Page 148 of Masked Sins
The two of us walk to the parking garage in silence. Once we get to my car, I give him a quick hug.
“You okay?” he asks, eyes studying me.
“Yeah. Surprisingly.”
“Plans tonight?”
I crack a smile. “Yeah.”
His lips twitch. “Let’s get dinner tomorrow, yeah?”
I give him a handshake. “Sure. Drive safe.”
I watch as he climbs into his car and drives away. Then I pull my phone out and text Layla.
Me: I’m on my way. Just have to make one stop first.
When I walk through the front door of Scott’s house, it smells like home. Somehow, it always has. Closing the door behind me, I set my helmet down on the entryway table and walk through the living room to the kitchen, where I find Scott cooking what looks to be an omelette.
“Hey, Ri,” he says, smiling as he turns around. “Everything okay? Your text sounded urgent.”
I open and close my mouth a couple of times, and my stepdad must notice the hesitation, because he sets the dish towel down on the counter and turns the burner off.
“My dad died,” I say slowly, trying the words out in my mouth for the first time.
Scott physically sags before taking a step forward. “Fuck. I’m so sorry, Orion. What can I do?” Without thinking, he opens his arms and pulls me in for a hug. I squeeze my eyes shut, but I don’t cry. If anything, I’m relieved—and I don’t feel like I’m missing out on having a father figure.
After all, I have Scott.
Pulling away, I sniff once, but that’s all the emotion I show. “Nothing. It’s over now.”
“You sure? How are your brothers? Do they know?”
At this, I crack a smile. “Yeah. We all got to say goodbye.”
Scott’s face softens. “Your mom would be so proud of you all for that. She always worried you’d grow apart over the years, but it seems you’ve only gotten closer.”
I nod. “It was good being able to say goodbye to our dad together. It seems to have healed something in all of us.”
“Good. Well, I’m sorry for your loss.”
I shrug as I look at him. “It doesn’t feel like I’ve lost anything.”
My stepdad’s eyes go misty. “I’m glad. You know you’ll always be my son, right? Blood relation doesn’t matter. You’re a part of this family, and you always will be.”
I wince. I can’t help it. Rubbing the back of my neck, I take a deep breath. His eyes soften as he watches me, but there’s something else there too—a quiet understanding that settles between us, deep and unspoken. It presses on my chest, theheavy weight of guilt for keeping something so big from him. I swallow hard and take a breath.
“I, uh…” The nervous energy makes it hard to stand still. “I actually wanted to ask you for something. Officially.”
His eyebrows lift, curiosity replacing his usual fatherly sternness. “Go on.”
I shift my weight, deciding to blurt everything out and rip the bandaid off.Why the fuck not.
“I love Layla. I’ve loved her for a long time now. And I want to make sure I do this right.” My voice wavers for a second, but I steady myself, meeting his gaze head-on. “I want your blessing to ask her to marry me. When she’s ready, of course. We only just started … ”
For a second, there’s nothing but a distant hum of life going on around us. Scott doesn’t move, his face unreadable, and I wonder if I’ve overstepped. But then, slowly, a smile creeps onto his face, warm and genuine.
“You already have my blessing,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. He claps my shoulder, a little rougher this time, like he’s holding back the flood of feelings rushing between us. “You’ll be good for her. I know it.”
