Chapter 18
Rhys slowly parted from Jack’s hold and kept the man at arm’s length. The sun, visible behind Jack, was slowly descending across the horizon and casting a dull glow on everything in sight. It made the dustiness of Jack’s skin stand out even more, and Rhys had to stop himself from counting each freckle across the man’s face.
“I’m serious, Jack,” Rhys said at last, voice weary. “One last chance. We’ve been stuck in this dance for weeks now and it’s like you’re the only one who knew all the steps. I’ve been clogging along with two left feet and only knowledge of half the steps.”
Jack pursed his lips together and had the decency to look away, ashamed at himself. His hands clenched in the material of Rhys’ shirt, clinging to him almost desperately.
“Emotions aren’t my forte.” He said quietly, eyes downcast.
“So you said, but we aren’t children. You were acting like a kid on the playground who thought bullying his crush was the right way to go. I’m an adult, Jack, and so are you. Act like it.”
Jack looked at Rhys again, his expression sheepish and strange on his face. Ill fitting for someone like him. His eyes darted from the corners of Rhys’ mouth to his eyes, and he held his gaze for mere seconds before Jack let his eyes drop back down to the floor. He heaved a heavy sigh and reached up to run a hand through his hair and dragged it back down his face.
“Does it help if I tell you I was emotionally stunted by my guardian from a young age?” His voice was tired, and it trailed off into a deprecating laugh as Jack slouched against the door frame. Rhys bit his lip and shook his head, then vocalized his answer when he realized Jack wasn’t going to look at him again.
“No…” Rhys began slowly, entirely unsure of how he was supposed to approach that delicate of a situation, and took Jack gently by the elbow, leading him inside before closing the door softly behind them. Rhys took them to the couch and sat down, his hand clasped around Jack’s. “But that’s something I believe we should talk about-”
Jack sent him a withering glare as he leaned back against the couch, but he didn’t take his hand from Rhys’ grasp.
“-When you’re ready to, of course. Subjects like that can’t be rushed.” Rhys squeezed his hand reassuringly, a small smile finding its way to his face. “Especially when we’re just now starting to see eye-to-eye.”
“About that, pumpkin, I-” A series of rapid knocks interrupted whatever Jack had to say and nearly caused him to jump out of his skin. Jack scowled at the front door where the knocks came from as Rhys got up to get door, making shushing motions at Jack as he went.
Upon opening the door, Rhys was met with the sight of an out-of-breath Angel, her cheeks flushed and her chest heaving, eyes wide as she took in the sight of Rhys. Immediately, Rhys was sent into a panic at her appearance and Jack jumped up to his feet to run to the door, parental instincts kicked into overdrive.
“Rhys? Did my dad come here? Is he-” Jack slotted himself in between Rhys and Angel, his hands moving quickly as he patted his daughter down as if to make sure she wasn’t hurt. He took her chin in his hand and turned her face this way and that, seeing nothing more than specks of dirt from helping him out in their garden.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart? What happened? Are you okay? Did someone try to hurt you? Who are they, where are they, do I need to call Athena? Tim? Wilhelm? God forbid, Nisha?”
"What? No, dad- Stop it, I just-” She swatted his hands out of the way and ignored the slightly pained whine he gave at the gesture. “I wanted to make sure you ran after Rhys and apologized for being as dense as a rock.”
“I- huh?” Jack backed away until he was standing next to Rhys, the expression on his face impossible to mistake for anything other than pure confusion. Beside him, Rhys choked and started laughing, covering it up poorly when Jack swiveled his head around to sneer at him.
Angel rolled her eyes up to the very heavens and pushed her way inside the house, clearly taking Rhys’ side as she tangled her arms around his prosthetic and tugged him close, tongue out in cheeky rebellion as she looked up at her father. Rhys shrugged when Jack looked at him for answers, just as lost as he was.
“Has he apologized, Rhys?” The man in question looked down at her and nodded sheepishly, ever aware of the look Jack was giving them. “Good. Do you forgive him?”
That gave Rhys pause, but in his heart he knew the answer. There was just too much built up between them for Rhys to give in and push it all aside just like that. Rhys never thought of himself as one to hold grudges very long, and he didn’t think this one would last either. He sighed heavily and gave her a somber smile.
“Not yet, Angel, but I’m working on it.”
