Pieces of Us

Chapter 24 My Father’s Son

Lincoln

‘Tell me what your endgame is here, son?’

I dropped into Dad’s straight after leaving Uncle Mark’s. He immediately knew something was up and instructed me to change into workout clothes.

Each punch to the bag is therapeutic—especially because, in my mind, I’m pummeling fuckface Jagger. There is every chance the pro ball player could knock me out with one punch, but I evict those thoughts from my mind.

I take a break, running a glove through my sweaty mess of hair. Staring at the ceiling, a mixture of envy and turbulence courses through me.

There is so much I don’t know about Amity’s life, including who her people are. It’s natural for me to hold a grudge against the guy my girl is pictured with almost weekly. She says he is just a friend, but a picture says a thousand words. How can I misinterpret her sitting on his lap, or them holding hands, or her body pressed up against his at a club, her head in the crook of his neck? Then there are the almost naked photos of them frolicking around the world. He’s like a bad smell, leeching off her whenever they’re pictured together.

It doesn’t help that I stalk their every move with my set-up Google alerts. I know my mind is speculating about their status, but how can it not when the hottest girl on the planet—and arguably the hottest guy on the planet—look like the picture-perfect couple? I think I’d feel less bothered if he was pictured with other chicks, but the prick never is. He is only ever coupled up with Hart. My heart.

‘I can’t tell you, Dad. I want Amity and I to be endgame, but I don’t know the way forward. We’re up and we’re down and we yell and we apologise. Then we’re just exhausted, not knowing the way forward.’ I bow my head. ‘Somehow, I always fuck it up.’

‘So, where do you want it to go? I have to admit, it’s good having my daughter back again, and shit out in the open.’

‘I know. I fucking know, Dad. I’m elated to have her back, too, and so is Jas. Everyone around the office seems to gravitate to her, as they should. She’s always had that aura. Damn, Ella won’t stop going on about her new BFF.’

‘So what’s the next step?’

‘I’m trying my hardest, Dad. I really am. I’ve been the most open and vulnerable and heartbroken I have been in years. I’ve bared every piece of me. She’s let me back in a little, but it’s not enough. I thought when she said we were free, she meant free to work on us again, whether it be as friends or as something more.’

I punch the bag several more times, trickles of sweat beading down my forehead.

Time is running out.

I’m desperate to get her back, but eventually, she’ll be leaving again soon, and now that Jagger is coming to town, my time with her is cut even shorter. It guts me to think she would rather spend time with him than me.

I dodge the bag, looking at Dad’s face. ‘So you want to win her back?’

‘I love her more than anything and anyone in the world, Dad. She is a part of me. I don’t exist fully without her. She is my heartbeat,’ I state simply because it’s true. ‘But I keep screwing up. I made her place in my life complacent when I chose Billie over her, time and time again. I know she has this misguided notion that Billie is my soulmate, that somehow she’s the other woman, but what she doesn’t see is that she’s the only woman for me.’

‘Then show her. Prove that to her,’ Dad eggs me on, bouncing on the spot, getting ready to exert his energy on the bag.

‘I’m going to. I swear.’ I crack my neck while he gets in a few punches.

‘So, you know Uncle Mark’s coming over later, yeah?’

‘Okay…’ That’s nothing out of the norm.

‘And Amity isn’t.’ He’s telling me a riddle, but I’m not getting it. I blink at him blankly. ‘You idiot. She’ll be home by herself.’ He lightly punches me in the stomach.

This tidbit of information, I can definitely use to my advantage.

‘Look. You’re my son. She may as well be my daughter. But I’ve always tried to stay relatively out of your relationship. Even before you guys were a thing, Mark and I always knew you two were inevitable. We had years to deal with it before it eventuated, but then it did, and we were both fucking stoked. Then, yes, you fucked up hard, but even after the colossal mess you made, I know you’re both destined to be with each other. I saw the way you both bled the other day at the office. She is just as affected and as enamoured by you, but she’s guarded. She doesn’t trust herself or her instincts when she’s around you.’

I’m fired up over the prospect of being alone with her tonight, and at Dad’s pep talk.

‘So, what you’re saying is, you think I should stop by?’

‘What I’m saying is, shoot your shot. Shoot every damn shot you have until you hit the target and win the game.’

I don’t want to corner her, but I also don’t want to let any chance to spend time with her slip away.

‘Then I’ll see you later, old man.’ I unstrap my gloves and throw them back into the box.

‘Good luck, son. Go get our girl and bring her home for good.’ He winks as he starts punching the bag again.