AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My fingers traced over the words that stretched across the bumps of his rib cage.
My words.
Tears burned at the corners of my eyes. “Lee, I...” My stomach rolled. I fought against every blaring warning bell inside me.Don’t do it. Keep the secret. He will never forgive you for this.“There’s something you should...”
Lee’s hand covered mine, pressing my fingers flat. His heartbeat thrummed against my hand. “That tattoo was a mistake.” Lee shifted and sat on the edge of the bed with his back to me. “Those words saved my life, and she didn’t even remember writing them.”
Without another word, Lee stood and stalked toward the bathroom, leaving me to gather the sheets and hold them tightly to my chest.
A hard lump formed in my throat. I had kept Margo’s secret, and mine, for so long that it almost felt like the truth.
Only it wasn’t.
Lee deserved to know the truth, and I was terrified. He would be angry—hell, I would belividif the roles were reversed, yet ... my hope was that he would understand why I had done it for her and every other microdecision afterward that had kept the truth hidden for so long.
Sitting at the edge of the bed, I took a deep breath.It’s time.“Hey, Lee?”
His head poked out of the bathroom, a toothbrush stuck in his cheek and a grin across his face. “How did I never know how good you looked in my T-shirt?”
My heart squeezed as love, affection, anddesirefor my best friend tugged at me.
Lee’s handsome face made me dumb, and that was all there was to it.
So when, around a mouthful of toothpaste, he said, “Thisis the best day of my life,” I could only smile and blink back tears.
SEVENTEEN
LEE
Annie
Our date tonight is at Abel’s Brewery. Are you going to be able to control yourself?
I make no guarantees.
Do not mess with them tonight. As your date, I demand it.
Fun-ruiner.
Fine. I’ll pack extra bail money.
That’s my girl.
I smiled downat my phone before slipping it into my pocket and climbing out of my truck. I looked up at the friendly and welcoming sign of Haven Pines. My stomach still twisted at the fact my father had to live here, but I knew taking care of him full-time had been a hardship on Aunt Tootie. Duke buried himself in work, and my schedule wasn’t consistent enough for me to do it myself.
I sighed as I walked across the parking lot. So many times I wished things could be different for my father. For all of us.
A smaller sign near the front entrance boasted a special memory care neighborhood, and I followed the arrows that led the way, though I knew the directions by heart. For residents in the memory care ward, each door was painted and decorated to look like the front door of a home. Each had residential door numbers, and many hung decorative wreaths around the knocker. Lampposts even lined the hallway to mimic a stroll in downtown Outtatowner. It was common knowledge the sconces outside each door were a silent signal to other residents. Flipping the light on meant you were open to guests.
Dad’s light was on, and it made me smile to think he was likely having a good day where he wanted to interact with others and enjoy their company. As I approached the door, I found my dad sitting on a rocker outside his room. When I came into view, Dad stood and a warm smile spread across his face.
“Lee.” He clapped his hands together and laughed. “This is a surprise.”
It wasn’t.
I typically spent every Wednesday morning visiting him because it was a day Duke had to go to work early to deliver berries around town, fulfilling weekly orders.
I stepped into his space and pulled my dad into a hug, slapping him on the back. “Looking good, Dad.” I held him out at arm’s length.
