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  I felt special again. “Your secret is safe with me, baby.” I leaned back and stared at her face.

  She sighed before she began. “My parents were drug addicts. Social services found out about it then gave me to my aunt. She took care of me until I turned six. I can’t really remember her…”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat.

  “When she passed away, I was put into a group home. It’s basically an orphanage for kids that are unlikely to be adopted.” She spoke with no emotion. We could have been discussing what to have for dinner. “I grew up there, watching different kids come and go. In the back of my mind, I hoped my parents would get clean then come for me. They never did. When I was fifteen, my social worker told me they passed away.”

  I closed my eyes while I listened to her, trying to understand how she lived through that and became such a beautiful person.

  “When I was sixteen, my tomboy phase started to fade. My breasts came in, my hair became long, and my baby fat disappeared. The other kids started to realize I was actually a girl. There was one boy there…” She paused for a long time, like she was unable to speak. “He did a lot of horrible things to me. I don’t want to go into detail about it…but when I turned eighteen, I left and learned self-defense. And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”

  I wanted to know what he did to her. My brain was desperate for the answer. Did he hurt her? And if so, how bad? Did he do anything else to her? But I couldn’t ask because I knew I couldn’t handle the truth. The idea of any man taking advantage of a woman was sickening, but knowing it was Alex made me want to die.

  She stared at me and waited for my reaction.

  It was a lot to take in. “You know what I think?” I whispered.

  “What?”

  “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”

  Her eyes searched my face, looking for sincerity. “Really?”

  “Yeah. I have nothing but respect for you. You started with nothing. Now look at yourself. You’re beautiful, lovely, smart, and a powerhouse. You may have had terrible beginnings, but now you’re amazing—more than amazing.”

  “You don’t…think I’m trash?”

  I smiled. “More like a treasure.”

  “You don’t think I’m…damaged goods?”

  “No.” I held her close to me. “And if you are, I want to put you back together.” I pulled her into my chest so she would lay on me. Her hair sprawled out across my skin, and the smell of roses came into my nose. “Thank you for telling me.”

  She breathed hard but tears didn’t fall. She snuggled into me, her body less tense than before. “I feel better getting it off my chest.”

  I kissed her forehead. “Will you spend Easter with me?”

  She nodded. “If I’m welcome.”

  “My parents will be excited.”

  “Do you bring girls over a lot?” she asked.

  “No, I never have before,” I whispered. “And that’s why they’ll be excited.”

  ***

  “Whoa.” Dad’s eyes were wide when he looked at Alex. “Hot damn…where did you find her?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Please excuse my dad. He’s a pervert.”

  Alex chuckled but her cheeks reddened at the same time. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Did you find her online?” Dad blurted.

  “Oh, shut up,” I hissed. I walked inside with our bags. “Alex, this is my dad. Dad, this is Alex.”

  He extended his hand to shake hers. “Call me Flynn.”

  “Thanks for allowing me to stay with you,” she said politely.

  He laughed. “I should be thanking you. I thought my son was gay.”

  I smacked him in the arm. “Seriously, where are your manners?”

  “I don’t have any,” he said with a guilty smirk. “Just ask your mother.”

  Alex eyed my father then looked at me. “You look a lot alike. I see where you get your looks from.”

  “Yes,” Dad said. “My son is handsome because he looks like me. He got lucky.” He cleared his throat then held up his wedding ring. “I should just tell you I’m happily married and nothing can ever happen between us…”

  Alex laughed. “Gosh darn…”

  “I could kill you,” I said seriously. “And you know I can do it with my bare hands.”

  “Then your mother would avenge my death,” Dad said. “And you’re no match for her. Trust me.”

  Mom came out of the kitchen and her apron was stained with food. “I’m glad you got here okay.” She hugged me quickly then turned to Alex. She seemed impressed by her beauty too. “Wow, she’s a pretty girl.”

  Alex was blatantly red.

  I sighed. “My parents obviously thought I was going to bring an orc home…”

  “No, not an orc,” Mom said.

  “Maybe a troll,” Dad said.

  I glared at him.

  Mom ignored our stand off. “You can stay in Theo’s room. We don’t have a lot of extra space in the apartment.”

  We had a nice place in Manhattan, but my parents bought it for four people specifically. Since everyone we knew lived a few miles away, we never had to house guests before.

  “And where will I be sleeping?” I asked. “I’m not sleeping with Thomas.”

  “On the couch.” Mom grabbed Alex’s bag. “I’ll show you to your room.”

  “What?” I snapped. “Why can’t I just sleep with her?”

  “That’s a joke, right?” Dad said. “What you do at your place is none of our business, but we don’t want to hear the bed creak at ours.”

  “Whatever, Dad.”

  “Happy Easter,” he said with a smile.

  When the Mom and Alex were gone, we headed into the kitchen. I poured myself a brandy. Dad already had one out.

  “So, where did you find her?” He had a cocky smirk on his lips. My dad was a bit full of himself. But as an Oscar-winning writer and director, he tended to think he was god. He still looked good for his age, and my girlfriends always told me my dad was definitely a desirable man. It always grossed me out.

