Page 22 of The Best Kind of Forever
I’ve been pacing back and forth for twenty minutes in this damn parking lot trying to catch Aeris. I’ve texted her ten times telling her we need to talk.
My phone dings, but when I open it, the incoming message isn’t from Aeris.
DAD:Good game, son. Can we talk?
Can we talk?What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I don’t hear from my father in months, and suddenly he’s trying to play nice with me? What’s next, we’re having brunch together and holding hands as we skip off into the sunset? I’d rather have my prostate exam performed by Wolverine.
Frustration balloons inside of me, and I stab aggressively at the keyboard.
ME:Not a good idea.
DAD:Please, Hayes. I just need five minutes.
ME:You don’t deserve five minutes.
DAD:I know I messed up, but I want to make things right between us.
Hatred threatens to drag me to the cusp of no return and throw me down a dark, bottomless pit. The adrenaline inside of me is amplifying my desire to pelt the concrete with my phone, but this is the third one I’ve bought this year, and I don’t want to waste any more money. And yes, if you were wondering, all three times were in response to something idiotic my father said.
ME:Why now? After all this time?
DAD:I don’t want to waste any more time where we aren’t a family again. It shouldn’t have taken me this long to realize it, I know. One more chance. If you give me that, and I can’t earn your trust back, you’ll never hear from me again.
Without another thought, I pocket my phone. I can’t deal with my fatherandAeris right now.
Speaking of Aeris, I manage to catch sight of her chestnut waves swinging behind her like a pendulum as she exits the parking lot. I push my way past some straggling families coming out of the game, and my long legs carry me over to her in two strides.
Jesus, I forget how small she is. Not just compared to me. Her blond friend has at least seven inches on her, and that’s probably without the heels. She’s smiling at something her friend must’ve said before she’s struck shellshocked at the sight of me.
“Did you know?” I ask, trying to catalogue the emotion passing through her. I’ve already learned that she isn’t the best at hiding how she’s feeling, which can be both a blessing and a curse.
“Excuse me?” An iciness lurks under the surface of her tone.
“Did you know who I was?” I repeat, irritation blistering behind my eyes, a searing sensation shooting through me like a five-alarm fire.
To my surprise, she bites back with enough intensity to shake me to the core.
“No, Hayes, I didn’t know who you were. And no thanks to youlyingto me about what you did for work,” she hisses, her narrowed eyes terrorizing me.
The knot in my throat bobs. “You didn’t know?”
“No, asshole. And why would it matter if I knew or not?”
“Can we go somewhere more private?”
Aeris considers me for a second, but she eventually nods her head, although I wouldn’t put it past her to eat me alive when we’re alone.
I lead her to a more private part of the parking lot, hand on her bare back, which is cold to the touch. The tip of her nose is red, her skin has been robbed of color, and she hasn’t stopped shivering.
I pull her into me, wrapping my arms around her frame, hopefully engulfing her in a decent amount of heat. I tend to run warm.
She only allows me a breath of time before she pulls away from me. “Why the fuck did you lie to me, Hayes?”
Guilt roots in the bottom of my stomach, elongating into tendrils that choke my body in a vise grip. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lied to you. I’ve told women in the past about my career, and they’ve used me for fame.”
“So that gives you a pass to lie to me?”
“Of course not. I should’ve been honest with you from the beginning.”
