Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78007 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78007 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Dad’s head is tilted down, gaze in his lap. It’s not until he lifts his hand to wipe his face that I see he’s shed a tear of his own. When our gazes meet, the moisture there is obvious. “I’m sorry, Perry. I’m so damn sorry, and if you’ll let me, I’ll work to make up for the pain I’ve caused you. Every day for the rest of my life.”
“Just be good to me…to us, all of us.”
Dad pushes to his feet. He doesn’t seem like a touchy-feely guy, but before I realize what’s happening, I’m in his arms and he’s hugging me, holding me, telling me he loves me, that he can’t wait to get to know me.
He orders room service, and we talk for hours. About Ainsley, my little sister. About Ty and how proud Dad is of him. Of all the things he wants to do with the two of us together. The relationship he wants to build with his kids.
We even talk about Langley Enterprises. I tell Dad some of the things I’ve worked on and apps I’d like to build. Excitement shoots around my body like a marble in a pinball machine. The love is matched in his gaze as we discuss this thing the two of us love, that both of us are good at.
“I would love to work with you,” Dad says when I’m about to leave. “If you want to come back to Boston, we can get you registered for school there, and you can apprentice at Langley. I’d love to see what you can do. We can—”
“You want me to move back to Boston?” I interrupt. Mom would love that, and working for Langley Enterprises would be incredible.
“If you’d like. You don’t have to, but it would be a great opportunity for you. I know you don’t need my help, but I’m offering it to you. I would love the chance to work with one of my sons.”
His son. Following my dreams. I’ve always loved Mass and never thought I would leave until I met Ty and came out to visit him. I’d moved out here to have a relationship with my brother, to get to know him and be close to him, and now, my father is offering me the same opportunity—to go back home, where my mom is, to work toward making my dreams come true, and to build a relationship with my father.
But then there’s Theo, the man I love. The person who gave me the inspiration to set out on this path to building a relationship with my dad.
Theo, the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.
I sit there speechless, trying to grasp words that won’t come.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Theo
I call Mom while Perry is with his dad and update her on everything that’s happened—the heart attack, Perry deciding he’s ready to try and have a relationship with his dad, and even the vision thing. I’m excited to explore that possibility. If that’s not the answer, I’ll get through it, but I’m anxious to hear what they say. Mom is on board with helping me in any way she can, but she also lets me know she’s there for Perry too.
“I’m going to text him to send him my love. Should we come down? Is there anything we can do?”
Her words don’t come as a surprise, but they fill me with joy all the same. I love knowing that Perry will have them in his corner too because my man deserves the world.
“You don’t have to come down, but I know he’ll appreciate you letting him know you’re thinking about him.”
“I’ll do that, then,” Mom says, a smile in her voice.
We talk for a few more minutes before ending the call.
I pull out my laptop and try to get some schoolwork done, but my mind is wandering. Every time I try to focus, Perry’s smile pops into my head, or his whiskey-colored eyes, how he told me he needed me, the way his hand feels in mine.
I’ve got it so bad for him, it’s ridiculous. I hope things work out with his dad. I know how bad it’ll hurt Perry if they don’t. He’s been holding in for so long this need to be a part of his dad’s life that I can’t imagine what it will do to him if something messes that up.
It feels like a lifetime passes before my phone buzzes with a text.
Knight in Shining Armor: Hey, I’m done. Can I come over?
Me: Yeah, absolutely. Did everything go okay?
Knight in Shining Armor: It was awesome. I’ll tell you about it when I get there.
Weight I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying falls off my chest. Today was good for him, and that’s a start.
Casey and Jack are downstairs playing video games when I get there, Jack’s gaze darting up to ask, “Wanna play?”