  “She works with me.”

  “She knows karate?” he asked in surprise.

  “It’s taekwondo,” I snapped. “And yes. She’s very good, actually.”

  “Can she take you?”

  I thought back to our spar. “No. But she’s formidable.”

  “I like her,” he said bluntly. “I’m glad you didn’t bring home a prostitute for the holidays.”

  “How low do you think I am?”

  He shrugged. “Thomas tells me you don’t have taste for high quality women…”

  “Don’t listen to Thomas. He’s a douche.”

  “Well, yeah, he is.” Dad laughed.

  “How’s life around here?”

  “Fine,” he said. “I’ve been busy a lot at the studio. Your mother is getting bored around the house.”

  She retired a few years ago. Dancers didn’t have a long career span. “Tell her to find a hobby.”

  “I’m thinking about asking Sean—or Skye—to give her a job. You know, just so she has something to do. They don’t even have to pay her, just keep her entertained and make her feel important.”

  “Cleaning up after you doesn’t make her feel important?” I said sarcastically.

  He chuckled then glared at me at the same time. “Without you guys in the house, it’s pretty quiet around here…” For the first time, he showed sadness. My dad was always buoyant and bubbly. Nothing ever got him down. But he seemed less optimistic.

  “Thomas is still in the city. You must see him all the time.”

  Dad shook his head. “He doesn’t want to hang out with his parents all the time. And I don’t blame him.”

  Dad and I had a stronger relationship than he did with Thomas. I never knew why. Maybe Dad and I just had more in common. But that didn’t add up. I did martial arts for a living and he was a writer. We couldn’t be more different. “I’ll try to come down more often.”r />
  He smiled but it was forced. “Don’t worry about it, kid. You’re in the prime of your life. Enjoy it—especially with Alex.” He sipped his brandy then put it down. “She in school with you?”

  “No.”

  “Did she already graduate?”

  Not that I knew of. “I don’t think she ever went to college.” Based on her past, I would be surprised if she did.

  “Do you know this girl at all?” he asked incredulously.

  “I know all the important things.”

  “Like how to make her scream your name, maybe,” he teased.

  I hit him in the arm. “Stop being a dirty old man.”

  “It’s too late,” he said with a laugh.

  “Alex and I haven’t had sex yet.” I was close with my dad. He’d always been a friend as well as a parent. My mom didn’t like that very much because she had to be the one to discipline Thomas and I.

  “Are you serious?” He looked at me like I was crazy. “Have you seen her? What’s taking you so long?”

  “We’ve only been seeing each other for a few months—taking it slow.”

  “When have you ever taken it slow?” he asked incredulously.

  “She’s different. I really like her.”

  He smiled then clapped my shoulder. “I’m glad you found a good one. They’re hard to come by.”

  Thomas came down the stairs then joined us. He looked at me with wide eyes. “Where did you find her?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Don’t check out my girlfriend.”

  “Whatever, dude. Seriously, where did you find her? Shit, I’m moving to Cambridge.”

  “Manhattan is the model capital of the country,” I snapped. “Look in your own backyard.”

  “But they’re all stuck up.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s annoying.”

  “Don’t hit on my girlfriend,” I warned. “I mean it.”

  “What if she prefers me to you?” he challenged.

  “Doubtful,” I said.

  “I don’t know…” He rubbed his chin. “I am better looking than you are.”

  “I’m better looking than both of you.” Dad sipped his glass.

  Thomas was a year older than me but stayed in the city for college. He and I weren’t as close as I was to the rest of the gang. Even when we were growing up, it was tense between us. Perhaps when I moved back we could try to connect.

  Mom came downstairs. She had beach blonde hair and she was thin, thinner than most moms I knew. She’d always been skinny, running around, being active and hardly ever eating. “Theo, where did you find her?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Why does everyone keep asking me that? Is it really that surprising that a beautiful girl like her is into me?”

  “Yes,” my entire family blurted at once.

  “I hate all of you,” I said darkly.

  Mom grabbed both of my hands and looked up at me with affection in her eyes. “Honey, you’re so handsome and smart. I thought you would never find a girl good enough for you. My biggest fear was you bringing home a horrible girl…but you didn’t. You made my life so much easier.”

  “She wants grandbabies,” Dad said. “And pronto.”

  “Whoa,” I said. “I don’t know about that…”

  “Just don’t wear a rubber,” Thomas said. “They suck anyway.”

  “Can we stop talking about me having sex with Alex?” I demanded.

  “You better treat her right and be nice to her.” Mom pointed her finger into my chest.

  “What?” I snapped. “When have I ever not been nice to a woman before?”

  “That girl you took to prom,” Dad blurted. “Didn’t you ditch her and have sex with some girl in the bathroom?”

  “And Patricia,” Thomas said. “Remember when her parents walked in on you having sex with her in the living room then you never called her again?”

  “And what about—” Mom began.

  “Okay.” I silenced them. “You made your point. Alex is different. I really like her and I treat her right.”

  “You better not ditch me and have sex with some other girl in the bathroom.” Alex stood near the stove with her hands on her hips. She was giving me the stink-eye.

