KYLE

“Are you still here?” Rick paused in the doorway, but then his eyes went to the gym bag at my feet. “You’re going to make peace?”

I shrugged, playing it cool. “I guess I have to go back eventually. Besides, I know when I’m not wanted.”

“Come on” He rubbed his jaw. “It’s not—”

“Ah ha.” My pursed lips broke into a grin and I jabbed my finger in his direction. “Got you.”

“Fucker. You know I’ve always got your back, but this, us living in such close quarters, I’m not sure it’s good for either of us.”

I clutched my chest and fake gasped. “Do you hear that, Prince? It’s the sound of my heart shattering.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re stalling. Get out of here before I do something I’ll regret.”

Shaking my head with laughter, I grabbed my bag and moved toward the door. Rick stepped aside and said, “He made a mistake but he’s your dad.”

“I know.”

“Now get out of here.”

I went to leave but paused at the last second and glanced back at him. “I’m pleased she didn’t hack you into little pieces. I’d miss you too much.”

Lo had ripped Rick a new one. Twice—according to his version of events. But I knew they’d figure it out because if the two of them couldn’t get it right, there was no hope for the rest of us. They had that written-in-the-stars kind of thing going on.

“Break a leg,” he called as I made my way across the lawn and I flipped him off over my shoulder.

I’d avoided the main house for almost five days, but it was time to go home. Summer was almost over, and I needed a clear head for senior year. For some reason, though, I bypassed the back door going around front. There was something about coming into the house the right way and meeting the looming conversation head-on rather than sneaking up from behind.

Dumping my bag at the bottom of the stairs, I made my way down the hall to the kitchen. I lingered in the doorway, watching Dad as he worked at the breakfast island. His eyes were focused on the papers strewn everywhere, the deep concentration etched into the lines of his face. I’d seen him like this a hundred times before, and yet, something was different now. And I knew we couldn’t go back. But we had to find a way to move forward because if the last week had taught me anything, it was that you only got one family. So regardless of what they did, the lies they told, or the pain they caused, you had to find a way to move on.

Rapping my knuckle against the door, I cleared my throat. “Can we talk?”

Dad dropped his pen and lifted his head in greeting. “Of course. I’ve been hoping you would stop by.”

“I needed space.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. God, Son, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t, Dad, please. I have some things I need to say, and I need you to listen, okay?”

He scrubbed his jaw and nodded. The house was empty. I’d left Maverick in the pool house. Summer and Nick were out, and Macey was... well, wherever Macey went to these days. And Rebecca had a thing at work; I knew because I’d checked with her. Which meant it was just me, my father, and the ghosts of our past.

I took the stool opposite him and looked him right in the eye. It was like looking in a mirror. Same sandy-blond hair and ocean-blue eyes. “I never needed to know her. Not when my friends asked me where my real mom was. Or when Laurie asked me when we first started dating. And I didn’t need to know her because I had you. You’d given me everything. I had a mom in Rebecca and a brother in Rick. And I had Macey and Summer, even Loretta. I had everything I needed right here, in this house. So the fact she gave me up, the fact she chose her addiction over me, it didn’t matter.” I dragged a lungful of air into my chest and curled my fist against my thigh.

“Did I think about her sometimes? Sure, I did. I mean, I was a kid, and I was curious. But I didn’t ever let my mind really go there because I didn’t want to hurt you or Rebecca. I didn’t want to disappoint you or make you think you weren’t enough. Because you were. You were everything. You were my Rockstar. Even when Kiera stood in front of me and told me that Maria tried to see me, I didn’t believe her. Because it meant you lied, and that wasn’t possible. Not my dad. Not the man who raised me and loved me and taught me right from wrong. She had to be wrong. Telling me a cruel lie to get me to see Maria.”

My chest constricted with the weight of the truth and I cleared my throat. “But I knew. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t a lie. I don’t know how, but I did. I think it was that it sounded exactly like the kind of thing you’d do. Because that’s what this family does. It lies and keeps secrets all in the name of protecting ours. So while I didn’t want to believe it and it hurt so much knowing you lied, I understood because we’re Stone-Princes and that’s what we do.”

“Kyle, I—” The color had drained from his face.

“No, Dad, I need to say this. You owe me that much.” I ran a hand over my face. “I didn’t want to know the woman who abandoned me. I didn’t care if she was dead or alive. But that was when she was nothing more than a story to me. A myth. Now she’s real and I can’t just pretend she doesn’t exist. I have to know her. To hear her story. Even if it’s a terrible mistake letting her in, I have to know her.

