But I don't dare ask her. She's… not on the best terms with my dad if you couldn't tell."
"I'm here with you," Hunter murmured. "You can ask her. You have the right. She can't decide who you can hang out with and who you can't, not anymore."
"Okay. I'll call her, then," Kenzie agreed quietly, though she didn't let go of Hunter.
"Yeah, you do that," Hunter ran his fingers through Kenzie's hair, twirling her locks around his fingers.
Kenzie sighed and let go. She reached into her pocket for her phone, unlocked it, and dialed her mother's number.
"Hello?" came a voice on the other end.
"Hey, Mama," Kenzie said after taking a deep breath.
"McKenzie? Honey, you haven't called me in a while, is everything all right?"
Kenzie looked at Hunter, who gave her a reassuring smile. She smiled back weakly, then spoke into her phone, "Mostly, yes. Uh… I do have something that I need to ask you, though."
"What is it?"
"IneedtoknowDad'saddress," she spat out, biting her lip when she'd finished.
Kenzie's mother went silent for a moment, and when she finally spoke again, she was very quiet. "Why?"
Squeezing her eyes shut, Kenzie replied, "Because I want to visit him. Mama, it's been six years since I've seen him, don't you think it's been long enough?"
"Well… I won't be able to convince you otherwise, will I? I'll text it to you, okay?"
Kenzie nodded, then realized that her mother couldn't see her and said, "Yeah. Thanks."
"I love you, sweetheart. Don't get into trouble, okay?"
"Okay. Love you too, Mama."
The mother and daughter said their goodbye's, and Kenzie hung up. She gave Hunter a grateful look and thanked him for helping her. Not a minute later, her phone vibrated with a new text. From her mother.
(THAT WAS REALLY LONG.)
Hunter grinned.
"See? That wasn't so bad, now was it?" he ruffled Kenzie's hair playfully.
Giving Hunter a small smile, Kenzie looked at the address on her phone. It wasn't even two blocks from where she currently lived. She sucked in a sharp breath.
"He's been so close this whole time," she whispered.
"I guess maybe he wanted to keep a check on his daughter," Hunter shrugged. "When do you want to meet him?"
"Now," Kenzie blurted, her voice not allowing for any arguments. She looked up at Hunter, her eyes gleaming with so many emotions that even she didn't know what she was feeling. "We have to go now."
Hunter grinned.
"Let's go, then,"
In a flurry of nervous- and excitement-fueled energy, Kenzie grabbed all her things and was ready to go before Hunter even had one shoe on.
"C'mon, slowpoke!" she teased him. "We've gotta go now before I can't handle the anticipation."
"Someone's in a rush," Hunter muttered playfully before quickly putting on his shoes and snapping the keys off of his table. He followed Kenzie out of the house and locked the door before making his way inside his car and bringing the engine to life.
"Lead the way, Kenz,"
Kenzie looked up directions to her father’s house on her phone and told them to Hunter as they drove. A few minutes later, they arrived at a small, brick-walled apartment complex. Kenzie stared at it as Hunter parked the car, feeling that she wasn't going to be able to do it.
You've gotta do this. For yourself. For your dad.
She shook her head, attempting to clear it of the doubts that continually made their way to the front of her mind: What if he really doesn't want to see me? What if he's angry that I haven't visited him? That I haven't even tried to find him?
"Hunter," she whispered, her eyes never leaving the building. "I don't know if I can do this."
Hunter reached out for Kenzie's hand and gave it a light squeeze.
"Yes, yes you can," he assured her. "You're strong, Kenz. You can do this."
Giving Hunter a weak smile, Kenzie squeezed his hand back. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, opening them when she let it out.
"Okay. I, um, should probably go alone," she stated. "You don't know how much I want you there with me, but I don't know if my dad will even recognize me, much less you."
(The fluff! I like it.
Another! smashes something)
(The fluff! I like it.
Another!)
(breaks fluff)
(The fluff! I like it.
Another!)(breaks fluff)
(Lol. XD I haven't even seen that movie…)