Page 108 of Thaddeus

“Do you mind if I call your dad and tell him the news, or are you going to?”

“You’re talking to Dad?”

That was news to me.

“We both found that when two people lost all that we had, no one understands that kind of pain, unless they’ve been through it. We know we broke what we had, but we’ve found a way to still be friends. We meet for dinner once a week, sometimes more. We go to the movies together. I cook for him, or he’ll cook for me.”

“You’re dating Dad?”

“No, sweetheart. We are truly just friends. We both are happy with what we share.”

“That sounds like dating, Mom,” I teased.

“It is not. And if it were, your dad would’ve been dumped a long time ago for his lack of affection.”

Okay, that was kinda gross, and I didn’t want to talk to my mom about my dad’s ‘lack of affection.’ She was conservative and shy with her words; therefore, I knew she meant sex, but would never in a million years utter that word to me.

Moving on.

“I’d appreciate it if you would. I’ll call him when I have more time. I’m going to give you a number so you can call me.”

“I can call you?”

Shit. I’d done that, too. Completely cut my parents out, leaving them without a way to contact me.

Shameful.

“I’d love it if you would.”

I rattled off Thad’s cell phone number because I still hadn’t gotten a phone. And honestly, it was kind of nice not having one.

We both promised to talk soon, told each other we missed and loved each other and when I rang off, Thad pulled me into his arms and let me cry.

So many wasted years.

So many regrets.

I sobbed, and with each tear that rolled down my cheek, I was letting it go. All of it. I couldn’t bear the weight of my past and embrace the bright future we had ahead of us.

“So proud of you, Emmy.”

“Before I forget, I owe Tatiana fifty dollars. She won.”

“Won what?”

“In Manicore, she bet me fifty dollars you’d marry me in under two weeks. She won.”

“That was a fool’s bet, baby. She knew she’d win.” Thad chuckled.

“How’d she know she’d win?”

“Because she’s smart. Because she’s married to Brooks and he didn’t fuck around making her his wife. Because she knows I’m the same type of man as her husband, therefore I wouldn’t fuck around.”

“Are Kyle, Max, and Declan the same type of men?”

“Absolutely.”

“So that means the three of them won’t fuck around either?”