Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“I never had a parent come to anything I did when I was a kid in school,” I say and see her face gets soft. “Never had a parent care if I was doing good in school or not.” She steps up to me, putting her hand on my chest, and I let her. “Never had anything good in my life, Lilah,” I share with her, giving her a piece of myself I didn’t think I would give anyone. “So I’m going to do what I need to do for her to see I care.”
She moves her hand from my chest to my cheek. “She’s really lucky to have you,” she says, and I look into her eyes. “You’re a great dad.”
“No, I’m not,” I say. “I don’t think I’ll ever be a great dad”—I shrug—“but I’m going to try my fucking best.”
“That right there is one of the reasons you’re a great dad,” she declares and her hand falls. “You care.” She gives me a soft smile. “And that is going to mean the world to her when she looks back and thinks about this moment.” She takes a deep inhale. “Behind that gruff exterior is one of the best men I’ve ever met in my life.” She gets up on her tippy-toes and kisses my cheek. It’s the sweetest kiss I’ve ever gotten in my whole life. Then she turns and walks away, leaving me yearning for everything I thought I would never want.
Chapter Eighteen
LILAH
Every single word that came out of him was like a knife slicing into me. He’s never let his shield down with me. I don’t think he did with anyone, but definitely not with me. Knowing it took a lot for him to give me that, I feel the way his heart is beating in his chest under my hands. “That right there is one of the reasons you are a great dad,” I state, and my hand falls off his chest before I do something stupid, like roam them up to his neck and wrap them around him, giving the whole fucking town something to talk about. “You care.” He stares into my eyes, something he’s been doing a lot. Something I seem to silently beg him to do more and more. “That is going to mean the world to her when she looks back and thinks about this moment.” My own heartbeat speeds up, my hands trembling nervously, hoping I don’t say a wrong word that has him going off. “Behind that gruff exterior is one of the best men I’ve ever met in my life.” I can see the side smile fill his face, and I do something I might regret in the morning or even five minutes from now. I get on my tippy-toes, and instead of kissing his lips, like I long to do, I kiss his cheek. The stubble pinches my cheek, and the only thing I want more at this moment is to wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face in his neck, feeling his heat seep through my body and safe in his arms. Instead, I swallow down the lump that has formed in my throat and notice the way my eyes got so dry they burn.
I turn and walk out of the school and into the fenced area. My head is down as I need to get away from this right now. I need to focus, and being in the middle of all these people, it’ll be a miracle if I don’t break down. I spot Lucy over at the side with Autumn and Charlie and know, in a couple of minutes, Emmett will be coming out to find her.
I zigzag through the crowd of people, hoping no one stops me to talk. Keeping my head down, I make no eye contact with anyone. The farther and farther away I get from Emmett and Lucy, the harder it is to see through the pool of tears that are now welling up in my eyes. The noise from everyone gets farther and farther away as I make it to my truck. Getting in, I put my head against the headrest and close my eyes. The tears finally escape, rolling down my cheeks as Emmett’s voice still plays over in my head. “Never had anything good in my life.” I reach in my purse for my keys and start the truck.
The drive home is quiet. I opt to roll down all the windows to feel the cooler air on my face. I take the long way home, and instead of taking me fifteen minutes, it’s now over an hour. I park in my designated spot and take a deep inhale, with an even bigger exhale, before I roll up the windows and get out of the truck.