Page 37 of Best Kept Secret

Nova clapped her hands together, satisfied. "Damn right, I do. Now, let's get you outta here before you chicken out."

She handed me a black clutch.

"I can't take this." It looked designer.

"Please, I'm not Beau or Anson, I'm like you, grew up with fuckin' nothing. I bought this at TJ Maxx."

How could I tell her that I grew up a little like Beau and Anson? Notthatwealthy, but way above upper middle class. In any case, that story wasnotsomething I was prepared to share with anyone. With Asha gone, there was no one else outside of our parents who knew our family's dirty secrets, and I'd keep it that way. Pari would never see that kind of horror. I'd protect her from it all, even the truth about Asha's and my childhood. It was something Asha and I had decided, even before Pari was born. We'd stand guard and give our lives, if needed, for this child to never know.

"Get out of your head, honey," Nova said softly.

I picked up the purse she'd given me, and glanced one more time at my reflection. I felt something shift inside me. Maybe I could leave the past behind, truly behind, and not just pretend I didn't remember. Beau wasn't just a chance forPari, he could bemychance to be happy, and why shouldn't I grab that with both hands?

Nova linked her arm through mine as we headed out the door. "Ready?"

I nodded, my heart racing but steadying with each step. "Yeah," I said quietly, my smile growing. "I think I am."

Chapter 14

Beau

We were at The Peregrine, a rooftop bar in downtown Savannah, with a view that stretched across the city skyline and out toward the river. The warm summer breeze drifted through, cutting the sticky heat just enough to make it comfortable. Strings of lights crisscrossed overhead, casting a golden glow over everything. It was a good spot, trendy without trying too hard, and it felt like a world away from the chaos that had been my life lately. The mood inside was festive, a low hum of conversation and clinking glasses filling the air, but my mind wasn't exactly in party mode.

I glanced over at the table where the others were sitting. Gabe and his wife, Aurora, were huddled together, her head resting on his shoulder as they laughed about something Noah had said. Stella, Noah's wife, was leaning forward, teasing Lev, Luna's brother, who was holding a whiskey neat, and grinning at her. Luna and Aurora had already finished a round of margaritas and were working on their second. Everyone was relaxed, catching up on old times like we hadn't missed a beat.

But the heaviness in my heart refused to lift.

I leaned against the railing, staring out at the city below.

"Hey." Gabe came to stand next to me, sipping a bourbon on the rocks. He always knew when I needed a minute, so he didn't push. Just waited for me to speak.

"I'm a fucking dad."

Gabe grinned. "No shit."

"I'm in love with Pari."

"Hard not to be in love with your kid," Gabe agreed.

"Yeah."

"But that's not what's got you all wound up and not even looking at all the talent here." Gabe waved a hand around at all the good-looking women who I'd usually be sizing up as a potential bed mate. I'd get a suite at Gabe's hotel, and spend a night fucking someone's brains out until she and I couldn't walk straight. I'd go home, and then go to work, and forget about that woman. I'd rinse and repeat whenever I had the itch. Sometimes, I'd have a relationship that lasted a few weeks, like it had with Asha, when I'd apparently knocked her up. I now even had the freaking DNA evidence of that. Hopefully, that was a one-time thing, only because Ialwayssuited up.

"I don't seem interested in the…ah…talent," I stated, my voice low. "Things at home are complicated. Mira, Pari, and I…it's starting to feel like we're a family. But we're not. Not really."

Gabe raised an eyebrow, taking a slow sip of his drink. "Why not?"

I let out a breath, and ran a hand through my hair. "She's my baby mama's sister, dude. And, because it's temporary. She's not staying. She's got her own life to figure out, and I don't know whether the right thing is to let her go or if that's going to end up hurting her. And Pari."

Gabe nodded, his face serious now. "What do you want?"

I grunted. "Mira. I fuckingwanther."

"That the reason you're almost celibate?"

"Notalmost. I've been keeping it in my pants since she knocked on my door," I confessed.

Gabe chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day the mighty Beau Bodine fell."

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