Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 111086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 555(@200wpm)___ 444(@250wpm)___ 370(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 555(@200wpm)___ 444(@250wpm)___ 370(@300wpm)
“I told Ronan about Pierce,” Everett said as he picked up the story from there. “We talked for a long time. He stayed for two days and mostly all we did was talk. The press was led to believe I had the stomach flu. Ronan convinced me that I needed to talk to a professional, which I did. But I couldn’t risk the truth about my relationship with Pierce getting out, or the suicide attempt, so I told the psychiatrist I was dealing with depression. I was prescribed some medication, which helped me focus enough that I could work. Ronan and I stayed in touch for a while, but I lost track of him after he suffered his own loss a few years later. We reconnected when he called me about you,” Everett said as he looked at Reese.
Reese shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “If I’d been there—”
“No,” Everett said firmly as he put his arm around his son. “It absolutely wasn’t your fault.”
“You didn’t have anyone—”
“I had people like Grady and Vincent. But as close as I was to them, I was still too afraid to ask for help. To admit that I wasn’t the man they all thought I was. What I did was selfish and wrong and I’m so very grateful to Grady, Ronan, and that paramedic for getting me through it.” Everett’s eyes shifted to me and Nash. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I managed to say. “You hear me? It. Doesn’t. Matter.”
Everett nodded. “Nash?” he said softly, because Nash had gone really quiet next to me. His leg was tapping on the ground like crazy and it felt like he was going to break the bones in my hand, he was squeezing it so hard.
“Fuck it,” he suddenly snapped, then he was jumping to his feet. He dropped my hand and strode over to Everett. “Your kid is just going to have to get the fuck over it, because I’m done with this no-touching-you shit,” he bit out. He pulled Everett to his feet, then wrapped his arms around him.
I smiled as I got to my feet. Leave it to Nash to find the fastest way to end this mess. I risked a glance at Reese and saw that he hadn’t moved at all. He looked completely worn out, but I didn’t see any hatred or anger in his eyes as he looked at his father.
Nash kissed Everett sweetly. “Love you,” he whispered to Everett before he passed him off to me. I took my turn kissing him, though I kept it chaste.
“I love you,” Everett murmured into my ear as I hugged him.
“Still going to figure this out,” I reminded him, then I let him go.
Reese stood up and held there awkwardly for a moment, then wrapped his arms around his father. I could tell Everett was whispering something to Reese, but I couldn’t hear what it was. All I could see was Reese nodding his head now and then, and when they pulled back from one another a little bit, they both smiled. It had hope sparking deep in my belly that tonight would end up being a new beginning for them.
And us.
“Daddy?”
At the sound of Charlie’s voice calling from the top of the stairs I said, “Yeah, honey, what is it?”
“Can we come down now? Happy won’t stop crying and Zeus keeps farting so bad that Pépère and I can hardly breathe.”
All of us began laughing so hard that I was sure we’d finally shed some tears of joy for a change. “Come on down!”
A moment later there was the thunder of footsteps above our heads, then racing down the stairs. I laughed when Happy made a huge leap over the couch to get to Nash faster. The momentum sent her slamming into him and there was just no chance of him staying upright. I tugged Everett up against me and he brought Reese with him. I kissed Everett’s temple and said, “Think she’ll share him with us?”
Happy dropped all her weight down on top of Nash and began kissing his face.
Everett considered it for a moment before finally shaking his head and saying, “Not a chance.”
Chapter 32
Nash
“Well?”
I looked up to see Everett standing in the doorway.
“Well what?” I asked, just so I could stall for a few more seconds. Everett was going to be pissed. I, amazingly, was okay with the news I’d just gotten.
Everett’s lips pulled into a frown. “That asshole,” he bit out. “Where’s my phone?” He began checking his pockets.
“It’s upstairs charging,” I reminded him.
“Right,” Everett said, then he was walking past me. I grabbed his arm and tugged him to me, then sealed my mouth over his.
I kissed him until he was completely pliant in my arms. He pulled back long enough to mutter, “No fair,” then kissed me again. I smiled against his mouth.