shouldn’t have asked. It’s none of my business. We might be having sex, but that doesn’t give me the right to dig into his past, and open old hurts.
“I am lucky to have my family, Haven. You’re right about that. I do love Blue Bay, and I’m back because Sean called us all home. I don’t hate being here, but growing up wasn’t all sunshine and butterflies.” I stiffen at the hardness in his voice. “Is it for anyone, though? Nothing special about me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it out like your life was perfect because you live in a small town,” I say and inch back, ready to put my clothes back on and run back to…I have no idea where, since I have no place to stay.
“Shit, no, I’m sorry,” he says, and reaches for me, pulling me back against him. “I’m being an asshole.”
“No, you’re not,” I say. “I just idealize and romanticize everything.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. My brother Jamie is a dreamer like that, too. Dad tried to beat that shit right out of him.” He gives a laugh that holds no humor, but since he opened the door, I decide to walk through it.
“Your father was hard on you guys, huh?” I ask, understanding that much.
“Well, at least he was around,” he says, turning this back to me, showing sympathy because I might have had it worse. “I wasn’t left to fend for myself on the set, Haven.”
“Parents, huh?” I say, but then go serious. “You have bad memories here, in this cabin?”
He makes a noise. “They’re getting better thanks to you,” he says, and idly runs his finger up and down my arm, his thoughts elsewhere. Goosebumps form on my flesh as he caresses me. He goes quiet again, and I take in his body language, the internal war going on inside his head. Just when I think he’s done talking, he says, “I was only ten.” Pain flashes in his eyes, as his chest expands with a deep breath.
“What happened when you were only ten, Ty?” I put my hand on his chest. His heart races beneath my palm as I offer my comfort and support, because I know he’s telling me something very private, something he doesn’t talk about with just anyone, and I feel very privileged and honored that he’s opening up to me.
Glancing down, he snorts, like it’s nothing, which clearly isn’t the case. “Sean and Jamie were chasing girls, spending less and less time at home. I was used to them pairing off and the twins had each other. I had friends, but I spent a lot of time alone.” He casts me a fast glance. “I was always up to no good and getting into mischief.”
“Of course, you were.”
“Dad didn’t like my aloofness, or my reckless nature. Anyway, like I said, Sean and Jamie were tearing up the streets, and the twins were in Hope Springs with Mom, getting new clothes or haircuts or something. I can’t remember, but that’s not important.”
I nod, and shift a little closer. “What is important?”
“That I actually thought I could make my father proud of me.” He shakes his head, his eyes narrowed, pained. “Jesus listen to me. I’m a grown-ass man who has taken down bigger men in the cage, and now I sound like a goddamn kid with daddy issues.”
“Between us, Rock has daddy issues too, and there is nothing wrong with that, Ty. We’re all fucked up in our own ways. The thing is, we can’t bury those feelings. We need to unpack them, sort through them, deal, learn and move past them.” I touch his face. “You buried yours, and nothing good can come from that.”
He smiles at me. “Beautiful and smart. How did I get so lucky?”
“The night is young, Ty. You can still get lucky again, but first, tell me what happened when you tried to impress your father at ten years old.”
His head bobs, and that little boy lost look moves over his face once again. “We were having an overnight fishing trip. I was stoked that I had Dad all to myself. You might be right about that middle child thing,” he says with a snort. “Anyway, the fish were running, and I got up extra early in the morning, before Dad. I was going to surprise him with trout for breakfast.”
“I guess things didn’t go as planned.”
“Oh, I had a dog named Bear,” he says like it’s an afterthought. “It’s