AllFreeNovel
Share Us
No matter the outcome.
At least he would forgive and move on maybe, even if they didn’t have the type of relationship they had before. I was glad he was going to do it, he’d said he used to be so close to them so I imagine it was hard. Thinking about it though, caused a pang in my chest in regards to my situation.
“You don’t think I should do it?” he asked.
He must have seen the look on my face when my parents came to mind. My mother who I missed every day and a father who I didn’t know if I felt sorry, hated, or missed the person he was when I was little. Maybe it was a bit of all of it. And as awful as he was to me, sometimes I couldn’t help but wonder if he was okay.
But my emotions spilled over into Kace’s news and they shouldn’t have.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly. “I think if it is important to you, then yes. I’ve told you that before. As I have said before, how they handled things was wrong, but before that, they sounded like amazing parents.”
“But you were thinking about your parents when I brought it up, weren’t you?”
Nodding my head, a lone tear slipped down my cheek. “Yes, and again, I’m sorry. I didn’t need to rain on your parade.”
Kace leaned over and kissed my cheek where the tear trickled down. “Baby, there is no parade, it’s going to be a hard call, but it’s time, and you helped me see that. And never be sorry for feeling or talking to me about those feelings.”
Sitting up, I turned and straddled his thighs so I could look at him. I had so many things going through my head that I wanted to say and address but didn’t know where to start.
“Ask me or tell me anything you want,” he said, placing both of his hands on my hips. “I can see the wheels spinning.
“I would love to meet your parents if that is what you decide after talking to them. I don’t know what they would think of me and Denver in your life after everything from both our pasts, but they are part of you.”
That earned me some kisses and a smile. “They will love you both if it comes to that,” he told me with confidence. “What else is on your mind?”
“Do you think the guys are okay in Florida?” They had just left that day and as far as I knew we hadn’t heard from them.
“They are there and are doing fine but won’t be going to Thad’s until tomorrow. But trust me, they can all handle themselves.”
It was driving me crazy. What if Thad wasn’t there? Did that mean he was here and coming after me? Or what if he hurt any of those guys. He already got Lyric shot in the leg and Landon’s friend Lance, who was handling the divorce, was in worse shape. On top of that, I was scared out of my mind that Kace or more of my friends would be caught in the crossfire.
“Sometimes I think maybe I should just run with Denver so nobody gets hurt,” I whispered. I didn’t know why I said it out loud. My stomach plummeted and I felt like vomiting every time I thought about it. Leaving Kace and everyone would be the hardest thing I ever had to do. More so than when I left my father or Thad.
Because, unlike those men, Kace and my friends cared about me and had become my family. And yet in the back of my mind since the day I left, I always wondered about my father.
“Sweetheart, I am going to be extra careful because I’m not your ex and never mean it as if you truly don’t have a choice. But I would come to find you and convince you nicely to come back.”
He hugged me into his chest and with his mouth right next to my ear, whispered something that would stay with me forever.
“We can handle this together, but what I can’t do is live without you and Denver.”
“We couldn’t live without you either.”
The tears were rolling, but they were ones of happiness. But then Kace, knowing me so well, asked the question to the very thing that had just been swirling through my mind. I froze, searching within my heart and soul for what my answer was.
“Do you want me to check on your dad for you?”
All the breath swooshed out of me and I pushed back to stare at him but couldn’t speak. It was the other part of what was going through my head, but once the question was out there I didn’t know what to do.
“Would you think badly of me if I said yes?” I cared about what he thought and I was so conflicted I needed him to help guide me.
His hands slid from my hips and then moved up and down on my back, soothing me as panic started to grip me. I’d been doing a lot better with the attacks but there were so many things troubling me and I was overwhelmed.
“Honey, I will never think badly of you. Do I struggle with what he did to you, yes? Nobody should go through what you did and I love you. But just as you said about my parents, there was a time he was good to you. I’m sure it’s hard to just forget about the years that were different.”
I thought about what he said and admitted to myself I needed to know. What I did with the information was completely separate and I could decide that later.
“How are you going to get the information? I don’t want you to go anywhere.” More panic kicked in and he placed both hands on my cheeks like he always did when he wanted me to focus on what he was saying. ‘But yes, I want you to check on him.”
