Page 96 of Finding Storm

“Yep?” It feels weird, hearing her say my name. But I also like it a fuck of a lot.

Another pull on my smoke, and I brace myself for what she’s about to say.

“I need to be honest with you about something.”

And here we fucking go. “Hit me with it.”

“I feel like a total dick for this, but … I read about you online. I know it’s tacky as fuck. I feel bad for it.”

I let out a laugh of relief. That’s what’s bothering her.

Christ. And there was me, thinking it was gonna be something bad.

She just keeps on surprising me.

“Stevie, it’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“You shouldn’t be.” She frowns. “And I shouldn’t have read it. I should’ve just spoken to you as soon as Pen told me about you. Well, to be fair, Pen had to give me your Wiki page to read because I just wasn’t getting it at first.”

That makes me laugh again. Only Stevie.

“But, by choice, I did read the news article Gran had shown me.”

“Okay …” I say slowly, bringing my eyes to her. “And what did it say?”

“That you assaulted a journalist.”

“That’s true.” I nod.

“Did he deserve it?”

I sigh. “Yeah. But I still shouldn’t have done it.”

She shrugs. “We do what we have to when necessary.”

I’m still staring at her when I ask, “What else did it say?”

She exhales a soft breath that I want to inhale for myself. I just want her goodness inside of me. And I want to be inside of her so fucking badly.

I just want her, full stop.

“It said things about your dad. Jonny, right?” She glances at me for confirmation, but all I can manage is a nod. “It mentioned how he died. How you never knew him and you thought he didn’t know you. But he did and that you just recently found that out, that he had been coming to see you the night he died.”

“That’s pretty much it in a nutshell.”

“I’m sorry he died. Sorry that you never knew him.”

I sigh again. “Yeah. Me too.”

I might resent Jonny in many ways, resent his ghost, the memory of him. But would I have wanted to know him, given the chance?

Of course I would have.

“It also said you had a disagreement with your family …” She leaves the words hanging, giving me the option of whether I want to say more or not.

“Yeah.” I sigh again. “Jonny—my dad—and his best friends, they were in a band together. I’d tell you who they are, but chances are, you wouldn’t know.”

“Probably.” She grins, making me smile.