convince him.
“You know, if there is ever anything you want to talk about, you can come to me. I know some things can be hard to express, even to your friends, but I want you to know I’m here for you, kid.”
I swallow dryly and lower my eyes so he doesn’t see how his words affect me.
“I never said this to you. Well, to any of you really, but I'll be forever grateful for the friendship you boys have given my daughter. She's the most happy I have ever seen her, and you three are the reason for that happiness. And because of that, you will always have a place at my table and in my heart. Do you understand?” he explains softly, squeezing my shoulder like a real father would do to a son he saw hurting.
“Val makes us happy, too. I mean, she makes me happy.”
“I know she does, son. And everyone deserves a bit of happiness in their life, don’t they?”
I just nod instead of telling him that deserving something and getting it are two very different things. Logan deserves to not have to worry about if his dad is coming back on his own two legs or in a pine box. Carter deserves not to be locked in his room over Halloween reliving his parents’ death every time he closes his eyes.
And me?
I just want to go trick or treating so I can pretend I’m a carefree kid with no problems bigger than what type of candy I’ll get. For one night, I just want to not be alone. To act like I’m the luckiest kid on our street, when in fact I’m just the loneliest.
“I know sometimes life gets complicated, sometimes even lonely,” he explains, as if reading the thoughts in my head, “but if you have true friendships in your life, people that you can count on, then it's easier to bear. Family doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the one you were born with, but the one you choose. Does that make sense?”
“Val is my family,” I whisper, my throat hoarse from emotion.
“I know she is, and you are hers.”
I wipe the tear from my eyes, secretly wishing Mr. E. would have been my dad instead of the one I got. But I guess based on what he's just said, Val’s dad doesn’t actually have to be my father for me to consider him as one. At least the only real father figure I got. A smile crests my face and suddenly I feel lighter.
“Okay, kid. How about we call Val downstairs and go on a mall run so we can get her the perfect outfit for tonight?”
“You think she's going to think it’s childish? Going trick or treating, I mean?”
“I think she is going to love the idea. As long as she’s with you, there is nothing my baby girl won’t like.”
Another wide smile broadens on my face, his words about choosing the family you want still ringing in my ears as he calls Val downstairs.
“I never asked. Who are you going as tonight?”
“I’m going as the Joker,” I reply with a mischievous wink.
“Of course you are. I should have known.” He chuckles at the same time Val takes the last stair, her beautiful smile widening the minute her eyes land on mine.
“Well if you’re going as the Joker, then I guess I’m your Harley Quinn,” she sing songs with a light laugh, soothing my nerves and turning what was turning out to be an epic fail of a Halloween into the best one I’ve ever had in my life.
Chapter 11
Now
________________________________________
Carter
I wake up with a groan. The sun's just barely come up, and I curse it. To say I didn't sleep well would be an understatement. I slept for maybe two hours, my mind filled with all things Valentina. The highlight reel, of course, being that kiss that I, in a moment of weakness, gave into.
I also couldn't get her look of disappointment out of my head.
Despite the early hour, my phone buzzes. Logan's sent me a text. It's weird to see his name on my phone after so long. There had been a time when I couldn't go an hour without him or Quaid texting me dumb shit. We'd texted a few times after we went our separate ways, but none of us bothered to update the others when we changed our phone numbers. There was no reason to. We had become strangers to each other faster than we'd become friends.
We'd exchanged phone