“You’re in the military?”
“I was. I enlisted right after…”
“You left us?” I supply.
“Yeah.”
“I tried not to put much force into the punch, though, just in case it was someone you knew.”
“Thatwas not using much force?”
He chuckles and it’s the first time since he showed up at my door that I see a hint of anything other than pain and regret in his eyes. “He’d be unconscious if I used full force.”
I roll my eyes. Just what I need. Another arrogant man in my life.
“I’m assuming you don’t want to talk about whatever that was about.” His eyes float to the door that Ashton recently barged through.
“I really don’t,” I sigh, and he nods. “I’m going to check on him, though.”
“Hey, Allie?” he calls out as he starts to walk out. “I’m not judging or anything, and I know I don’t deserve to know anything about your life, but… how many boyfriends do you have?”
A giggle bubbles up out of me. It starts slow but builds until I’m bent over, laughing hysterically. My father just blinks at me.
“None,” I say, catching my breath. “I don’t have any boyfriends.”
“The fuck you don’t.”
I spin around to see Ashton standing in the entryway, blood all over his shirt, hair disheveled, holding the bag of frozen peas against his face. He stalks closer, and my father follows suit, coming to my side. I don’t miss the protective gleam in his eyes.
“Allie, I tried. I really did.” He removes the peas, tossing them on the floor. “I tried to let you go.”
I see Declan and Nate enter behind him. Nate looks apologetic while Declan has a shit-eating grin on his face.
“I can’t do it. So hate me,” he slams his palm against his chest. “Punish me. Let your dad kick my ass. Make me leave. I’ll never take your choice away, but I’ll also never stop loving you.”
My eyes fall to the man in front of me, eyes wild, blood-stained, and bruised, hair matted to his forehead with sweat, as his chest heaves with a sharp intake of breath. The truth is I can’t let him go either. I’m not sure I could have even if I didn’t find out that he kept my dad a secret from me so I wouldn’t get hurt. That thought scares me more than anything, but I did find out, and that changes things.
Maybe it shouldn’t, and maybe that makes me just like her. But I have one life, and I’ll be damned if I don’t give it another chance to prove me wrong. To prove that love exists and is more than the pain it causes.
I want to tell him all this, to run into his arms and kiss away the hurt in his eyes, but then I remember we have an audience. I look around the room at the various eyes pinned directly on us.
“Ash,” I say gently. “Let’s talk in private.”
Declan takes a step back. “I’m out,” he announces.
“I’ll be next door visiting my nephew if you need me,” Nate says flatly as he follows closely behind Declan.
I look at my dad, the redness on his knuckles already starting to bloom into violet bruises. He looks carefully from me to Ashton. “Are you safe with him?”
Ashton scoffs, but I level him with a glare. “Yes,” I say, turning back to my father.
He tips up his chin. “I’m staying at a hotel in Rocky Falls.” He places a card down on my entryway table. “Here’s my cell number. I’ll be here whenever you’re ready to talk. If you’re not, that’s okay too.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
“Do you think…” he trails off, looking down at the floor. “Do you think she would see me?” He doesn’t have to specify who. I know exactly what he means. My mother’s words come back to me.
There was only one man for me, and if he showed up at my doorstep right now, even after all this time, I’d like to think I would hear him out.
