Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
The look on her face leaves me wanting to reach out and take hold of her. I can't tell if she's going to laugh, cry, or scream. I had no idea so many emotions could simultaneously wash over a single face. Before I can ask if she's alright, she laughs. “There's one more thing to add to the list.”
“What list?”
“The list of things I don't know about my father. Things he never thought I was worthy of knowing.”
“I wouldn't put it that way.”
“I would,” she fires back. “You're an insider, while I've always been on the outside.” She folds her arms across her chest, tucking her chin in. “I didn't know how far outside I was until now.”
“I think...” This is tough. I can't make my mouth form the words at first. It's out of character for me to go out of my way to comfort her, but she's already been through so much. And I don't need her carrying this resentment. It will only fester until there's yet another reason why we can't coexist. I have to push through my resistance to get the words out. “I think there's a lot he wants to shield you from, and it's not always easy to tell the difference between someone trying to protect you or shut you out. I've gotten to know him pretty well over the years, and I can tell you he doesn't mean to shut you out.”
“I know he loves me,” she sighs, still staring at the house like she's expecting him to walk out the front door at any second. Her body's practically vibrating with anticipation. “It’s like you said, I can't tell the difference between him keeping me away and his attempt at keeping me safe.”
Suddenly, the curtains in the window of the house next door shift. We’ve got onlookers. I take that as a hint that it’s time to move on. “Let's go. People don't like seeing strangers hanging around near their house.” It's clear she's reluctant to follow me, but eventually, she falls into step beside me. I have to slow my pace to keep from leaving her behind.
“So your mom and my dad were friends?” she murmurs, staring ahead.
“It would appear that way.”
“Did you ever meet Dad before you came to live with us?”
“No, he was just a friend Mom talked about sometimes. You know, hometown boy makes good and all that. I think she wanted me to be like him, to study hard and go into business.”
“Business?” She slides a sly glance my way. “I'm guessing she didn't know what he really does.”
“A lot of his business is legit.”
“Yes, but that's not how he made his money in the first place.”
“You're not wrong,” I have to admit. He would hate knowing we’re talking like this, but I get the feeling she needs to have this conversation. For once, somebody’s being honest with her. She can speak freely after holding so many things back.
There's still tension between us, unspoken questions that I know are on the tip of her tongue. They would be on the tip of my tongue if our roles were reversed. Hell, I can remember the many questions racing through my head when I first met Callum Torrio and in the days immediately after. For the first time in my life, there was a man who actually gave a shit about me. He asked me questions and listened to my answers. He was calm, friendly, and paternal, unlike the deadbeat piece of shit whose presence in my house left me wanting to be anywhere else.
I even tried to convince myself Callum was my father for a little while. To me, it made sense. A rich guy shows up out of nowhere and takes me away to an entirely different world where there’s space and light, and the furniture isn’t broken because some drunken asshole decided to throw things around to ease the pain of his shitty existence. To me, it was something out of a fairytale. I had to devise a reason why he’d go to those lengths to bring me into the fold; if it meant having another man as my father, that would be a bonus.
I'm lost in memories when she speaks again, chuckling a little before releasing a heavy sigh. “Sometimes, I think I'll never know all the secrets my father has kept from me. Both of you, always keeping secrets.”
She has no idea. It's better to keep that to myself, so I only shrug while turning toward home—or what used to be home before my mother placed that pivotal, late-night phone call to the man who changed my life, inevitably tangling my existence with the blonde haired girl who drives me absolutely insane.
CHAPTER 6
TATUM
“You’re going to what?“
Never in my life have I wanted so desperately to slap the expression off somebody’s face. The way he’s smirking, you’d think I told him I’m going to run a marathon tomorrow. Or maybe climb Mount Everest or something else ridiculous and unattainable. It takes a deep breath and a reminder that I’m stuck with him to keep from giving him the tantrum he wants. I can tell. He’s practically holding his breath, waiting for it.