“One second.” I rolled over, reaching across to the bedside table for my phone. “Read this.”
Handing Spencer my phone with my mom’s last wishes written across the screen felt like handing him a piece of my past that otherwise, he never would have understood.
Him being able to read her words gave him a glimpse into how vastly different my world was from his growing up. What I went through. And even a part of his son’s childhood that he never got a say in.
“Avery…” he whispered, pulling me into his chest, but words were lost on my lips.
If I had more time with this letter—like the last nine years—I’d have a better response. Instead, my mind went blank because … What was I supposed to say?
Maybe if I was worth sticking around for, my mom wouldn’t have decided to leave me in the hands of our freaking neighbor? Even if I did like the boy who lived in that house?
Gee, Avery, maybe if you ever did a single thing to make your parents proud, they would have considered trying harder to see you were worth living for.
My thoughts weren’t positive. They ate me alive.
I wanted Spencer to see the letter. But I didn’t necessarily know where to go from here. When I thought about sharing this piece of me, it was spontaneous. I didn’t think that far ahead.
His arms pulled me in close as the silence built a fort around us.
He didn’t have to say anything. His words weren’t what I expected. Being a shoulder to cry on would always be more than enough.
Eventually, after I gathered my thoughts, I cleared my throat, finding a few right words to say.
“I know we haven’t talked too much about my upbringing and that I’ve been vague about it all. I guess I just never wanted to talk much about it because I didn’t have the answers. Today, that changed.” I sniffled as the emotions finally hit me.
“I may not like the answers that I got—that my mom couldn’t stand to look at me so much that she drugged herself up every day in order to forget that she was a parent all together. But in one of her sober moments, even though it was completely fucked, she made sure she found a way to take care of me.” I fought through the tears, my words coming out in a struggle.
“If I didn’t go through years of hell, years of unknowing, I never would have found you,” I sobbed into his chest. “I can finally be happy now.”
Meeting Spencer at the bar that night was a complete chance. But now knowing that he was the father of my ex-boyfriend and connected to the family I lived with in my late teens, I think our paths were always meant to cross.
“I’m here for you, Avery. That will never change. I refuse to go anywhere without you by my side.”
He kissed each one of my tears and held me in a safe embrace, the type of embrace I’d dreamed of feeling for the last twenty-five years.
He held me close until I fell asleep in his arms, letting the emotions from the day wash over my body and take me out one wave at a time.
The last coupleof weeks had been a drastic change from the weeks prior. Everything was finally getting back to normal again. Except for the fact that with everything that had happened, it only brought me and Avery closer. There weren’t any elephants left in the room. We were forced to talk about hard topics and confide in each other. And we both knew damn well that things may be weird at first, that the entire situation wasn’t normal, but we would confront all the awkwardness together until it changed into the new norm for us.
It was all a blessing in disguise.
Avery leaned against the elevator, her red swimsuit peeking out from underneath a pair of dangerously short denim shorts, and a white tank top. With worry etched between her brows, she asked, “You sure you don’t want me to stay?”
“I’m sure, Bella. Plus, you have to get to work.” I kissed her forehead, and at the same time, I reached behind her back, pressing the button to call the elevator.
“I can stay if you need me, though,” she offered one last time.
“It’s the last pool party of the season. We have weeks ahead of us with nothing but time. And I think it’s important that I have this first conversation with Jackson by myself.”
The elevator doors dinged, and she turned on her heel with an understanding smile.
“One more kiss.” She waved me into the elevator.
As I walked a few steps closer, she gathered my shirt in her fist, pulling me until I stood right in front of her, towering over her small frame.
Instead of a quick brush of the lips, her intoxicating scent drew me in, tangling our tongues and ignoring everything else around us. When the elevator doors shut with us both locked inside, our lips parted with laughter on our breath.
“Might as well see my girl off.” I chuckled against her lips as the elevator took us both down.
