Page 102 of Unforgivable

“You…you’re leaving her? And you actually sold the house? Why didn’t you want to keep it, or did she want it? And you…have a room forus? Why?” Cal sputtered out question after question, but he didn’t seem upset. He tightened his grasp on my hand painfully, but I recognized it as him using me to stay grounded.

“To be frank, I should have left her years ago,” Jack grunted. “But even after all the piss poor decisions I made, I couldn’t stay with her after knowing how she abused you. Also yes, she did want the house, but she won’t be needing it. Not for what I have planned. That’s another matter we need to talk about, but I’m waiting for a few more pieces to fall into place first.” Cal and I both looked at him in confusion, but he waved a hand as though to clear the air of any questions we could ask.

“Nevermind that right now. I promise to tell you when I can, but the important thing now is this is a fresh start. I didn’t want that house tainted with everything you went through…everything I failed to protect you from. I made sure to buy one close to you so it could be your second home as well, somewhere you’d want to be. I know I fucked up giving you a safe, loving home before, but I promise you that’s all I want to give you now. Of course, there’s no pressure. But my home is also both of yours, no matter what.”

A choked noise caught in Cal’s throat and I released his hand to slip my arm around his waist, needing to be closer to him. His hand dug into my hip, anchoring me to him as stuttered breaths puffed from his nose. Jack just gave him a patient look, waiting for him to get his bearings and wrap his head around everything.

“What if I never forgive you? What if I move away and you feel like you bought that house for nothing?” Cal’s voice wasn’t angry, but an anxious whisper, like he was voicing his fears and needed the answers to quell them.

“I’d have no regrets,” Jack answered confidently. “Even if you didn’t forgive me, I wouldn’t stop trying. And if you move, then I sell the house and follow. If you didn’t want me there, then I’d give you your space but stay on the sidelines of your life because I’ll never stop being there for you. That’s what a father does and it’s what I should have done from the beginning. I won’t make that mistake again. You don’t have to love me for me to love you back. I want you to know that.”

My own eyes watered at Jack’s assertions, his tone nothing but genuine and warm. I tried not to judge him for what he did when Cal was young because it wasn’t my place and I only knew a fraction of thestory. Though I had been angry and hurt on Cal’s behalf, I secretly prayed that Jack would find a way to mend their relationship. Cal deserved to have a dad who fought for him and loved him unconditionally. He deserved the world, but there were things even I couldn’t give him and this was one of them.

Cal’s chin dropped down, and I could almost hear the wheels in his head turning as he mulled over everything. After a few beats of silence, he looked over at me and I saw his resolve through the sheen of tears. I smiled in encouragement and his lips curled up on one side in response.

“Maybe Rhys and I can come see the new house soon. Maybe stay for dinner?” he asked, and Jack’s smile bloomed from the suggestion.

“Absolutely! Whenever you’re ready.” Cal smiled back tightly, but I could tell this had crumbled some of that wall he was scared to let fall.

“Well, I’ll let you two go enjoy your evening. I’m sure you have a celebration to get to. I’ll see you at the championship game.” He turned to leave, but spun back and dug in his pants pocket. “Oh shit, I almost forgot. I had something for you. Here.” He held out a long white envelope to Cal who took it gingerly.

“What is it?” Cal wondered aloud, opening it and pulling out a check. When he saw the amount on it, his eyes popped open wide and his jaw dropped. “What the fuck? What is this for?”

“That’s a portion of the money from the sale of the house. I’m still going to take care of your living expenses until you graduate, so don’t use it for that. Summer break is coming up, use it for something fun.”

Cal was speechless, but something Jack said must have triggered a thought because his brow scrunched inward. “I never asked you, but how exactly did you pay for the rest of my tuition? I know you didn’t exactly have that kind of money lying around.”

Jack worried his bottom lip, twirling his car keys absently before answering. “Ahh, I dipped into my retirement fund. It was the only thing I could do on short notice, but it was worth every penny. Plus, I was able to replenish it from the house money, and your portion was leftover after I bought my new place.”

“What about her? Didn’t she get alimony or some shit?”

“No. But that’s part of what I will explain another time. You don’t have to worry about her anymore, Callum. That I can guarantee you.” Jack’s face looked serious, so Cal just nodded, clutching the check in his hand. “Go have fun tonight, but be safe both of you. We’ll talk soon. I love you, kiddo.”

I noticed Cal stiffened at the sentiment and didn’t return it, but that was another level he wasn’t ready for yet. Baby steps and all that. This was a lot of progress for them for one day, even if it didn’t seem like it to an outsider. When we were alone again, Cal blew out a harsh breath and shook his head.

“That was…” he started, but couldn’t finish.

“Yep. How do you feel?” I checked, cupping his face and swooning when he turned to press a kiss to my palm.

“I don’t entirely know. It was a lot to take in, and right now I just want to shower, go get blasted with our friends, and fuck you until I can’t see straight.”

I grinned and pecked him on the lips. “Do your worst, Mr. Hawkins.”

31

RHYS

The light from the bonfire cast dancing shadows across the grass that captured my attention. The laughter and music from the surrounding party slipped into background noise as I zoned out, sipping my drink. I was never a party person and my social meter had reached its limit about twenty minutes in and we’d been here for three hours already. However, I was never going to complain because this was Cal’s night and he was enjoying the time with his friends.

After being blindsided by Jack’s presence and news at the game, I could tell Cal was in his head about it. To be fair, Jack was still a big sore spot and I didn’t think their talk would have gone so well if Cal hadn’t been so high on his victory. I knew from experience that he would do whatever he could to escape from the overwhelming emotions before processing them. Hence the party and the booze he immediately started pounding upon arrival. At least Griffin had generously set aside a guest room for just the two of us so we wouldn’t have to bunk with the rest of their drunken friends.Being a couple has its perks…you know, in addition to the sex, the devotion, the support, the love…the sex.

The whole time, Cal never strayed far from me, but he had a steady stream of people determined to steal his attention away. Everywhere we turned there was a new group calling him over to chat or take victory shots. It shouldn’t have irked me as much as it did, but it was hard to deny the simmer of jealousy in my gut. It was petty and clingyof me to want to monopolize his time when we were joined at the hip whenever school or Lacrosse wasn’t in the way. I recognized I had to be an adult and let other people have access to him from time to time.

But that was a job for sober Rhys, and unfortunately tipsy Rhys had come out to play after his third cup of punch, or whatever the heck I was drinking. I didn’t know for sure, but it was fruity and made my head delightfully fuzzy. I had lost track of Fin a little bit ago after he’d caught sight of Griffin flirting with these two leggy girls. He’d then made a rather colorful suggestion about Griffin putting the fire out with his face, and traipsed off to find his own distraction. I had my theory about what was going on with those two, but when I turned to Cal to tell him he wasn’t next to me. I huffed in annoyance, searching for him across the dimly lit backyard. The field behind Griffin’s house was large enough that there were big groups scattered everywhere just outside the light’s glow, so finding him could prove difficult.

I drained the rest of my cup and tossed it on the grass like everyone else, all manners gone as I hunted for my missing boyfriend. I wished Micah had taken me up on my invitation to come, but he was still depressed and withdrawn from the last six weeks. What happened with Bash hit him so hard that I worried about how long it would take him to recover. But I was hopeful the letter Bash had sent him a few days ago would convince Micah to find his way back to him.

I’d finally gotten around to telling him about Cal and introducing them, even though I’d have preferred it to be when Micah wasn’t dealing with his own heartbreak. To his credit, he accepted my apology easily and was sweet and welcoming with Cal despite his own troubles. It reminded me why I was lucky to have him as a best friend.

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