Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 65944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
“Baby, I already moved in with you. You just weren’t paying attention,” he says, and I laugh while he leans toward me. “I just think it’s time we make it official.”
“Right,” I say quietly before he leans in to place a soft kiss against my lips. Smiling, I take another bite of pancake, then once I chew and swallow, I ask, “Do you think it would be better to rent your house out? I know there’s not many properties available to rent in town, especially in your neighborhood.”
“We can talk to a realtor and see what they think.” He shrugs.
“You have a house for rent?” my dad asks, and I wonder how I didn’t hear him coming down the steps, especially with his suitcase that is at his side. I watch him walk into the kitchen, dressed in his suit, with his hair styled and his face clean of the scruff that was on his jaw when he woke up.
“We might,” Tide says. “You want some coffee?”
“Yes, thank you.” My dad looks at me, his face going soft for a moment, and I swear it looks like he wants to hug me. It’s something I don’t ever remember him doing, so I’m not completely disappointed when he clears his throat and focuses on Tide instead. “I might be interested in looking at the house you want to rent.”
“For what?” I ask, and he turns to me.
“I’m leaving your mother,” he states easily while accepting a mug of coffee from Tide and my stomach bottoms out.
“You’re leaving Mom?”
“Yes, and I’m sorry if that upsets you.” Since I know jumping up and down and giving him a high-five would not be the right reaction, I nod, trying to keep my face neutral. “I doubt she will make things easy, so I’ll probably have to find a place to live while we get things ironed out between us.”
“I’m sure Tide would be okay with you staying at his house.” I look at my guy, and my dad turns his way.
“I’ll give you the address and one of the spare keys. You can take a look around, and if you want it, consider it yours as long as you need it.”
“I appreciate that,” Dad says, then looks at his watch. “I have some stuff to take care of today. I’m scheduled to meet a client in an hour.”
“Of course,” I agree, and he sets down his still mostly full cup of coffee.
“Thank you both for last night.” He clears his throat as his gaze meets mine. “I’m sorry, Aria, for everything.”
Tears cause my nose to sting, and I hold onto my cup tighter when I really just want to get up and give him a hug. “I’m sorry too.”
“Never doubt that I love you. You are the best thing I ever did in my life, and I know I’ve messed up. But I want to have a relationship with you.”
“I want that too.” The words are barely audible over the sudden tightness in my throat.
“Then we will work on that while I work on me,” he says, and a sense of hopefulness fills me, because it’s the first time he’s ever acknowledged that he has a problem and that things between us are not like they should be.
“I’ll call you this evening, if that’s all right with you.”
“You can call me anytime, and my couch is always available if you need a place to crash.” I get up to walk him to the door, and he shocks me by wrapping his arms around me.
“I love you,” he says, and the tears I’ve been fighting back fill my eyes before I can stop them, then start to leak down my cheeks. “Never doubt that.”
Unable to speak, I nod, then he transfers me to Tide. I burrow against his warm, hard chest as his arms wrap around me, and he holds me tight as the front door closes. “Did that just happen?”
“It did.” His arms around me get tighter. “The situation with you mom cheating with your ex might have woke him up, baby.”
“Maybe.” I agree then let out a deep breath. “I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I really do hope he get’s it together, not for me but for himself.”
“I hope so too.” He kisses the top of my hair and I lean my head back to meet his gaze.
“So my dad is leaving my mom and hopefully getting sober, and you’re officially moving in with me even though you’ve been basically living here since I have?”
“Yep.” He says as his eyes roam over my face.
“It’s a busy day and it’s not even ten.”
“Yep.” His lips curve up into a smile, and I lean up on my tiptoes to kiss him but keep my hand against his jaw.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For always being right where I need you to be, for being strong, for loving me the way that you do and for knowing just what I need.”