“And you?”
“I remember this tree house.”
My eyes go wide. “This exact one?”
He laughs. “Yes.”
“But how . . . ?”
“This was my first home. The home I should have lived in. And for a while, I did. But then my father uprooted us. Wanting to grow the business, he moved from town to town to make sure he had the connections he needed and eventually moved us to Reddington. Years later, I bought it back.”
“But you said you built this.”
“Well, technically, I rebuilt it. The one I used to sit in as a small child was long gone, but it sat here in this tree. I remember hiding here the day we left. I didn’t want to go.”
“What happened?”
“He eventually found me. He said that we would be back. That we were off on a grand adventure.”
“Grand adventure all right. More like a Greek tragedy,” I mumble.
“It was an adventure. He was right. Though it was not the adventure he had envisioned, it still was one. And now you’re by my side.”
“I’m happy I am.”
“Me too, Skye. Me too.”
After that, we sit in silence.
Feeling the enormity of the last part of the adventure before this story ends.
Hours later, we sit together in his bed, but no matter how much I try, I can’t stop thinking about my father.
This afternoon was about my parents, but there is no end to this story without my adoptive dad.
All the lies and mistruths were piling up. A mountain has grown of all the things he hasn’t told me, and I don’t know how to climb to the top and see the big picture.
My hand slams down on my lap, and Tobias snaps his head in my direction from where he is sitting on the bed next to me.
“Everything okay over there?” He chuckles.
A burning sensation spreads in my mouth as I realize I’ve bitten my lip so forcefully that I have torn the skin. The taste of copper touches my tongue as I swipe it out to soothe the wound.
“I need to talk to him tonight.”
“Who do you need to talk to?”
Cocking my head, I give Tobias my best are you fucking kidding me look.
He chuckles again, a sound I will never grow tired of. It’s my favorite sound, like music to my ears, especially since I know that it doesn’t happen often.
“My father, Tobias. Duh.” I roll my eyes.
“Duh? Really? Did I miss the memo? Are you in high school?”
“Har. Har. Har. But seriously”—I sigh overdramatically, playing right into Tobias’s previous comment—“what do I even say? I feel like there is so much I want to say to him. About his health. About the lie. But I don’t know where to start.”
From beside me, Tobias reaches his hand out and takes mine in his. He lightly rubs my hand, then he trails his fingers over my tattoo.
I think my tattoo is his favorite part about me, and as much as I like to touch it to calm myself, Tobias might like to do it even more than I do.
“I wish I had an answer for you. I wish I knew what to say. The thing is, as much as you don’t want to hear this, you don’t have much time with him. I don’t think you should waste the moments you have fighting. So maybe don’t tell him you know and wait for him to come to you. How about you just ask him about me? Ask him where he got the information.”
“Okay, so you don’t think I should tell him I know he’s sick?”
“No. Skye. You can’t, and not just because you violated a lot of laws to do it. Which is technically a problem since you’re a lawyer but mainly because he’s gotta tell you. You know that, right?”
“I do.”
“Just be calm. Remember, if he hasn’t told you, it’s because he’s not ready for you to know you’re losing him. Maybe he doesn’t want it to be real.”
“Yeah,” I groan. “I know you’re right. But I feel like I don’t know him at all.”
Tobias drops my hand, and I almost protest, but then he’s wrapping his arm around me and tucking me into his chest. My favorite place to be. The only place I feel completely safe. The only place I feel completely at home.
“He’s the man who raised you. The man who loved you.” I nod against him, my nose tickling from the tears lodged in my eyes that I refuse to shed. I stay curled up in his arms for a few more minutes, soaking in the strength he gives me. Then when I feel I can, I reach for my cell phone.
Before I can think twice, I dial.
It takes a few seconds for him to answer, but then he does.
“Skye?” His voice sounds older and even more tired than the last time, if that’s even possible.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Hey, sweet girl. How are you? I’ve missed you.” Hearing him say that, I almost want to abandon this whole plan. I don’t want to upset him. Tobias is right. We might not have that much more time.
“I’m sorry I haven’t visited in a few weeks, Dad.”
“Too busy running the city.” His chuckle warms my heart. I will cherish that sound.
I try not to let my voice crack. “Hardly.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re incredible.”
My heart aches as unshed tears pool. Tobias must know it, too, because his lips touch my forehead.
“Dad—”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve been thinking . . .” I stop, trying to decide how best to broach the topic.
“Never a good pastime.”
“I know. I know. Damn brain.” I laugh. “But recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about my life. About my past.”
“My dear, sweet girl.” It’s almost said as a warning, and I know he wants to change the topic. Been there done this conversation, I know the next line already, “Leave the past where it is.”
“No, Dad, please. I need to say this.”
“Okay.” He sounds hesitant. Maybe even nervous.
“I know you told me that boy died,” I mutter, not making any sense.
“What boy?”
“You know what boy,” I say, harder than I mean to. How can he forget or be confused? There has only ever been one boy.
From where I’m sitting in Tobias’s arms, I can feel his body tense. It no longer feels like I’m cradled into a warm chest. Now it feels like rocks are my backrest. This isn’t just about me.
I move into him, wrapping my free arm around his torso. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to talk with my head in his neck, but I can’t let him go right now.
“The boy in the storage closet with me.”
“Oh.”
I take a deep breath and will myself to calm down and not yell at him.
“How did you know he died?”
“That was a long time ago—” I know what he is going to say. He’s going to try to change the subject, but I’m not going to let him.
“Dad.” My tone is a warning.
He lets out a deep breath, followed by a rattly cough.
Stay the course, Skye.
“You kept asking about him, but the thing was, I couldn’t find anything on him after he went to the hospital. It was the strangest thing. It was like his presence disappeared.”