Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 135847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 679(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 679(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
It got worse when Corey came out onto the balcony.
Still in his tuxedo (Corey and Tania had been to some big event that night, after which, obviously, his dad had broken up with her), not even taking off the jacket (then again, Corey was perfectly comfortable in suits, and he would be, he wore them all the time), he went right to the railing, stared at the ocean and took a sip of his drink.
He then said, “Come here, Hale.”
Shit!
But…yeah.
Some way, somehow, his father always knew all.
Hale moved from where he was hiding to the railing, not close, but not far from his dad.
“Can’t sleep?” Corey asked the ocean.
“No,” Hale answered.
“Mm,” Corey hummed into his glass and took another sip.
He then turned Hale’s way and leaned sideways into the railing.
“You sleep like the dead the first couple of nights you’re with me after being with your mom.”
Hale shrugged, though, that was true. But he was kinda surprised his dad noticed.
“Do you not sleep well when you’re with her?”
Okay.
Now he knew where this was going.
And man, he didn’t want to get into it.
“I—” he started.
“You don’t have to say it,” Corey said so softly, the crash of the waves nearly took his words away before Hale could hear them. But Hale knew he knew. He barely slept at all when he was with her. “Do you need me to do something about that?” Corey asked.
Something funny was happening inside Hale’s chest.
“Like what?”
“A young man needs his sleep,” Corey declared. “More, he doesn’t need to experience the crippling anxiety that’s making him not sleep.”
“She would…” Hale didn’t finish that.
But his father knew.
He knew he did when Corey said, “Lose her mind and make us both pay if I tried to take you from her.”
Hale didn’t nod or say anything.
Still, Corey sighed, took another sip of his drink, then turned again to face the railing, bending to rest his forearms to it and looking out to sea.
“I did her wrong, Hale. You’re old enough now to hear that,” his dad admitted. “Though, considering it was over twelve years ago, it’s fair to say she’s milking it for all it’s worth.”
Studying his father closely, Hale turned to the railing and adopted the same pose, even though he wasn’t near as tall as his dad.
“I’m sorry you heard what just transpired between Tania and I,” Corey continued.
And that freaked Hale, mostly because his dad was apologizing, when Hale probably wouldn’t have heard it if he was where he was supposed to be.
Then again, he rarely got in trouble when he was with his father.
He was always in trouble one way or another when he was with his mom.
“Women can be…” His father took a sip. “It’s important to communicate very clearly with women.” He turned his head to Hale. “Do you understand me?”
Hale nodded. “Yeah, Dad.”
Corey twisted at the waist so he was leaning only on one forearm and facing Hale again.
Again, Hale mimicked him.
“There are many different kinds of people in the world, Hale. Don’t listen to the nonsense about stereotypes. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking women are all like your mother. Or like Tania. Because there are some who are like Genny.”
“Right,” Hale whispered.
After he said that, for a long time, his dad just looked at him. And it lasted so long, Hale started feeling weird.
Eventually, Corey spoke. “If I had one wish for you, it would be that you find someone like Genny. A woman who loves you and only you. I don’t mean she doesn’t love her friends, or the children you’ll have. I mean romantic love. I also don’t mean a woman who makes you her world, but instead, one that, you being in her world, completes it. Am I making sense?”
Not exactly.
“Yeah.”
“Good. Because that last part is important. You cannot be everything to a woman. It’s too heavy of a load to carry.”
“Like you were to Mom,” he guessed.
Hale felt warm inside when his father’s face registered pride that he’d guessed right.
“Exactly.”
“I don’t sleep good there,” Hale admitted quietly.
Now he saw his father’s face get tight, and even though he knew his dad was mad, that made him feel even warmer. Because his dad was mad for him.
“Right then, Hale. This is a lesson on the path to the man you’re going to be. I need you to think about this and tell me with honesty what you need. You’re growing up, and as you grow up and for your whole life, you’re going to have to make decisions. Daily. Everything from what you’re going to wear to what food you’re going to eat to fuel your body to things that will affect other people’s lives. People you don’t know, and people you know and care about. It’s late. You don’t have to make a decision now. I want you to try to get some sleep. You can tell me when you’re ready. When you’ve thought it over and feel you’ve made the right decision. But I need to know if you need me to handle things for you. And if you do, I swear to you, son, I will.”