AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dani half smiles as I cringe. That probably wasn’t the right thing to say, but it’s the truth.
“You don’t talk about your parents much,” I say, hoping to move the conversation back to her and away from my father. “Are they nearby?”
Any hint of happiness Dani had fades instantly. “My dad died from a stroke when I was seven. He’d been in and out of the hospital for a year with an undiagnosed illness, and they discovered it to be a rare heart condition. After his death.”
I gulp hard, my own heart skipping as it lodges in my throat. She’s been through so much. Maybe I am bad for her.
“Thankfully, it’s not hereditary,” she continues on with a sarcastic smile. “There’s a silver lining. Anyway, as for my mom and stepdad…They moved away a few years back and don’t really talk to me anymore.” Dani pauses, waiting for me to say something, but I’m stuck back at her dad. When my thoughts finally catch up, I respond.
“Sorry, they don’t really talk to you?”
“Never. They never talk to me. Cut me off when I moved out of their house and in with Eric.”
“Why?”
“They never liked him. Which was bullshit!” She covers her mouth at her outburst, and I can’t help but laugh.
“I’m not at all opposed to cursing,” I joke, loving the little smile it brings to her face.
“Thank you. Anyway, it’s bullshit,” she repeats, softer this time. “It’s not like he’d done anything wrong. We weren’t Romeo and Juliet from a long rivalry; there was no bad blood. They just decided I was too young to move in with my boyfriend and threatened to cut me off if I left. I think it had more to do with the fact that I used to always be around to watch my little sister. Always at their beck and call, so they could live the life they wanted.”
“Fuck. I’m sorry.”
Dani giggles. “Stop apologizing! And actually, the drama with my mom is proof that what you’re going through with your dad isn’t trivial. I could have buried the hatchet with my mom years ago. But I haven’t. Because despite losing the rest of my family and needing her in my life, my reasons are still valid. And so are yours. That doesn’t mean I think you should cut your dad off and never speak to him again. It just means that your feelings matter.”
Fuck, I love this girl.Ah…metaphorically speaking, of course. But, God, is she amazing.
“My dad was my hero,” I say, finally opening up. “We were as close as a father and son could be. And he ruined that completely with his lies. I’m not even sure that my anger is about what he actually did, or more so that he lied about it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hey, now, I thought we established that apologizing for other people’s misfortunes was a no-no.”
Dani laughs. “You’re right. But I’m still sorry you went through that.”
Titling my head back to the sky, I huff out a breath and continue. “I just don’t understand it. My mom is an angel. She’s amazing, Dani. Why would he cheat on her in the first place? And why isn’t she as outraged as I am? I understand that she wants to keep everything together for Liam’s sake, but she’s not even pretending. She’s completely forgiven him.”
“Is it possible that there’s more to the story? Something they haven’t told you?”
“He always asks me to hear him out, but what could he possibly say to make it better? At the end of the day, he still cheated.”
“I wish I knew.”
“Me too. Thanks for listening, and for opening up. I’ve been thinking about that day on the beach a lot. And always wished I’d been able to check in with you in the days following. If only you hadn’t given me a wrong number.”
I pause for Dani to giggle, but she doesn’t. Instead, she groans and lies back on the towel, her hands covering her face.
“That was Eric’s number. My fiancé. I accidentally gave you his details instead of my own.”
I feel sick as I let that sink in.
“Well, that makes a lot of sense and also helps with my ego a little. I assumed you’d done it on purpose but didn’t want to admit it on Thanksgiving.”
Dani laughs. “Nope. It was a genuine mistake. I wasn’t completely against you getting in touch.”
She smiles at me one more time, with a slight lift of her shoulder, and then closes her eyes, allowing me time to marvel at her beauty.
“You really are incredible, Dani,” I say, leaning back on my elbows, crossing my legs at my ankles. The now dry sand stuck to my body scratches where my skin touches, but I don’t move. I can’t. I don’t want to disrupt the peace. And I feel more comfortable right now than I’ve been in a long time.
