Total pages in book: 198
Estimated words: 186242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 931(@200wpm)___ 745(@250wpm)___ 621(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 931(@200wpm)___ 745(@250wpm)___ 621(@300wpm)
“And I told myself it was only you,” he went on. “You’d tell me if I did something wrong.”
My little heart ached, and I nodded at him. We had come such a long way, and his trust meant so much to me. “Always.”
“Do you think I should move around more?”
“You’ve got such a beautiful voice; I think you should focus on the singing part for now. You’re going to be nervous, so why put more pressure on yourself? There’s only one Lady Yuki anyway.”
He slid me a side look and asked, way too nonchalantly, “Did you help her write that ‘Remember Me’ song?”
I knew exactly what song he was referring to, obviously, and I grinned. “It’s a pretty good song, isn’t it?”
His squawk didn’t even insult me. “You did?”
I didn’t get a chance to answer because we both turned toward the driveway at the sound of tires on gravel, and part of me expected to see a UPS truck because I’d ordered some mats for my car. The ones that came with it weren’t meant for snow and slush. But when the pickup pulled up into its usual spot, I frowned. Rhodes had just texted me a couple hours ago saying he’d be home around six. It was only four.
“What’s Dad doing here?” even Amos asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered as the man in question parked and got out, that long, muscular body moving so well in its uniform it almost put me in a trance. The memory of him coming over to my apartment last night filled my head. I’d asked him what excuse he’d given Am, and he’d laughed and said I was going to show him my old photo albums. Apparently, from the disgusted expression on the teenager’s face, he didn’t believe him, but that was exactly what had happened.
At least until we’d ended up taking each other’s clothes off and I’d wound up on his lap, sweaty and shaking.
It had been a good night.
Most nights since the day they’d gone to find me at Clara’s had been very nice nights. On that first one specifically, Rhodes had asked me more questions about Kaden once Amos had gone to bed.
How we’d met—through a mutual friend my first semester of college. I’d been studying to get a degree in education while he’d been in school for music performance. Rhodes said he could see me being a teacher, and maybe I could have been, but my heart wasn’t into the idea at all anymore.
What the stipulations were for the money I’d gotten—that I wouldn’t go after them in court for royalties or songwriting credit, because God forbid there be something in writing about divorce settlements.
There were so many things for us to talk about, and I didn’t want us to waste our time on that topic. But I would if there was something bugging him. I just hoped there wasn’t.
The past was in the past, and I hoped more than anything that my future was walking toward me right then.
“Hi!” I yelled at Rhodes from where I was still sitting. It was forty-eight degrees out, but not windy, so we had the garage door open. My aunt thought I was nuts when I told her I’d been wearing a T-shirt the last few days, but no one understood just how nice it could be, even with snow on the ground. That was low humidity life for you.
“Hi,” he greeted me right back.
Did he sound weird, or was I imagining it? What I knew I wasn’t imagining was his stiff gait as he made his way over, hands clenching open and closed at his sides. His head was just a little too down.
I glanced at Amos and saw that he was frowning as he took in his dad too.
“You okay?” I asked the moment he stepped inside the garage.
“In a way, yes,” he said in what was definitely a weird and tight voice that alarmed me even more.
I stood up. “What’s wrong?”
He raised his head then. The fine lines branching from the corners of his eyes were deeper than normal as he said, “Aurora . . . I need to talk to you.”
Someone meant business busting out my first name like that. “You’re scaring me, but okay,” I said slowly, glancing at Am. He was looking at both of us warily.
Those gray eyes were on me as he took my hands, very, very gently. “Let’s go inside.”
I nodded and let him lead me across the yard and up the stairs to the deck. It wasn’t until we were going in that I realized Am was following behind. Rhodes must have just then noticed it too because he stopped.
“What? You’re scaring me too,” the teenager said.
“Am, this is private,” he said seriously, that terribly sober expression still on his face.
“Ora, you don’t care, right?”