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“He’s not a boy.” I sigh. “He’s the same age as me. Please, Dad.”
“Just because he’s your age doesn’t make him a man. Being a man is all about how you act, not the age on your driver’s license. A man would want to protect his woman and put her needs above his own. Chad sounds nothing like a man. I promise I’ll be nice, Sav. I don’t promise to like him or give him my blessing to date you.”
“Let’s start with nice, then we can see what you think of him.”
“Alright… Listen, I need to go, your mom needs help.”
“Ok, I love you.”
“Love you too, sweetie. Hurry home, we all miss you.”
The line goes dead and I blow out a long breath. This weekend is going to be more stressful than I thought. Dad already hates Chad and they haven’t even met yet. Hopefully Mom likes him, she’ll keep Dad on his best behavior.
One thing he said keeps floating through my head. Why didn’t Chad come with me? We could’ve put boxes in Devon’s car. They both seemed more than eager to drive separately though.
I pass the rest of the time listening to an audiobook from the series I’ve been reading. I love narrators who put so much passion and emotion into their reading. It makes it so much better than the others.
I wonder what it’d be like to create your own characters, your own universe and the stories within it. Thoughts of different story lines run through my head. Romantic scenes of couples reuniting for the first time, the first kiss, the first I love you.
My thoughts quickly turn to what it’s going to be like seeing Nixon again for the first time. Our own reuniting. It won't be romantic. Nothing about reuniting with the man who broke your heart is romantic.
Before long I'm pulling into the driveway. All the tension from the drive leaves my body when Dad opens the door with a big smile. I jump out of the car and run into his waiting arms.
“Baby girl,” he breathes into my neck. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I missed you too, Dad.”
“Where’s the boyfriend and friend?”
“They’re still about thirty minutes to an hour out. They stopped for food.”
“And you didn’t?” He raises a brow.
“Of course not! I wanted an empty stomach to fill with Mom’s cooking.” I beam up at him. “It’s not my fault they’re going to miss it.”
“That’s my girl.” His rich laughter fills the air. “C’mon, let’s go see her.”
We head straight to the kitchen, she’s rarely in any other room of the house.
“My baby!” She squeals the second her gaze lands on me. Her bear hug almost knocks me off my feet. When she pulls back, she looks me up and down. “You must be starved, let me make you a snack until dinner’s ready.”
“It’s fine, Mom. I can wait.”
My gaze sweeps the kitchen, taking in the food covering practically every surface.
Then I notice the man standing at the stove. His chocolate eyes are locked on me, but he doesn’t make a sound.
He’s wearing a pair of black jeans, a white button up shirt that’s rolled up to his elbows and a pair of black suspenders. He should look ridiculous, but he doesn’t. His dark hair falls over his forehead, begging to have my hands run through it. He’s familiar, yet I can't place him.
One of Mom’s aprons is wrapped around his thin waist as he stirs the pot of sauce.
Is he… cooking? No one outside of the family cooks in this kitchen, she’d never allow it.
His eyes rake me up and down, taking in each and every inch of me. A smile tugs on the corner of his plump lips. He brushes his hands on the apron, taking slow steps over to me.
“Hey, Savvy.”
The second I hear his voice, it hits me.
