Read Online Here's to Forever by Teagan Hunter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Teagan Hunter
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backpack slung over her shoulder, carefully making her way down the stairs.
“I’m ready,” she announces as she stands in front of me.
I quirk up my eyebrow at her, placing a lazy grin on my lips. “Last one to the car is the loser?”
She rolls her eyes and sighs. “You’re already a loser.”
Then she’s gone, scurrying out the door in an instant, beating me to the car before I even get the front door closed.
She’s already buckled into the back when I get in the car, bouncing in her seat, her gloomy attitude changed dramatically. Smiling at her in the rearview mirror, I twist around, placing my arm on the passenger seat and watching the road as I carefully maneuver out of the driveway. When I get onto the road, I start to turn back around, pausing only when a small hand lands on my arm.
“Dad?” I look back at my perfect, dark-haired angel. “She’s gonna come home, right?”
My eyes start to sting and my throat gets tight. Swallowing thickly, I nod stiffly. “Of course, bug. She’ll come back.”
I hope.
“I’m so sorry, Hudson. Just…I’m sorry. I didn’t want this to blow up in your face. I mean, I kind of expected it, but I was hoping my daughter would react differently.”
I clench my jaw, wishing for just a split second that I could grab Ted by the shoulders and shake him. I want to yell and scream that this was all his fault. But that wouldn’t be fair. This is just as much my fault as it is his. I’ve been wrong from the start to go behind Rae’s back. I should have been honest and up front from the very beginning. But I wasn’t. And neither was Ted. Now we’re both paying for it.
I give him a strained smile. “It’s okay, man. She’ll, uh, come around.”
“Damn, son. You don’t sound even a little bit convinced, you know?” When I don’t give any response to that, Ted squints at me, studying me closely. “Did you ask her? Did you propose a future with my daughter while still hiding this from her?”
My throat feels all scratchy, like I’ve been stuck out in the desert with no water for days. I take a sip from the glass I’ve been rolling between my hands. “Uh, kind of.” Ted arches a challenging brow. “Fine. I did,” I huff.
He lets out a big whoop, throwing his head back and slapping his knee, laughing his ass off at me.
“Goddamn, kid. You’re… That’s… Damn. You’re brave.” He shakes his head and I duck mine, not understanding how he thinks this is the funniest thing he’s heard all day.
“And stupid beyond all belief.” I swing my head back toward him, scowling within a nanosecond. “What? You know it as well as I do. That was a dumb move, Hudson. Really damn dumb. She’s not going to trust another proposal you make for a long time.”
I snort, taking another sip off my drink. “She’d have to come home first.”
His eyebrows shoot up at this new bit of information. “She’s gone?”
I nod. “Yep. Staying with Maura for a bit.”
Ted frowns, scrubbing his hand over his head. “You’ve talked with her?”
“Nope. She won’t answer my calls or texts. And trust me, I’ve left a lot. She’s probably got a damn restraining order on my ass already.”
His laugh is dry. “I doubt that, son. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. She’s mad, but she’s not that mad.”
“Do you think she’ll come back?” The words leave my mouth before I can catch them and stuff them back in.
“There’s no way she won’t, Hudson. Rae’s a fighter, but more than that, she’s a lover. She loves your daughter. She won’t leave her. And she won’t leave you. I know it seems like the end of everything right now, but I can feel it in my heart that it’s not. Can’t you?”
I reflexively clutch my chest, thinking about Rae and what it would feel like to lose her now. I sense this…spark. Something ignites in me and it’s fierce. It’s telling me to fight, to push, that it’s not the end for us. I can feel it. And it gives me this
“I’m ready,” she announces as she stands in front of me.
I quirk up my eyebrow at her, placing a lazy grin on my lips. “Last one to the car is the loser?”
She rolls her eyes and sighs. “You’re already a loser.”
Then she’s gone, scurrying out the door in an instant, beating me to the car before I even get the front door closed.
She’s already buckled into the back when I get in the car, bouncing in her seat, her gloomy attitude changed dramatically. Smiling at her in the rearview mirror, I twist around, placing my arm on the passenger seat and watching the road as I carefully maneuver out of the driveway. When I get onto the road, I start to turn back around, pausing only when a small hand lands on my arm.
“Dad?” I look back at my perfect, dark-haired angel. “She’s gonna come home, right?”
My eyes start to sting and my throat gets tight. Swallowing thickly, I nod stiffly. “Of course, bug. She’ll come back.”
I hope.
“I’m so sorry, Hudson. Just…I’m sorry. I didn’t want this to blow up in your face. I mean, I kind of expected it, but I was hoping my daughter would react differently.”
I clench my jaw, wishing for just a split second that I could grab Ted by the shoulders and shake him. I want to yell and scream that this was all his fault. But that wouldn’t be fair. This is just as much my fault as it is his. I’ve been wrong from the start to go behind Rae’s back. I should have been honest and up front from the very beginning. But I wasn’t. And neither was Ted. Now we’re both paying for it.
I give him a strained smile. “It’s okay, man. She’ll, uh, come around.”
“Damn, son. You don’t sound even a little bit convinced, you know?” When I don’t give any response to that, Ted squints at me, studying me closely. “Did you ask her? Did you propose a future with my daughter while still hiding this from her?”
My throat feels all scratchy, like I’ve been stuck out in the desert with no water for days. I take a sip from the glass I’ve been rolling between my hands. “Uh, kind of.” Ted arches a challenging brow. “Fine. I did,” I huff.
He lets out a big whoop, throwing his head back and slapping his knee, laughing his ass off at me.
“Goddamn, kid. You’re… That’s… Damn. You’re brave.” He shakes his head and I duck mine, not understanding how he thinks this is the funniest thing he’s heard all day.
“And stupid beyond all belief.” I swing my head back toward him, scowling within a nanosecond. “What? You know it as well as I do. That was a dumb move, Hudson. Really damn dumb. She’s not going to trust another proposal you make for a long time.”
I snort, taking another sip off my drink. “She’d have to come home first.”
His eyebrows shoot up at this new bit of information. “She’s gone?”
I nod. “Yep. Staying with Maura for a bit.”
Ted frowns, scrubbing his hand over his head. “You’ve talked with her?”
“Nope. She won’t answer my calls or texts. And trust me, I’ve left a lot. She’s probably got a damn restraining order on my ass already.”
His laugh is dry. “I doubt that, son. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. She’s mad, but she’s not that mad.”
“Do you think she’ll come back?” The words leave my mouth before I can catch them and stuff them back in.
“There’s no way she won’t, Hudson. Rae’s a fighter, but more than that, she’s a lover. She loves your daughter. She won’t leave her. And she won’t leave you. I know it seems like the end of everything right now, but I can feel it in my heart that it’s not. Can’t you?”
I reflexively clutch my chest, thinking about Rae and what it would feel like to lose her now. I sense this…spark. Something ignites in me and it’s fierce. It’s telling me to fight, to push, that it’s not the end for us. I can feel it. And it gives me this
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