Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 69746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
“I would have told you, but I couldn’t do that without compromising him. Even if your father and I have our disagreements, I don’t want to affect your relationship with him. As a man with no parents, I understand how important it is to cherish them while you can. I never want to come between you and your father. I just want to be accepted among you.”
“There’s nothing my father could ever do to make me stop loving him, to make me turn my back on him. I was pissed when he told me what he did, because it was wrong, but I know he only did it because he loves me. I forgave him for it.”
“As you should,” he said. “He meant well…even if his actions were idiotic. I respect a man who protects the women he loves. He and I are the same in that regard…even if he doesn’t realize it.”
“He will realize it…in time.”
He watched me for a long while, his eyes boring into mine. “If you forgive him, then you must forgive me.”
“Of course I do. But I’m still mad at him, and I’m still mad at you.”
He bowed his head slightly.
“I feel so stupid going down there without knowing. This entire time, my father knew about you, and I was assuming otherwise. Now I understand he was avoiding me the because he didn’t want to address the truth. It’s just…embarrassing.”
“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” he said calmly. “He should be embarrassed for blowing you off like that.”
“I guess he wasn’t ready to deal with this.”
“No. He’s had a hard time.”
I kept my arms crossed over my chest, my teeth grinding together in annoyance. “I’m irritated that this is my personal life, yet everyone knows more about it than I do. People are sneaking around behind my back and leaving me in the cold. Even Griffin was doing it.”
“Griffin was in a tough spot, in his defense.”
“Are you seriously defending him?” I asked, an eyebrow raised.
“It’s not black and white, Beautiful. That’s all I’m saying. Since everything is done and we’re still standing here, maybe you should let this go.”
“Easy for you to say…”
“The worst is over. Let’s enjoy our small victory.”
I couldn’t handle any more lies, any more half-truths. Griffin didn’t owe me anything, and I didn’t expect more out of my father, but I expected more out of the man I loved. “I never want this to happen again. If you want to be my man, that means no more secrets. I’m serious.”
Bosco stared at me as he considered the question, standing a short distance away from me with his hands in his pockets. “Alright.”
“Is that a promise?”
He nodded. “That’s a promise. I’ll never keep anything from you again. But remember, that’s a double-edged sword.”
“I’ll take my chances. If this is gonna last a lifetime, then I want a partner I can trust, someone I can count on. I want to be in the loop, not oblivious to important knowledge that’s been shared right under my nose.” That wasn’t much to ask for, so I didn’t feel out of line. He’d already sacrificed plenty for me, but I wanted a little more.
“Alright.”
Now that I’d gotten what I wanted, I kept my arms crossed over my chest, unsure what to do next.
“Can I kiss you now?” The corner of his mouth rose in a lopsided grin.
I loved that smile and couldn’t resist it. “Yes…”
He moved into me and bent his neck down to kiss me on the mouth, his scruff rubbing against me slightly. His lips were soft, but his jaw was hard. He lightly sucked my bottom lip into his mouth before he let go.
“So your mom stopped by?” He knew everything about my life, even as it was unfolding. “And how did that go?”
“My mom is a lot more logical than my father. She said if you’re the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, then she accepts that. She trusts my decision and supports it. But she needs to get to know you before she can actually like you.”
“Wow. She’s way better than your father.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, she’s great. She’s a lot more understanding. Doesn’t have unrealistic expectations of anything.”
“I look forward to meeting her…whenever that time comes.”
“I’m not sure when it’ll happen. She said she’s still working on getting my father to see reason. She’ll need a few more days.”
“The fact that she thinks she can do it in days instead of years is impressive.”
“Well, my mom can do amazing things. She’s a superhero.”
His smile faded slightly, and a note of sadness entered his look.
Somehow, I knew he was thinking about his own mother, the woman he respected most in the world. He still missed her, even though he was a grown man who didn’t need anyone for anything. “I’m sorry…”