Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“Save it. I don’t want to hear it.”
Her eyes burn into mine before another tear rolls over the apple of her cheek. Her face is so red, her eyes so full of hurt that I can’t even look her in the eye. I’m such a dick. I can barely catch my breath. “Audrina—”
But she moves past me, stomping out of the room.
Out of my life.
I thought I could apologize, make it better, but she wasn’t home when I got there. Her bags were packed, and I knew she’d gone to her mom’s. I figured I’d give her—and myself—time to cool down before I tried to talk to her.
But I never got the chance.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Even though I put up a bit of resistance about Arwen being up here alone with Thatcher, I knew they’d be okay. I assumed he put on the TV and they’d watch a movie or something, but as he’s been doing since he arrived, he’s surprised me once more. I walked in to find them coloring and signing with each other like they’ve known each other their whole lives. It is so beautiful to see, and the open wound of my chest throbs at the sight. I’m sure he assumes I tried to hide him from her, but I did the opposite.
I knew I would go back, but with each day that passed, it was harder to face the truth. It has been just Arwen and me, and things have been good for us. In all things but her ears, and I had already said I’d make a plan. Maybe my plan would have been to finally head home, or maybe I’m thinking that way because Ruby and Thatcher are right. There is nothing here for Arwen and me. She needs more, better care, and I can’t deny that. I just wish he weren’t here to witness it all. Now he’ll think if I go back, I’m going back for him, and that’s not the case at all.
It would be for Arwen.
I swallow hard, my throat feeling like it’s closing as I cut up Arwen’s pancakes. Beside me, she signs quickly. We colored, and I showed Daddy my photo album. Then we called Auntie Ingrid.
The knife falls from my hand as I whip my head to her father. “What?”
Thatcher doesn’t seem the least bit remorseful. He only shrugs. “She seems super excited about her, so I called her.”
I can only gawk at him. “What did Ingrid say?”
“She cried,” he says bluntly, holding my gaze. “She was in shock, and she wants you two to come home.”
I hadn’t realized how hard my heart was beating until it became too loud to hear him. I shake my head, blinking quickly as I try to process this. Ingrid knows. She’ll tell my parents; I know she will. My voice doesn’t even sound like my own as I ask, “Was she mad?”
“No. She just wants to meet her niece in person.”
My heart clenches as he asks, “Where did you tell Arwen we were?”
I swallow. “I never said, just that we would meet you guys one day.”
I feel his gaze on me. “Did she really walk around with photos of me and cry?”
My eyes burn, and I could kill Ruby. “Yes.”
“And that didn’t make you want to come home?”
I snap my eyes up to his. “Of course it did!” I shout, holding his gaze. “I wanted to go home every single day, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t give you the option of rejecting her.”
“I’d never,” he says, acting as if I hit him instead of told him the truth.
“You said you would.”
“Audrina.”
“Thatcher,” I say, our gazes locked, neither of us giving in to the other. When he doesn’t say anything else, I add, “So I’m sure my parents are on their way.”
“No. She promised not to say anything.”
“Do you believe that?” I ask incredulously.
“I do,” he says simply. “Because she knows I’ll make it happen.”
“Huh?” I ask, confused.
I meet his eyes, and the determination in them steals my breath. “She knows I’ll bring you two home.”
The way he says it has my stomach turning in on itself and my heart slamming into my ribs. He’s always been a very confident guy, but Thatcher’s confidence as a dad is fucking hot. I somehow get out, “I don’t even know that.”
He looks at me seriously. “Then let me inform you. We’re going home.”
I scoff as I set Arwen’s pancakes down in front of her. “I haven’t decided on that.”
“I have,” he says, threading his fingers together. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
My eyes narrow. “That sounds very threatening.”
“As much as I don’t mean it to be, it probably is.” His Adam’s apple bobs as he holds my gaze. “I was the king of dicks when I said what I did to you, and my intention when I found you again was to make up for it. I never wanted you to run off like that, and it’ll be my biggest regret. But honestly, what I did doesn’t warrant losing out on my kid’s life.”