“They’re not like us, Dad. They don’t have money and nice things and fancy cars. But they’re my family and I can’t just turn my back on that. So I’m sorry if it’s going to ruin things for you, or your business, or our family, but this isn’t about any of those things. It’s about me. About my life. And it’s just something I have to do.”

Dad didn’t speak as he got up and came around the island to me, pulling me into his arms. “I am so proud of you, Son. And I will never forgive myself for keeping her away from you. I know you won’t believe me, but everything I did, I did it for you. For your future. I was so scared Maria would come back into your life and hurt you the way she hurt me, and I didn’t want that for you.”

“I know, Dad, I know.” I clung onto him, onto the man who had given me everything, and yet taken it all away with a lie he’d kept for so long. I didn’t forgive him, not completely, not yet, but I did understand.

I’d done the same thing with Laurie—lied to protect her from the truth. But I was misguided. I thought some secrets were better left buried, but they weren’t. Because in the end, the truth always came out. And when it did, you could let it ruin you or you could own your mistakes and move forward.

And I wanted to look to the future. To college and football and life with Laurie. I didn’t want to stay shackled to the past.

“Whatever you decide, I’m here, Son. I will always be here. And I will do whatever I need to do to earn your trust again.” Dad’s hold on me tightened and I felt the shudder of emotion in his voice.

“I know,” I whispered. And I did.

The road ahead wouldn’t be smooth and there was still a lot to figure out. But I knew we’d work it out. Because we were family.

And family could survive anything.

~

“HEY.” LAURIE PEEKED her head inside my room and I sat up. “Rebecca said I could come up.”

“She did?” My brows quirked up. That was new although not unwelcome, and I patted the space beside me on the bed. “You’d better get over here then before she realizes what a terrible mistake she’s made,” I said around a smirk.

Laurie made quick work of kicking off her sandals and joining me. “So, how did it go?”

“Okay, I think. I got everything off my chest.”

“And how’d that feel?”

“Good.” I didn’t need to think about that one. “It felt... good.”

I felt lighter. Like a weight had been lifted and I could finally breathe.

“I’m so proud of you.” Laurie slipped my arm around her shoulder and nestled into my side. “Did you talk to him about your mom?”

“Yeah. I told him I want to meet her. Is that crazy?”

“It’s not crazy, Kyle,” she said. “She’s your mom. Just because she didn’t raise you doesn’t make her any less your mother. And if you meet her and decide you don’t want to pursue a relationship with her, that’s fine too. I don’t think there are any rules when it comes to something like this, you just have to go with your heart.”

Turning into Laurie, I shifted us until we were eye-to-eye. “And what’s your heart telling you?”

“That you deserve to know her. To know her story.”

“And?” I lowered my mouth to hers, hovering, teasing.

“And it’s telling me that it loves you very much,” she whispered around a smile, and I closed the distance, slanting my mouth over hers, slow and unhurried. Our tongues tangled together, exploring, healing.

If it wasn’t for the fact I knew she’d have my balls—or worse—I would’ve gotten down on one knee right then. But Laurie was right. We were young. And we had our whole lives ahead of us. So for now, getting naked and kissing her until I couldn’t breathe would have to do.

“Kyle,” she gasped. “Your dad and Rebecca are right downstairs.”

“And? We’re not doing anything... yet.”

Her hands pressed against my chest, strong and resistant. I stuck out my bottom lip, pouting, and she fought back another smile. “We can make out, but that’s it.”

My fingers dipped under her t-shirt, tracing over her ribs until I found the swell of her cotton bra. I glided my hand between the valley of her chest, dragging my thumbs over the pebbled buds.

“Kyle,” it was breathy this time.

“What were you saying about only making out?” I whispered against the corner of her mouth glancing to the door to make sure it was closed.

“Second base, we can go to second base but that’s it.”

I chuckled. “You give in far too easily.”

“It’s not my fault I lose my mind around you.” She flashed me a pointed look. “You kind of drive me crazy.”

My hand hooked over her leg, dragging her closer, pressing us together like two pieces of a puzzle. We were clothed, and I wasn’t going to disrespect Laurie, or Rebecca and Dad’s rules, but I still intended on driving her wild. Because while I might have driven her crazy, it was nothing compared to the way she owned me.

Inside and out.

Heart and soul.

“What?” she nudged my cheek with her nose. “What are you thinking?”

“I can’t believe I almost lost you. This.”

“Ssh, it’s behind us. We’re fine.” Laurie pressed a lingering kiss to my lips. “Everything is going to be fine.”

And this time I believed her.