Page 40 of Teach Me to Laugh

“There was a boy I lived with who was really mean. He did things . . .”

My body turned tight. “Amara,”

“He had a really twisted sense of fun. Honestly, if I think about it now being a little older and a little wiser, he was a sociopath.”

A sociopath? What did she mean by that? “When I first met him he seemed fun and nice. He took risks and as a stupid girl I thought he was cool. He was so troubled, Beck.”

Her voice cracked and I felt the tense cord inside me snap. “Amara, you’re safe with me. You know that, right?”

“Yes.”

“You believe it completely—that I’d never hurt you. I’d never let anyone else hurt you.”

“I do.”

I wanted to touch her, but honest to Christ, I was terrified. What if I touched her, hoping to comfort her, and broke the fragile trust she’d given to me? What if I scared her? What if she thought I was playing a game?

“Don’t wanna talk about the past tonight, peanut,” I tried to sound at ease. “I want to know what you want in your future.”

“My future?” Big vibrant eyes met with mine. “I don’t know what you mean?”

“When you close your eyes and fantasize, what do you see?”

“You’re girly,” she teased, brushing the question off.

“I’m serious, Amara. What do you see? Everyone has a picture.”

“Well, if everyone has a picture, what’s yours?”

“I asked you first.”

She huffed smartly, “And I’ll tell you mine after you tell me yours.”

“Don’t go to Vegas, you’re horrible at playing by the rules.”

“Says the man who cheats!” Her elbow knocked into my arm. “Besides, I thought Vegas was the place to break all the rules.”

“It probably is,” I admitted. “I haven’t been.”

“Do you want to go?”

“Someday, maybe.”

“Yeah, someday,” she reiterated, and that’s when I decided to give it to her. My dream. The picture I had for my life when I closed my eyes. My hope. My fantasy.

My someday.

“I want a wife who will give me babies I’ll love more than my career. I want to build a family. Something real and true and right.” I said low, shifting on her bed. “Don’t get me wrong, I know I’ll love my career. But I want towantto come home at the end of the day. I want the kind of love with a woman who will give me everything she has to give, because I’ll give it to her.”

“You’re a really good man, Beckett. A good, good man.” Her voice was soft, and if I wasn’t mistaking, a little hurt. “Those are rare.”

“Not as rare as you seem to think.”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

I turned to my side so I could look into her face—and not look away. “Your turn.”

“When I close my eyes I see safety. I see a small home surrounded by trees in the mountains where there’s peace. Inside, there’s warmth from a real fire and love from a good man. There’s days where I’ll be snowed in, but I’ll be so warm and so safe—and loved”

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