Page 145 of The Truth of Us

Once dinner is served and we have eaten our way through most of what we made, I finally ask, "So… what happened?"

Dad leans back in his chair, taking a long drink, before setting the glass back down on the table and playing with the stem between his fingers. He sighs, and it sounds like he is bone-deep tired. A tiredness that comes with carrying grief and hatred for far too long.

“My investigations and accusations encouraged several other people to come forward and go after your grandfather. The board voted him out of his own companies, the investigations are expanding to corporate law, as well as at least two criminal charges being filed.” He takes another sip before continuing, “Executives who are being implicated are resigning; some companies are imploding because they don’t have enough leadership left. The Montgomery Empire and Legacy that he cared so much for that he…” he clears his throat, trying to push down either his grief or anger, “... all the things he plotted and sacrificed to keep are being torn away from him. When it is all over, he will be left with nothing.”

We sit in silence for a while; I had spent my whole life believing that giants like my grandfather couldn't be beaten. Tonight my father proved he could.

He chuckles, but it isn’t a cheerful sound, saying, “The board had the audacity to ask me if I would step in and try to save his companies.”

Elliot scoffs, and my father takes another drink before raising his head, his eyes locking on me, saying, "I kept thinking I'd feel something. Relief, or maybe even victory. Mostly I just feel tired."

I reach across the table, resting my hand over his free one. I give it a small squeeze because he doesn’t need a pep talk; he needs time to heal and finally find peace.

“Maybe you should take some time to rest.” I offer.

He raises an eyebrow at me, and I laugh.

The night goes on and it feels effortless. Elliot offers to tidy up the kitchen, giving us some time alone.

In the sitting room, next to my father, I ask him again, “Tell me the story.”

And my father does. This time the story feels less heavy, as if his facing his father and the truth took a weight off his shoulders. I have heard this story more times than I can count over my lifetime, but somehow tonight it feels like a different love story. And when he finishes his story, I look up and catch Elliot watching us from the doorway with tears in his eyes.

40

ELLIOT

Ihate that I have to go back to Chicago. Things have been going really well with Harper, but I can always sense her anxiety every time I have to go back.

It’s like Chicago holds all the pain of our past, and she isn’t sure how to trust that it won’t come back again.

My things have merged with Harper's in her room, and I am going through trying to find some of my clothes that I’m positive she has stolen from me. Harper comes out of her closet, freshly dressed after her shower. The one she refused to let me join ‌because she said I would never make my flight if I joined her.

I didn’t see a problem with that, but I did have a long list of meetings as soon as I touched ground in Chicago, and I was headed out early.

My attention is mostly on my bag when I ask, “Hey do you have my favourite sweater?”

Harper laughs before replying, “It’s packed in my bag.”

That's when I notice she is rolling her luggage out of her closet with her. My heart kicks up with the idea of her coming back to Chicago with me; she hasn’t left New York since everything came out with her grandfather.

I smile at her, saying, “I didn’t know you were coming.”

Harper comes up to me, wrapping her arms around my waist, saying, “It’s time I get back to the real world.”

I perk up, kissing her forehead before asking, “Are you staying with me?”

I feel her tense in my arms, so I pull back to see her face, Harper is nibbling on her bottom lip, she looks to be having one of those internal conversations with herself before she sighs saying, “I don’t want to stay at your penthouse Elliot.” For a moment panic threatens to rear its ugly head, but Harper cups my face, adding, “But I would love it if you would stay with me at my townhouse.”

My heart descends from my throat and settles back to where it belongs. Harper must sense my earlier tension because she asks, “Is that okay?”

I give her a soft kiss, breathing her in before replying, “Of course, I will happily be wherever you are.” and then because I need to know if I need to get my realtor on board, I ask, “Do you think the penthouse thing is permanent?”

Harper scrunches up her nose, before replying, “I really want to be one of those badass women who are completely unbothered by the past, even if it was fake, even knowing nothing happened… but the idea of walking down that hallway, to that elevator gives me hives.”

I chuckle because the look on her face is too cute. “OK, I can find something else.”

Harper moves away from me, grabbing her bags and walking towards the door, before saying over her shoulder, “Or you could just stay with me.”