I slide past Rosie, who presses a kiss to Tabi’s forehead. Her black curls surround her cherub face.
As Rosie checks the night light, I collect my stuff. I’m unsure if she wants me to stay longer. Tabi’s words about her dad sit in my stomach. He has the most beautiful, creative, and funny little girl. He’s her dad. Not me.
“Are you going?” Rosie asks as she steps back into thecorridor. She pulls at the hem of the T-shirt that carries my name.
She lifts her thumb to her mouth and chews at the pad.
“If you want me to.”
Graham sneaks past us and lies on the bottom of Tabi’s bed.
“I’d like you to stay a while if you can. To hang out, not for…you know,” she replies and lifts her head. The heat of her gaze is a thunderbolt to my chest.
“I’d love to.”
We settle on the sofa, and I lift my arm so she can tuck herself into me. There’s so much I want to ask, but it’s born out of nosiness. We’re in the infancy of a new relationship, and no matter what, I can’t hurt Rosie or Tabi. The stakes are high. But as I breathe Rosie’s honey and soap scent, I don’t doubt she’s worth it.
I bite my lip as I deliberate my question, but Rosie beats me to it. “We can talk about Tabi’s dad if you want.”
I chuckle softly. “Am I that obvious?”
“I’d want the same if I were you. What are you thinking?”
“Have you considered searching for him? I could pay for a private investigator,” I broach.
She leans against my chest, and it’s like our heartbeats merge, seeking the same rhythm.
“I’ve considered it, but I know so little about him that it’d be pointless. But Tabi deserves to have her dad. She’s the most important person in my world, so I’d make that happen if he appeared and wanted to be in her life. But I’d also protect Tabi at all costs,” she adds with a fervency that makes me smile.
“How is she with the men in your life?”
“She’s only had my dad, who she loves and annoys in equal measure.”
I play with the chain around her neck, stroking it like itmeans something. It does to me. “What about other men you’ve dated?”
She turns to me. “I haven’t dated since Tabi. And you’re my first ever boyfriend.”
I kiss her cheek.
Rosie gives me a satisfied sigh. She turns and settles against me, threading her fingers through mine. “I know you dated Clara, but I’m guessing she was one of many. Your sister mentioned that all the women fancied you.”
I crack my neck. “I was a bit of a player before the accident. My relationship with Clara wasn’t serious. I fooled around a lot before her. When we were together, I was committed, but it wasn’t going anywhere. It was nice to have someone, but if not for the accident, we probably wouldn’t have lasted many more months.”
“Oh.” She murmurs the word on a breath.
“Is that an issue?”
Her silence leaves me anxious to learn more. I force myself not to tremble or demand a response.
“No.” She pulls my arms tighter around her. Her voice is stilted, and my stomach churns with what this whole conversation means for us and what I’m not understanding.
I lift her chin to meet her soft gaze. “I’m committed to you and to this for as long as you want me. And I won’t do anything to hurt Tabi or you. Even if you and I are just friends, I want to be in her life.”
A tear slips down Rosie’s cheek, and I brush my lips against her skin, relishing the salty tang because it tastes of her joy. Her eyelashes flutter. “Thank you.”
My kiss ghosts her smile. “This thing between us isn’t like any other relationship I’ve experienced, but it works for us and for who we are. I’m not going anywhere.”
She tucks herself against me as we watch television.
