Chapter 48

Kristin watched as Lily ran upstairs and then Kevin came walking out of the kitchen.

"Where was she?" Kristin asked.

"With Nick," Kevin said angrily. "Can you believe him?! He didn't even bother to call and tell me that he was taking Lily!"

"But she's fine Kev. She was safe the entire time," Kristin said.

"But I didn't know that," Kevin said.

Then he turned on his heel and headed towards the stairs.

"Where you going?" Kristin asked.

"To talk to Lily," Kevin replied quickly.

Then he went upstairs to Lily's room. He knocked on the door and then entered her room.

I was sitting by my bay window as I heard my door open. I turned to see my dad standing there.

"So when did you leave?" he asked.

"Right after I talked to you, at 12," I said.

"What were you thinking?" he asked furiously, as he sat on my bed.

"I just…" I began.

"I was so worried about you. I called all of your Uncles and of course Nick and Brian didn't answer, and AJ and Howie hadn't heard from you," my dad said. "Just as you walked in the door, I was ready to call the police."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I thought you would see the note."

"Don't ever leave a note again," my dad said.

"But you wouldn't listen to me," I said.

"We had company I told you," my dad said. "Kristin and I are very busy right now."

"Yeah, I noticed," I said. "You haven't seem to have time for me in a while."

"So are you blaming Kristin?" my dad asked.

"No!" I exclaimed. "I'm blaming you! It's your fault that I left without telling you."

"My fault?" my dad questioned.

"Yes, if you would have just let me ask you one simple question, then you would have known where I was," I said angrily.

"Well you know what, the world doesn't revolve around you all the time," my dad said.

"I know. It revolves around you and everything you do," I said sarcastically.

"Hey, don't use that tone of voice with me," my dad said.

"Fine then. You don't want me to take up any of your precious time," I said. "And you don't want me to talk to you. So I'll just stop talking to you and that'll solve everything."

"That is not what I said," my dad stated.

I just turned and stared out my window as tears slowly began to form.

"Lily Anne Richardson," my dad said.

I continued staring out my window.

"Fine, if you don't want to talk, then your grounded from the phone and computer," my dad said.

Then he got up and left, slamming the door shut behind him, making me jump at the sound.

Kristin watched as Kevin stormed down the stairs.

"What happened?" she asked.

"She's not talking to me and she's grounded," Kevin said, as he continued to walk through the living room.

"Where are you going?" Kristin asked.

"My studio," Kevin said, then he disappeared as he went downstairs.

Kristin decided to go upstairs to check on Lily. She lightly knocked on the door. There was no answer, so she quietly opened it. Once she entered, she saw Lily sitting on her bed crying. She quickly went over to her and hugged her.

"What's wrong?" Kristin asked.

"He said that I wasn't important to him," I said as I wiped away my tears and looked up at her.

"I'm sure he didn't say that," Kristin said.

"Not in those exact words," I said. "But that's what he meant."

"I'm sure he didn't mean it," Kristin said. "Why do you think he was so upset in the first place?"

"Because he's under a lot stress," I said. "And I made things worse."

"No, because he was worried about you," Kristin said. "He was scared that something bad happened to you."

"So," I said.

"So that means that you're very important to him, to both of us," Kristin said. "We were worried about you, and your dad just got mad because he was scared that you were hurt. He was mad at himself that he didn't know where you were."

"Whatever," I said. "I'm still not talking to him."

"Okay," Kristin said reluctantly. "But he loves you."

Then she got up and began to walk out.

"Kris," I said.

"Yeah?" she asked as she turned around.

"Thanks," I said.

She smiled. "You're welcome sweetheart."

Then she walked out, closing my door behind her.

Kevin sat at his piano sort of playing, but not really. He was mostly thinking about what Lily had said to him. He didn't realize that Lily had felt neglected. He knew that he was busy with the wedding plans, and the guys, who were getting ready to record another album, but he thought that he was still spending a lot of time with her.

However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that she was right. He'd been gone most of the time at the studio, and if not there, he was with Kristin checking out places for their wedding. He figured that since Lily now had Angel and Aaron, he could do a little more.

But now, he felt bad for telling her that the world didn't revolve around her, because it did. She was everything to him. Kevin would stop everything just to make sure that she was taken care of. He only said that at the moment because he was mad at himself for not taking care of her again. He felt like a bad parent, not knowing where she was. And he took that frustration out on her.

Three days later

The guys greeted Kevin as he walked into the studio for another day of recording.

"So how's Lily?" Nick asked.

"Still not talking," Kevin answered.

"Still?" Nick asked.

"No," Kevin said. "She's so stubborn."

"Gee, I wonder where she gets that from," Brian said, smiling at Kevin.

Kevin just glared at Brian.

"If you wouldn't be so stubborn and just maybe talk to her," AJ said.

"But she's not talking to me!" exclaimed Kevin.

"Maybe you should apologize," Howie suggested.

"Me apologize?" Kevin asked.

"Yes, you know, say that you're sorry," Nick said.

"But she knows that I didn't mean it," Kevin reasoned.

"Oh, so that's why she's not talking to you," AJ said sarcastically.

"Just apologize Kev," Brian said.

"All right, I get the point," Kevin said, tired of hearing the guys' advice.

"You're welcome," they said, smiling.

"Geez, at home Kris's yelling at me, I come here and the same thing happens," Kevin muttered to himself.

School

I stood outside with Aaron and Angel, waiting for my dad to pick me up.

"So can I call you tonight?" Aaron asked. "Or no?"

"Probably not," I said. "My dad and I still aren't talking."

"Man, I really need help with this chemistry homework," Aaron said.

"Don't ask me, chemistry is my worst subject," Angel said.

"Well if you come a little earlier tomorrow, I'll be able to help you," I said.

"Okay, sure," he said. "Thanks."

"No problem," I said.

Then Jane Carter pulled up.

I waved. "Hi Mrs. Carter!"

"Hi Lily," she said as she smiled.

"Well, I guess we're leaving now," Aaron said. Then he gave me a hug. "See you tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, see you then," I said.

Then he headed towards his mom's car.

"Girl, you better get yourself ungrounded soon," Angel said. "It's routine that I must talk to you everyday after school."

"I know, I'm sorry," I said, smiling.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said.

"Talk to you then," I said as she walked away.

I waved goodbye as they drove off.

A few minutes later my dad's 4-Runner pulled up; except he wasn't the one driving it, instead it was Kristin. I opened the door and climbed in.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi," I said as I buckled up. "Where's my dad?"

"At the studio," she said as we drove home.

"Again?" I asked.

"Yeah, the guys are just finishing up a song. So that means perfection," Kristin said.

"He won't be home until at late, right?" I questioned.

"Yeah, he said not to stay up and wait for him, since they're behind a little and have to get this song finished tonight," Kristin explained.

"Oh," I said.

The rest of the ride home was silent.

It seemed as though ever since I had told my dad that he hadn't been paying attention to me, he seemed to be gone even more. If he wasn't with Kris or at the studio, he was in his studio working. He seemed to be trying his hardest to ignore me. I was beginning to think that maybe he had changed his mind. Maybe he no longer wanted the responsibility of taking care of me.