AllFreeNovel
Share Us
West, bless him, didn’t treat it as a big deal, if he even knew it was one. “Well, thank fuck my kids are too old for all the annoying kids music. Even now, Baby Shark still haunts my dreams. Doo doo doo doo doo doo.”
He said it so seriously that I couldn’t help but laugh. Then he sang, “Haunts my dreams, doo doo doo doo doo doo.”
When he waggled his eyebrows, I laughed harder, to the point I struggled to breathe.
When I finally got myself under control, I glanced at West. His full-on grin was devastating and made him go from beyond sexy to probably the handsomest man I’d ever met.
He definitely needed to smile more. For a split second, I wanted to try and make it happen every day.
But then I pushed that thought aside. He wasn’t my concern, he wasn’t my anything.
West chuckled. “While that song is evil—and don’t ever tell anyone I said this—some of the kids music I actually liked. Mostly the Disney ones, but a few of the others as well.” He shrugged. “I can’t be the only dad like that, although most won’t admit it. But I don’t need to put the songs down, boast about my dick size, and hock a loogie to keep my man card. I’m too old for that toxic shit anyway.”
The thought of West having to try to be manly made me smile—he just was. “Good. Because a man who’s willing to sing ‘Let It Go’ fromFrozento his daughter when she’s sick, complete with wearing a blanket cape, is more man than I’d know what to do with.”
He glanced at me and then back at the road before groaning. “Avery told you.”
“Yep. She said you have quite the voice. I can pair my phone to play the song, and maybe you can give me a private show.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized how a private show could be interpreted as sexual. I blurted, “For your singing. Of course.”
His lips twitched again. Clearly, his mind had gone to the gutter like mine. “Maybe later. I’d rather not shatter the windows. Although, what about you? Can you sing and offer a private show?”
I refused to let him embarrass me. “No, I can dance but not sing.”
“I saw your dancing at The Watering Hole. You have rhythm, unlike me.”
I stared out the window, needing a break from this laid-back, teasing version of West. Otherwise, I might do something stupid, like ask about his experience again. “I danced a little in middle school and high school. It was a way to keep my mind occupied and body in motion when I wasn’t swimming. I’m better now, but when I was a kid, I struggled to sit still.”
“Why?”
I should change the topic. I really should. We were entering dangerous territory.
And yet, for some strange reason, I didn’t want to. “When I was swimming or dancing or even riding bikes with the BFF Circle, my mind calmed and stopped the memories. And for a lot of years, I really needed that, or I would’ve gone crazy eventually.”
Silence fell. But unlike back in the hotel room, it wasn’t strained. No, it was as if West were processing my words and giving me time to change the subject, if I wanted to.
However, for once, I didn’t want to. After never talking about this for so long, it was as if a dam was breaking. I should stop, patch it up, and protect myself.
But a part of me wanted it to break and relieve the pressure.
He finally cleared his throat. “Well, I get that, about calming your brain. I’ve kept busy for nearly two decades now, otherwise, I might’ve screamed for no reason and scared the shit out of people.”
I finally looked at him again, but he didn’t meet my gaze. “Why would you scream?”
“At life. At the unfairness of it. At good people dying before their time. At broken condoms and hasty decisions. Take your pick.”
I’d been really young when West had married and left Starry Hills, so sometimes I forgot about the reason he’d married in the first place—his late wife had become pregnant after a one-night stand.
I wanted to ask him about more of the specifics since what he’d shared in the pool had only scratched the surface. Maybe asking for more and him unloading his hurts would help him move on or be a little more at ease.
However, judging by his clenched jaw, he didn’t want to talk about it. And selfishly, I didn’t want to ruin the rest of the day. For now, at least, I wanted to bring back the lighter conversation. “When you’re upset or mad at the world, scream into a pillow. I’ve done that, and it usually helps. Or if you don’t have a pillow, yell against your arm or a hand covered with your shirt. You can do it right now, and I won’t ever tell.”
West finally looked at me, his expression unreadable, before focusing back on the road. “Maybe later. Right now, I don’t feel the need to scream about anything.”
My heart thumped inside my chest. Did that mean he liked spending time with me?
Wait, no.That shouldn’t matter. Not at all.
