His Father

“I’m ready to talk,” he tells me and when I look up into his clear blue eyes I see no small amount of troubles swirling around in them.

“Mad…”

“I’m also ready to listen, Pest.” When he says my name so softly I smile and hug him for just a moment longer. “I promise.”

I want to cry, I didn’t realize how much I’d missed him until now. “Don’t leave again.”

“I won’t, but I think you’re upsetting my dad, he looks ready to throw you over his shoulder,” he whispers and when I peek back at Sargent, he looks away quickly. Alas, I still step away but only a fraction.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I breathe, clinging to the front of his T-shirt with both hands fisting the material.

“I know.” He pulls away and looks at his father.

Sargent

“I saw you today on the beach,” my son says, crossing his arms over his chest. He looks every bit a man right now. “I saw you making out, I saw you surfing… I saw you leave together.” A heavy breath parts his lips and he rubs his face with his hands. “I hate it. I’m not going to pretend to like it. I don’t want it rubbed in my face or in front of me at all.”

“Duly noted,” I reply, fighting the urge to yank her back to my side.

“It’s weird. My closest friend, somebody I actually thought I’d probably marry one day…”

I hear her gasp at his words and pray she doesn’t fall to his feet to beg for forgiveness. If she leaves me for my son it would be too weird.

“You were supposed to fall in love with me, Pest,” he admits to her. “The fact it’s my dad… it’s weird.”

“But we’re friends.”

He nods his agreement. “We are, while we’re young. I sometimes thought… everybody who knew us even said we’d probably end up married one day. Not yet, but one day.”

She wipes at her eyes and looks at the floor as I stare at him, waiting for him to get to the point.

“But you’re both adults and you’ve made your choice. I can see that.” He leans back against the wall and scratches at the scruff on his chin. “I’ve never seen you like that with anybody, not even me, not for years at least.”

“Like what?” I ask, frowning.

“Like you were with Pest on the beach today. You weren’t even like that with Mom.” As he says this my heart sinks because perhaps he’s right. There’s just something about Tempest that makes me feel joyful and expressive. She brings the man I used to know to the surface. “I’m not blaming you or shaming your past. It’s just nice to see you happy, even if it is with somebody who is too young for you.” He points at Pest. “I don’t want to hear about any of it. I’ll vomit. Okay? I do not want to know at all.”

She nods quickly and moves to hug him again. “Don’t leave me again. I missed you.”

He returns the hug and glares at me over her head. “I missed you too. But you…” He’s addressing me now. “I’m still really fucking mad at you, Dad.”

“I know,” I reply and even though that saddens me, I’m happy he’s home and at least trying to make amends. “It’s good to see you.”

They separate and the smile she gives me is so bright it could light up the entire sky. It’s nice to see her happy again.

“Do you want to do something?” she asks him, following him to his room, completely forgetting about me. “I need to go into town…” The door closes behind them and I want to follow and carry her back to my room. Now that he’s back it means I’ll have to share her. I’ve only just come home after two long days away… I don’t want to share her yet.

Plus, I’m horny in a way only she can satisfy me. Then again, I’m always horny in a way only she can satisfy me.

Tempest

I discover as we’re walking through the streets of LA, having decided to go here instead of Malibu, that it’s Sargent’s birthday soon. In precisely four days.

Maddox told me while we were discussing things, window shopping. I can see that it makes him uncomfortable so I’ll not approach the subject at all. Though I kind of want to discuss the whole “marriage when older” thing because I felt a bit blindsided by that. I also feel awful.

I’m not going to talk about it. It’ll just open an awkward conversation that neither of us will enjoy.

Maddox looks good, tanned and clean. His hair is lighter which means he has spent a lot of time in the sun.

“So where have you been?” I ask him carefully, not wanting to trigger any kind of ill feelings.