AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Not a denial. And that made Nick feel worse, because it meant Burke hadn’t necessarily been lying. It didn’t meanDadhad lied, not quite. More that he’d kept something from Nick. And maybe that hadn’t mattered before everything had come to light about Seth and Owen, but it sure as hell did now.
He could drop it. He could tell Dad that it didn’t matter, that he was just happy he was home. He’d feign being tired, not that it’d be too much of a stretch. He’d go upstairs and put it out of his mind.
But Burke’s voice was in his head, sayingJenny Warren, the words tinged with unmistakable affection.
Nick said, “He picked me up on the way home in his ridiculous car and said some stuff about you and Mom.”
Whatever reaction he’d expected—outrage, denial,something—wasn’t what he got. Dad’s face twisted as he stepped forward, gripping Nick’s chin, turning his head left and right before sliding his hands down Nick’s arms as if checking for injuries. “Did he touch you? Did he hurt you?”
Nick pulled himself out of Dad’s grip. “Chill. He didn’t do anything to me, aside from basically kidnapping me. Except he was a bad kidnapper because he brought me straight home. It only lasted a few minutes.”
That didn’t seem to make Dad feel better. He crouched next to Nick as the microwave beeped at them. They ignored it. “Every word. Kid, tell meeverythinghe said.”
Nick hesitated before doing as he was told. He told Dad everything he could remember. He even thought about telling him about the broken light, but it was an ancillary detail.
By the time he’d finished, Dad was pale, eyes burning like hot coals. He’d rested one hand on Nick’s knee, gripping tightly. “Did you take your medication?”
“What?”
“Your meds,” Dad said. “When was the last time you took—”
“This morning,” Nick said slowly. “Remember? You gave it to me at breakfast, just like always. We already talked about this at Seth’s house.” Weird. Why the hell would he bring that up now, of all things? Unless … “Did you know? That Concentra came from Burke Pharmaceuticals?”
No reaction, face stony. “They make everything, kid. I’m not surprised. But of course you took your pill. It must have slipped my mind. It’s been a long day.” He squeezed Nick’s knee. “Yeah. Weknew him. Your mother, she—” He closed his eyes. “I wouldn’t call it dating. At least, that’s what she said.”
“Oh my god,” Nick whispered. “They were friends with benefits?”
Dad’s eyes flashed open. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Nicky. They went out a few times. It never turned into anything serious. By the time I met your mother, it was already on its last leg. And even though my opinion of Burke isn’t the greatest, it has nothing to do with how he treated your mother. He didn’t hurt her, didn’t make her do anything she didn’t want to do, so don’t go down that road.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Nick asked. “After everything that happened?”
“This was years before you were even born. Your mom and I, we loved each other a lot. We got so wrapped up in each other those first couple of years, we sort of blocked anything else out. Burke just … drifted away. We weren’t as good of friends as we could’ve been. He didn’t seem to mind, at least not that we knew. He had his own thing going on, and then he met the woman who became his wife and moved on from us. It happens, okay? People change.”
“Paths diverge,” Nick said. Just as Burke had said.
Dad nodded. “That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen to you and Seth, or Jazz and Gibby. But even if it does, it’s okay. What you want now might not be what you want in the future.”
That alarmed Nick more than he expected. “I’m always going to want what I have now. Did their parents say something to you? I swear to god, if they try and—”
“Make decisions they feel are best for their kids?” Dad said. “Because if they do, you’ll respect whatever choice they make. It’s not up to you, Nicky. They have a right to protect Gibby and Jazz however they see fit.”
“I know,” Nick muttered. “But Gibby and Jazz are old enough to make up their own minds. We’re practically adults.”
“Oh boy,” Dad said. “Let’s talk about thepracticallypart of that sentence.”
“Did she love him?”
Dad was fluent in Nick, so he wasn’t caught off guard by the conversational whiplash. “No, kid. Not in the way you’re thinking. She cared about him. I did, too, but he wanted different things.”
Nick nodded sagely. “I asked him if he was in a polyamorous relationship with you and Mom.”
Dad gaped at him.
Seriously, what a drama queen. He was acting like that wasn’t a plausible line of thinking. “What? We’re very progressive in this household.”
Dad managed to recover. “Really. That’s what you think is progressive.”
“Hey, I don’t judge. For all I know, you and Mom were freaks in college.” He grimaced. “I take that back; I don’t want to know if you were. I’m pure and innocent and I can’t have those images in my head.”
