AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I see we had the same idea.”
I damn near drown at the sound of Reese’s voice. It takes me half a minute to cough up the water I sucked into my lungs. When I finally get myself together, I look up to see him standing on the edge of the pool in swim trunks.
A thousand things fly through my mind.
One: I’m in trouble.
Two: he looks incredibly edible in nothing but swim trunks.
“S-Sorry. I’ll go.” I try to regain my composure. It’s hard when he begins his descent into the pool from the stairs. It’s like he’s some kind of river god, making his way into his domain.
The water comes up to just under his pecs and ripples out in rings around him until it brushes up against me like a soft kiss. For someone that spends so much time on the ice, he looks just as at home in a pool.
“It’s fine,” he says. “Stay.”
I can feel my heart in my throat. Reese swims closer to me. Anticipation wells in my gut. I want him to close the distance between us entirely. I can’t help but think about how good he’d felt against me in bed.
But he stops just short. Disappointment threatens to cloud my face. Why? Why all this distance? I know it’s the responsible thing.
But maybe I don’t want to be responsible.
I hope the way he looks at me is because he can feel it, too. Beneath the moonlight, vulnerable, removed from our duties as father and caretaker. His eyes rove from my face downward.
I swallow a hard lump in my throat. “It’s really nice out here. Big pool.”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I wish I could take them back. Big pool—surely no one has ever tried a pickup line quite so idiotic.
Reese just frowns, looking around the water. It’s as if he’s seen it too many times. There’s a weariness on his face before he nods. “It wasn’t always like this.”
Do I tell him that I know? That I read those little letters to himself? I can guess what the others might be about. But that would be admitting that I pried, wouldn’t it? It might make him recede into himself.
Still—I want him to open up, like that little boy version of himself opened up all over the pages left crumpled in that box. I want him to know it’s okay now.
“I know what you mean.” I nod to the pool. “Well, sort of. I don’t have something like this. But growing up wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.”
He looks at me, his brow quirked with curiosity. “Sucky childhood?”
“That’s a word for it, yeah. My father worked a lot, but it never seemed like enough. Mom couldn’t because once her MS got worse. On top of that, they had me to look after. Kids aren’t cheap. It strained their relationship.”
“At least they made it work.”
I can’t help the incredulous laugh that echoes out across the pool water. Nor can I help the sadness that comes with it. “Of course they didn’t,” I snort. “Not many people want to sink twelve, fifteen hours of their day into a job only to have all their money go into medical bills, and house bills, and car bills, and bills, bills, bills. Then your daughter does something stupid like get pregnant in high school. How could they possibly make that work?”
Reese does a double-take. “You have a kid?”
I don’t blame him—it sounds strange to me, too. Honestly, just telling someone feels strange. I’ve never told anyone about that baby.
About losing it.
I shake my head. “I had a miscarriage a few months in. Just like my dad left, the baby’s dad did, too.”
Reese doesn’t know what to say to that. I’m somehow grateful that it’s not I’m so sorry for your loss. Pity lacks comfort. I’ve never liked being pitied. Maybe that’s why I never talk about it.
Or maybe I just don’t want to be hurt like I was ever again.
Reese swims closer to me. He reaches out and brushes his fingers along my cheek. It’s so gentle I don’t expect it. I lean into the touch. His fingers are warm like the pool water.
“Why’d you tell me?” he murmurs. “I’m not exactly the poster child for people voted most likely to be told heart-wrenching secrets. Why… why would you trust me with something like that?”
