AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t have regrets when it comes to Sonia. As long as Nate can forgive me, why would I?
Nate looks out the window, his face slack. “I followed her here. To New York. I didn’t know she had gotten a job at the club. All she said was that she was moving on to something bigger and better. And that didn’t include me.”
On one hand, I’m furious that Sonia didn’t think my son was good enough for her. And on the other…I still feel like she was meant to be mine. How fucked up is that?
“We were together for almost three years.”
“That’s a lot of time.”
My son smirks. “For you, maybe.”
“Hey.” I half-laugh. “I’m working on it.”
“I wasn’t the best boyfriend. In fact, she has reasons to think I’m some sort of–” He bites back on his words. “I didn’t mean to hurt her. But I was so immature.”
“Nate…”
“I was. I know that now.” Nate swallows. “I haven’t wanted to face it.”
We look into each other’s eyes.
I see so much of Clarissa in Nate, and I always have. Blue eyes, blond hair.
But I see a little bit of me now too. In the shape of his face and the edge of his jaw. The strong line of his nose.
And somewhere, deep in his eyes, a severe longing to be loved for once, just for being human.
“I went to California. I became a surfer. A beach bum. I literally used whatever money I had just to fuck around and…that’s not a life. You know?”
“If that’s what you want, then–”
“No, it’s not what I want.” Nate takes a deep breath. “I never wanted to work at the club because I didn’t want to be like you, Dad.”
Ouch. But I deserve it.
“However, what you’ve shown me just by being here… Maybe I’ve been wrong about you.”
Nate reaches for my hand, and I take his. “You never have to do anything you don’t want to.”
He gives me a lopsided smile. “Maybe I could grow into it. As long as what’s between us doesn’t change.”
I shake my head. “It won’t. As long as I’m alive, it won’t.”
26
SONIA
Bridget elbows me.“I think you should talk. I know you didn’t have bad intentions. But all Nate knows is that you left him and tried to shack up with his dad.”
“Shack up with? How old are you?”
Bridget blushes and rolls her eyes.“Do you want me to try and get him to talk to you or what?”
In the two weeks I’ve spent away from either of the Lyons men, I’ve had the clarity I sought by coming to New York in the first place.
I need to leave my old life behind.
Other than the debts hanging over my head, I said goodbye to California for a reason. And that meant saying goodbye to Nate too.
