Page 169 of Wreck Me

“Dad,” I choked, starting to sob myself at him breaking down.

In the next second, he was wrapping his arms around me and holding me tight to him.

And then we were both crying our hearts out, letting it all out.

Despite how painful it was, I felt that relief again.

My dad and I had always been so close and I’d hated having this secret between us.

Now it was finally out there, that awful weight left.

I had no idea how much time had passed before we finally eased apart.

He stroked my hair as he wiped his eyes and evidence of his emotion with his free hand. “I’m so proud of you. You’re more than even a survivor, Sky. You’re a true warrior.”

I smiled. “Thanks for saying that, Dad.” It meant a hell of a lot, especially coming from him.

His eyes darted around my room and landed on my bedside table clock. “Three in the morning.”

“We’ve been talking for over an hour?” I asked, incredulous.

“Looks like.” He pushed my chair back under my desk and the motion inadvertently knocked some books and papers off my desk.

I grimaced as he picked up the brochure that I’d had hidden under one of my architecture textbooks.

He put the book and papers back on my desk, but kept the brochure in question and started scanning over it.

“Another design school. Here in Rossun this time.”

“Yeah.”

His whole face lit up as he put the brochure down on my desk again. “You’re going to get back to it?”

I nodded. “I am.”

“This is fantastic news!”

“Well, it’s months away from the intake period right now and—”

“Small details. You’re still getting back to doing what you love and what you’re so very talented at.”

“I’m glad you’re taking it so well, because I really doubt Mom is going to be on board.”

“She’ll come around.”

“Come around on what?”

We both swung our heads to see Mom now standing in the doorway, her hair down and wild in her sleepy state, her thick robe pulled tight around her.

“Uh… Mom… what are you doing up?”

She eyed my dad. “I woke up when you weren’t there. You know I don’t sleep well when you’re not right next to me.”

She didn’t, no. And that had really been an issue when he’d been deployed, before he’d retired from the service.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so long,” he said, going to her and wrapping his arm around her. “We were just having a little chat in here.”

“Is this about my reaction to you taking on that job with Jeremy? Becoming his partner in his private security business?”

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