  “Oh-oh.” Thomas smirked. “You’re in the dog house now.”

  “That was a long time ago…” I shrugged it off then drank from my glass.

  Alex snatched it away and got in my face. “I’ll kick your ass if you pull that shit with me.” Fire was in her eyes.

  Dad smirked. “Now I really like her.”

  Whenever Alex was mad, she was somehow cute. “I won’t, baby.”

  She downed my drink then left the empty glass on the table. “If you want to keep your danglers, you better not.”

  Thomas leaned toward me and whispered, “Damn, she’s got spunk. That’s hot.”

  “If I weren’t married…” Dad added.

  Mom smacked him. “I’m standing right here.”

  He put his arm around her waist and leaned close to her, smiling. “You know you’re my number one girl.”

  “Your only girl,” Mom said firmly.

  “Yeah, whatever.”

  She gave him a glare identical to Alex’s.

  He kissed her cheeks everywhere. “You know I’m crazy about you, darling.”

  Alex watched them and her eyes softened.

  I came close to her while everyone was distracted. “I was young at the time…”

  “And foolish.”

  I hooked my arms around her. “And you know I’m crazy over you.” I rubbed my nose against hers. “Besides, I don’t want you to kick me in the face again.”

  She smirked. “I had some power in that kick, huh?”

  “Some?” I asked incredulously.

  Mom started putting plates on the table. “Let’s have dinner.”

  I pulled out Alex’s chair for her then sat beside her. “Mom makes the best food ever. I’m serious.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty good,” Thomas said.

  “Well—” My dad changed his words when my mom glared at him. “It’s the shit.”

  We all laughed.

  Alex turned to me with affection in her eyes.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Thanks for giving me the best Easter I’ve ever had.”

  Chapter Eight

  Conrad

  Beatrice and I were back to normal. She was comfortable around me again, but she wasn’t as affectionate as I hoped. When we slept at night, she cuddled with me, but she never kissed me. I suspected she was still nervous so I didn’t rush our intimacy.

  As long as she admitted we were together, I was satisfied.

  Beatrice was coming over for dinner and a movie, so when I got home after class, I tidied up the place for her. I assumed she would be sleeping there, so I washed my sheets and tried to make it nice for her.

  A knock on the door made my heart jump. Anytime she was near, I was excited. Seeing her smile brightened up my day, and hearing her quiet laugh always made my skin prickle. I was eager to hold her in my arms and feel that closeness.

  When I opened the door, she wasn’t on the other side.

  It was her father.

  I was immediately tense. I stared him down and didn’t show any fear. Perhaps telling him my name was a stupid idea. Now he could track me down. “I’m going to call the police. If you think you can harass Beatrice by coming here, you’re wrong.”

  He stared back at me, his face unreadable. “I came here to talk to you.”

  I kept my defensive stance. “What do you want?”

  “Can we get a drink?”

  What did he just ask me? “Sorry?”

  “I’m assuming Beatrice might come by here and I don’t want her to see me. I doubt you do either.”

  I considered his offer.

  “I come in peace,” he said quietly. “I just want to talk.”

  I decided to see this through. I locked my door then sent Beatrice a text, asking her to come by later. Then I wal
ked with him to the parking lot.

  “Meet me at Peter’s Sport Bar.”

  I nodded my agreement then got into my truck.

  ***

  We sat at the bar and he ordered a beer for both of us.

  “What’s this about?” I didn’t look at him. I stared at the mirror in front of me, watching the people in the rear.

  “My daughter.”

  “And what about her?”

  “Did you take her to your family’s home for Easter?”

  I wasn’t going to lie about it. “And Christmas.”

  He sipped his beer then gently returned it to the granite. “I see.”

  What was this about? “You brought me all the way down here just to ask what she did for the holiday?” I asked incredulously.

  “No.” His voice contained his annoyance. His wedding band shined in the light. “Now I understand that you love my daughter and are going to be around for a long time.”

  “Well, I could have told you that a long time ago…”

  He took another sip of his drink then sighed. “I was hoping for a relationship with you. That’s why I tracked you down.”

  “A relationship?” I asked hotly. “If you think you’re going to get to Beatrice through me, think again. I won’t let you harass her or frighten her.”

  He sighed then rubbed his temple. “I’m so bad at this…I was never good with the kids like Grace.”

  “Who’s Grace?”

  “My late wife.” He sighed. “She just had a way with them and I never did. I was always working and away from home. That distance put a permanent barrier between me and Beatrice and William. I wish I could get that time back…I don’t blame her for hating me.”

  I stared at my beer.

  “Trying to force a relationship with Beatrice has only pushed her further away. I thought if I called and showed up on her doorstep, she would see how much I care about her. But in the end, I just made her hate me more…”

  I felt the condensation from the glass in my fingertips.

  “But if I could be on good terms with you, I could still be a part of her life…in a twisted way.”

  “What do you mean, exactly?”

  “Just tell me about her life and how she’s doing. That’s all.”

  “So, you want me to spy on her for you?” I asked with disdain.