Six months later
I stepped out into the sunlight and raised my hand to give me some shade as I searched the parking lot.
“Oi!” Dylan hollered from across the blacktop, then he was jogging to my side. “Everything go okay?”
I shrugged and threaded my fingers through his. “As good as a jail visit can go, I guess.”
My visit with my dad had gotten me thinking. He hadn’t been a very good father. He’d been full of excuses and promises to make things better when he got out. Honestly, I was on the fence as to whether he was owed a second chance.
As we settled into the truck, I turned to Dylan. “Do you ever regret giving your father a second chance?”
“Every fucking day.”
I blinked in surprise at the vehemence in his tone.
He shrugged as he started his truck. “But I also know you can’t go back and change the past. The only way is forward. Or at least that’s what Dr. Johnston keeps telling me. Why? Are you having doubts about reconnecting with your pops?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed. “Everything he says feels like lip service, you know? Not that it matters. I have a few months before he gets out.”
“Less than that with good behavior.”
I nodded. And he had been behaving. Maybe he really was dedicated to changing.
“And things should be different,” Dylan pointed out. “Just the fact that the West Coast Kings are no more. And they were a big part of your dad’s troubles.”
“True.” I looked out the window at the endless lanes of traffic. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Like your big marketing project?”
I made a face. I hadn’t spent nearly enough time on it. “Pass.”
“How about the meeting with the production company?”
The network had settled with the brothers and me for fifty thousand dollars and even waived the non-compete clause in their original contract provided we sign a non-disclosure agreement. Honestly, I just wanted the whole thing behind us. But it’d taken some time interviewing production companies before we found one we liked. And I think the guys weren’t exactly excited to jump straight back into filming.
“That’s work. Also pass.”
Dylan hummed. “How about Austin and Rachel’s wedding? You ready for a weeklong vacation in Tahoe?”
“Mmm, it sounds amazing. And that place you booked looks freaking gorgeous. I’ve never stayed in a home with an indoor pool. I can’t wait.”
“It’s almost a bummer we’re there for a wedding. Otherwise I’d want to spend the whole week naked. Just you, me, and nothing between us.”
I groaned. “Maybe we should book an extra week off. Take a little honeymoon ourselves.”
“Deal.”
I grinned at Dylan. I had been joking, but somehow I didn’t think he was.
A few minutes later, we pulled up to my apartment. Sure, it’d started out as a temporary place—at least in my head—but over time it’d become my place. I’d picked out some new furniture for the living room, added some vinyl stickers to the bedroom, and hung some pictures. I might’ve been resistant to having my own apartment at first, but now it was all mine.
Dylan held my hand as we walked down the hall to my place. He paused outside my door and watched me search for my keys. “You know, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you…”
My breath hitched. He wasn’t… I mean, I wasn’t ready for that. We’d only been officially dating for six months.
It was too soon.
I was almost afraid to turn to face him. A small part of me was worried he’d be waiting for me on one knee. I took another breath then slowly turned to face him.
