Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
Seth’s throat worked, seeming to struggle against emotion. “Thank you.”
He always tried to protect them, insisting he was strong and capable enough to handle anything without help. The relief on his face now told her he was glad he didn’t have to face this tragic remnant of his past alone.
They finished eating, the weight of their earlier argument and the upcoming meeting stifling their usual banter. When Heavenly began cleaning up, Beck took the empty box from her and discarded it before pulling her against his side.
“This afternoon is going to be rough on him,” he murmured against her hair.
“That’s why I insisted on going.” For the men she loved, she would walk through fire.
Beck kissed her nose. “And that’s one reason we love you.”
Forty-five minutes later, they climbed into an Uber, the silence so thick it felt choking. Heavenly sat between her men, holding both their hands as the city passed, a blur through the windows. Seth’s shoulders were tense, his mouth a flat line as he gripped her almost too tightly. She gave him a supportive squeeze and refused to pull away.
As they drove toward the suburbs, skyscrapers gave way to strip malls. The trees here were more plentiful, their branches creating tunnels of green overhead.
The driver stopped at a red light. Without the forward motion, the strain in the car somehow felt even more uncomfortably tight. Heavenly wished she could think of something to say to break it and make Seth smile.
Suddenly, Beck pointed out the window. “Hey, Seth. Look.”
He glanced over. “Yeah?”
“There’s a White Castle. Want to stop?”
Seth scowled. “Why? We just ate.”
“You could have a quickie in the men’s room and…reminisce.” Beck’s grin turned both teasing and wicked. “Maybe reenact your first time with Mary Jo Bartkowicz.”
Seth rolled his eyes, then burst out laughing—a genuine ripple of mirth that lightened the weight on her chest. Beck joined in, and within seconds, all three of them were shaking with it.
“You’re both disgusting.” Heavenly tsked. “That poor girl. It must have been horrible.”
“Hey! She left with a smile on her face.” Seth glared indignantly, but she caught the grin curling up his lips.
“More likely, you did. Nothing that happens in a bathroom stall is sexy.” Heavenly shook her head. “Besides, you were only fourteen.”
“So? I was precocious.”
“And lasted…what, all of ten seconds? You were just a horndog,” Beck corrected.
“Says the man who lost his virginity to a—“
“Shut it! We’re not talking about Gloria,” Beck cut in.
Thanks to the levity, Seth’s grip on Heavenly’s hand had loosened, his breathing smoothed out. The joke had done its job. By the time the Uber pulled up in front of a modest ranch-style house with cream siding and hunter green shutters, Seth looked…not calm exactly, but steadier.
Seth climbed out, then extended his hand to her. She took it and eased from the back seat as his gaze swept the empty driveway before lifting to the house.
His mood turned somber again as he pulled the keys from his pocket. “Guess…the Realtor’s not here yet.”
Heavenly hoped he didn’t have to wait long. He hadn’t even walked inside yet, but she already feared he was holding himself together by a thread. No surprise. This place held wonderful, terrible memories.
She pressed close, doing her best to provide silent comfort as he unlocked the front door. Once he pushed it open, he glanced down at her, lips curled up woodenly in an attempt to convince her that he was okay. But she knew him too well.
With a sweep of his hand, he gestured her and Beck inside. His fake smile gave way to something grim and stoic that twisted her heart.
God, this was killing him.
Stomach knotting, Heavenly stepped into the house.
One glance, her chest threatened to buckle.
Afternoon light streamed through the windows, illuminating a living room that felt frozen in time. Haunted. Like it was ready for the return of the family that would never step foot inside again. A sectional butted against one soft beige wall, its cushions still plump, as if ready for someone to sit down at any moment. Built-in bookcases flanked a brick fireplace. Family photos lined one wall, their subjects captured in a long-gone moment of normalcy.
This house had once been his home, where the people he’d loved had once lived, watched TV, and slept. Where they’d made breakfast and argued about whose turn it was to take out the trash. Where a baby had cried at two a.m. and exhausted parents had soothed him.
Where they’d planned for a future that had never come.
And now, they were all dead…except Seth. He stood here in the present, tormented by his past and rattled by the unwritten future.
Framed photos on the wall of the adjacent hallway drew Heavenly’s attention. She shuffled to them slowly, her gaze catching the first image of an impossibly young Seth on his wedding day. He stood beside an even younger brunette with soft doe eyes, wearing a lacy white dress. Autumn. They smiled, looking like barely more than kids, convinced that love alone was enough.