Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 79749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
"Where are we going?" Eli asks Aspen in a low tone.
Aspen looks to me, making me realize I never explained to her what our next steps are. I can't take for granted that she's along for the ride because she wants to be and not because I just demanded it of her with my actions.
"We're in Tennessee, bud," I tell him. "There's a cabin here, and it has an indoor pool. There's a room in the basement with arcade games, and it even has a theater to watch movies in."
"That's a lot of stuff," Eli says, nervously toying with the front of the blanket wrapped around him.
He doesn't show the excitement I expected, and it crushes my heart just a little further.
"If I'm good, can I see the pool?"
And right then and there, my fucking heart splits open.
"See it? " I ask with a smile when all I want to do is pull this child to my chest and promise him the world. "We're gonna swim every day. Are you good at air hockey?"
He blinks at me. "I don't know what that is."
His voice is shy and I can see the struggle in his eyes. I have no doubt he was promised things he never got, along with having to see things he'd love but never get to have.
"It's hard to explain, but you'll love it," I assure him.
He blinks at me, and I can see that he has been promised a lot of things. Going by the mildly disappointed look in his eyes, those things have never come to fruition. I'll spend every hour of every day proving to this child that I mean what I say. I'll do my best never to have to go back on my word, and I hope that I prove to him enough that my word means something. That when something comes up and what I said would happen isn't possible, I'll make it up to him.
I don't want to be disappointed, but I know for him to have trust in me, it will take some time. Thankfully, he's young enough that with the help of a therapist, we can hopefully work toward him having faith and trust in those around him.
The helicopter ride ends a few miles from the cabin, and there is an SUV waiting there for us.
"Does he need this?" I ask, pointing to the booster seat in the back seat.
"He does," Aspen confirms. "He needs to be a few inches taller before he can ride without one."
I stare down at the thing, realizing I have a lot to learn about kids.
"Zara must've done this," I say, watching Eli climb into the booster seat.
"We'll have to thank her," she says, making sure to adjust the seat belt so it hits Eli in the right spot across his chest. "I'm going to sit back here with him."
I climb into the driver's seat and pull away from the helipad. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I'm nervous about driving. I don't know that I've ever felt the need to consider the people in the car with me before. Of course, I drive safely. I'm not a speed demon and I don't go zipping around in traffic. I'm pretty laid back in that I'm usually not in a big hurry, but I find myself riding the brake a lot more and looking in the rearview mirror to make sure they're both still okay.
"Do you drive slower with him in the car?" I ask her as we pull into the parking area for the cabin.
"I've never driven," she says, as if it's common to be her age and not drive.
"Do you want to learn?" I ask as I climb out and make my way to Eli's side of the SUV.
I help him out of the car and smile when he looks up at the cabin as if it's the most magnificent thing he's ever seen.
"I imagine I should," she says. "Just in case, but I'm not exactly excited about it."
"I wouldn't be the best teacher," I say honestly.
"Too rigid?"
I chew the inside of my cheek before answering. "I'd get distracted too easily."
She gives me a simple smile as she dips her head, and I don't miss the flush in her cheeks.
"What do you think?" she asks Eli as she steps up beside him and rests her hand softly on his back.
"It's really big. Whose house is it?"
Aspen looks to me for an explanation, and the answer is a little more complicated than it would be if we had our own place.
"This is owned by the guy I work for," I say. "We all live here."
"And I'll live here, too?" he asks, but he doesn't sound very happy about it.
It's one more thing I'll have to prove will be different from the time he spent with Damien.