AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I wasn’t sure Jessa would see it that way, but I was done. The second I’d found her broken and beaten on her bedroom floor, any tolerance I had for my old man died.
I would rather sleep on the fucking street than stay a second longer under his roof.
“I got us— oh, hello. I didn’t realize you were here.” Harleigh paused in the doorway, glancing between her father and me. “Is everything okay?”
Michael stood. “I’m sure Nix will fill you in. I need to go take care of some things, but I’d like to talk to you both soon.”
“Okay.” Harleigh came over and placed the brown paper bag down on the trolley. “Are Max and Celeste here?” she asked.
“They are.”
I didn’t know if she saw the flicker of dejection in his eyes, but I did.
“I’ll send them up if that’s okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, patting the bed. Harleigh perched on the edge, but I hooked my arm around her waist and pulled her closer, uncaring if her father was here or not.
“Okay, well, I’ll check in soon.”
“Sure, whatever.” Harleigh dismissed him, unpacking the bag, and lining up the small haul of snacks she’d found downstairs in the cafeteria.
Michael lingered, watching her. A man who knew he’d lost something precious. Squandered it. I focused on my girl, giving him a moment of privacy to soak her up. Because maybe it’s all he would ever get, and part of me couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy.
“Are you going to tell me what he wanted?” Harleigh asked me a few minutes later.
I hadn’t wanted to jump right in, not when she’d insisted upon spoon-feeding me Jell-O and candy.
“He came by to tell me that my old man and Vince were arrested.”
“You’re serious?”
“Yep. His cop friend is in with Jessa now.”
“I… I don’t understand.” She stared blankly at me.
“It would seem your dad wants to help.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“If he can help put Joe behind bars, I’d be stupid not to let him help.” I shrugged. “It doesn’t mean anything more than that, B.”
“Sorry, of course you should let him help. I just… it hurts, Nix. It hurts to know that he wants to help now, after everything.”
“I know.” I slid my hand along the side of her throat and around the back of her neck, tugging her down gently. Our breaths mingled, our lips brushing softly together. “We don’t have to forgive him. We don’t even have to thank him. But if he wants to help, we’d be fools not to let him.”
“We?” Her brow lifted as she pulled back slightly. “There’s a we in this scenario?”
“Too soon?”
“I kinda liked it.”
“Good, because so did I.” My lips quirked and I kissed her again. Slow and soft, shaping her mouth with mine. It hurt, every tiny movement, but the pain was worth it.
She was worth it.
Harleigh let out a small sigh, breaking the kiss to touch her head to mine. “What are you going to do now? You and Jessa, I mean?”
“I guess I need to talk to her.” I’d been too chicken shit to go to see her yet, and then Michael had arrived to tell me she was giving a statement to the police.