They held each other’s gaze as Jack shifted uncomfortably beside them, rubbing the back of his neck and shuffling his feet on the flooring. Angel’s grip on Rhys’ arm tightened as she finally grinned up at him, teeth bright between her stretched lips.
“Great. He’s been really stupid and doesn’t deserve immediate forgiveness.”
“Angel, that’s not- You shouldn’t say that, ” Rhys started, brows knitted together and lips turned down. Angel opened her mouth to reply but Jack’s hand settling on the top of her head silenced her, and she looked at him as he began to brush through her hair.
“Nah, she’s right, Rhys. My little girl has a good head on her shoulders and she knows stupidity when she sees it, and she ain’t afraid to call it out.” Jack gave Angel a wide grin which she returned. “Maybe if I had listened to her earlier, then you wouldn’t have anything to forgive me for.”
Jack and Angel shared a look, their grins becoming nothing more than gentle smiles that conveyed emotions Rhys could not fathom, not without being a father himself. There was an understanding between them born from years of arguments and apologies thrown back and forth, from a single father learning how to work with his baby girl through the thick and thin. Rhys’ heart warmed at the thought, and he couldn’t help but pull them both close for another embrace. When they parted again, Angel’s eyes gazing up at them, shining with hope and love, Rhys took a deep breath and detached himself from the duo.
“I think I know what we need to do.” Rhys paused, looking between Angel and Jack with an anxious energy. “To fix this, I mean, or at least start to.”
“I’m all ears, Rhys.” Jack said, conviction clear in his voice as he placed his hands on Angel’s shoulders. “I’m willing to do anything at this point if it means having you.”
Rhys smiled and ran a hand through his hair and down to his neck, rubbing the skin there before he offered his right hand to Jack. The man looked at it, slight confusion clouding his eyes, and looked back up to Rhys for an explanation. But Rhys merely smiled softly and shook his head, still offering his hand.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot, Mr. Lawrence.” Rhys started, his posture relaxing somewhat as the words started to come him. “If it’s okay, I’d like to start again.”
Jack blinked owlishly at Rhys, shock coloring his face. “You mean- You want to- ” Jack tightened his grip on Angel’s shoulders, brows furrowing.
“A complete do-over? Just like that? We just, forget everything that happened and start over?”
“No,” Rhys said gently. “We keep our past mistakes in mind, and try to better ourselves and try to make this work, like we should have from the beginning.”
Jack gazed at Rhys’ outstretched hand again, his lips pressed together in a frown. Angel turned her head and looked up at her father, blue eyes wide and pleading with him to accept the olive branch Rhys was offering. Jack seemed to ignore her gaze, solely focused on the hand still reaching toward him, and the man that it belonged to it. Starting over meant...Jack bit his lip, battling with himself. Starting over meant pushing aside everything that they had already shared, everything emotion that has already crossed between them, every moment they were together in the past. The quiet, intimate moments they shared when Rhys received his new arm, gone and forgotten. The kiss in the garden, as rushed as it was, but full of heartfelt emotion that Jack hadn’t experienced since his daughter was born, that rush of love and affection and sheer panic.
Gone. Banished. Pushed to the back of their minds like some sort of bad dream.
But it also gave them a unique opportunity to rewrite everything. A new hope. A fresh beginning that would allow Jack to try again to win Rhys’ heart the right way, without childish games and undue hostility, and it would even the playing field.
It would be a dance that Rhys knew, one he could keep up with and stay in line with the steps.
“Dad…” Angel covered one of Jack’s hands with her own, still looking up at her father with a slight frown now on her face. “Don’t let this slip away.”
That seemed to snap Jack out of his trance and he leaned down to kiss Angel on the forehead as if to say don’t worry. He straightened back up and locked eyes with Rhys, who had begun to lose hope, his smile wavering and his eyes shining with new tears threatening to fall. With a new found determination, Jack firmly grasped Rhys’ hand and grinned at him.
“You’re right. We’re long overdue for a fresh start.” Jack clapped his free hand on Angel’s shoulder as the teenager beamed up at her father and Rhys, a happy flush covering her cheeks. “Rhys, this is my daughter Angel. We live next door, and we’d like to welcome you to the neighborhood properly. How does dinner sound?”
Rhys returned the handshake with equal enthusiasm, his grin nearly splitting his face in half as he nodded.
“That sounds fantastic, Mr. Lawrence. I’d love to.”
“Please,” He said, unable to keep the smile off of his face. “Call me Jack.”