Chapter 47
Chapter Forty-Seven
BLUE
I hated how relieved I was that the locked room wasn’t full of sex toys. I was also a little disappointed.
But mostly, I was just embarrassed that I had been so willing and ready to accept that side of West if it had been true.
Instead, we sat at his lit-up Lego table, our shoulders brushing as we pieced together little versions of our worlds. We laughed, teased, and it felt like we had somehow deepened a connection that was never even supposed to happen.
After a while, we had to get ready to go see my dad and then have dinner in Harmony Haven.
I pulled on a pair of jeans Connie had left in his closet and a blouse I never would’ve chosen for myself.
It wasn’t my style, but it made me feel pretty.
Different. I twisted my hair up with pins, caught my reflection, and barely recognized the girl in the mirror.
She looked stronger, more confident. A little like me, but a version I didn’t know I could be. And I think I liked her.
West was already waiting, sharp in one of his signature suits, his hair slicked back, his watch gleaming.
It probably cost more than my house. He took my hand without hesitation and led me down to the SUV.
Marcus opened the door, and we slid in. He already knew the destination, of course.
West had told him everything and knowing it was all taken care of allowed me to relax.
At the hospital, West opened the door for me himself, steadying me as we walked inside. When his phone buzzed in the elevator, I told him to answer, but he glanced at the screen and slid it back into his pocket.
“No,” he said. “Spam call. Been trying to get them off my line for weeks.”
It startled a laugh out of me, and he frowned like he didn’t understand. I shrugged. “It’s just funny. All this money, and you still have to deal with telemarketers.”
He smirked, nudging me. “Told you I was a normal guy.”
When the doors opened on Dad’s floor, West kissed the side of my head, but let me go in alone.
I’d told him I wanted them to meet, and after he’d insisted it wasn’t necessary, he assured me he’d do anything I wanted.
West pretended he was all control, but sometimes he didn’t see what his presence did for people.
What it did for me. And what I knew it’d do for Dad.
Dad was sitting up when I pushed open the door, bright-eyed, with Lisa beside him. Relief hit so hard my knees went weak.
“There’s my favorite girl,” he said.
“Hey, Dad.” I kissed his forehead, smiling at the color back in his cheeks.
Lisa started to move, but I shook my head. “Stay. Please.” She had been good for him, I could see it in the way his shoulders eased when she was near. “Actually, I want you to meet someone.”
“Like this?” Dad teased, wiggling his socked toes. “Without my good house shoes?”
“I’ll grab them tonight,” I promised. “But I thought maybe you’d like to meet West now. Might help you sleep better knowing who I’ve been spending all my time with.”
That was all that mattered, that Dad felt better, rested easier. Whatever fallout came from the lies West and I were living, I’d carry it. But Dad deserved peace right now.
I stepped back into the hall, caught West’s eye, and waved him in. He straightened his shoulders immediately, slipping into that commanding stride that made everyone in the area turn their heads.
I watched my dad’s expression shift when he walked into his room. First he was wide-eyed, like he was meeting a celebrity, then they turned sharper and assessing.
“Nice to meet you, sir,” West said, offering his hand. “I’m West Brooks.”
Dad shook it firmly. “Nice to meet you.”
He even introduced himself to Lisa, thanking her, and Lisa gave him a small nod, flustered but pleased.
I fidgeted, nervous energy coiling in me, until West slid his hand into mine and pressed a kiss to the side of my head. It grounded me instantly.
Dad smirked, leaning back in bed. “So, West… you do any fishing?”
They didn’t bond over fishing. But they found something else.
Legos.
I brought it up offhand, telling West how Dad sometimes worked little sets at the dining room table to keep his fingers nimble. I expected West to brush it off. Instead, his whole face lit up.
When Dad mentioned saving up for the First Edition Millennium Falcon he’d found on eBay, West grinned, leaned forward like a kid, and admitted he already had one. That he’d have to invite Dad over to see his Lego room.
Dad’s eyes went wide. Room?
West had clearly not meant to say it out loud, but once it slipped, he went with it and Dad’s day was made.
I sat back in my chair, stunned. Because for all the ways West kept himself locked down, he’d just given my dad a piece of himself he didn’t share with anyone. And he hadn’t even hesitated.
Hours passed easily. They talked. They laughed. Lisa drifted in and out, fussing over Dad but smiling when West said something to make him laugh.
Eventually, I stood, touching Dad’s arm. “We’re heading back to Harmony Haven. Gonna grab your slippers.”
Lisa promised she’d stay by his side, that she’d be close by in her hotel if he needed anything.
When West and I stepped into the elevator, I squeezed his hand. “I want to make sure Lisa’s room and expenses are covered while she’s here.”
“It’s already done,” he said, squeezing back.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “I don’t know what’s going on with them. I think it’s just friendship. But she’s made life feel like living for him these past few weeks.”
The elevator dinged, and I realized we weren’t going down, we were going up. I gave him a look. “You’re not hogging the emergency landing pad again, are you?”
“We’ll be out of here before the next call. I promise.”
And he was right. By the time the doors slid open, Hugo was already touching down. We ran across the rooftop, climbed in, and in seconds, the city lights blurred beneath us.
This time, I wasn’t scared. I let myself take in the view, the silver ribbon of highway, the glow of Atlanta fading behind us.
A few minutes later, we touched down in a field just outside a small farmhouse and a barn twice its size. Grams and Gramps waved from the porch, their faces splitting into huge smiles. Love radiated off them in a way that made my throat tight.
I climbed out and then turned back, waiting for West. He climbed out behind me, immaculate as ever, nodding once at Hugo before taking my hand. We walked through the grass together, toward the warmth waiting at the porch.
Inside, Gramps and Grams led us through the kitchen and into the living room, their eyes shining with mischief.
And when my gaze landed on the couch, I froze.
Miles and Loxley stood, grinning wide.
“Surprise!” Loxley squealed, throwing her arms around both of us. “We’re finally home.” Her eyes sparkled as she pulled back, glancing between West and me. “And finally ready to figure out whatever the hell is going on between you two.”