Page 63 of Chasing Kit

Kit stared at him, disbelief etched into his face. “For which thing? There’s a lot to choose from.”

Derek nodded. “That’s fair.” He looked at his hands, knuckles white against the butcher-block. “I made choices. Some good, some . . . . You don’t have to forgive me.”

Kit looked at me, then at Derek. He drew a breath so deep it rattled. “I don’t.”

Derek nodded again, absorbing the blow like a champion. He took it better than I would’ve, but I didn’t have kids. I had no idea what it felt like to be a parent, but I knew it wouldn’t be easy.

“But I don’t want to ignore you,” Kit murmured. “You’re my dad. Even if you suck sometimes.”

Derek’s mouth twitched in a way that wasn’t quite a smile. “I do suck, don’t I?”

“Yeah,” Kit’s voice wobbled. “But you’re the only dad I’ve got.”

It would’ve been unbearably sad if Kit hadn’t immediately started blinking furiously and muttering “God, I hate feelings” under his breath. I almost laughed, and Derek must’ve felt the humor, too, because he let out a strangled chuckle.

I placed the mugs on the table and sat down beside Kit, close enough that our knees touched.

Derek took a sip. “This is terrible,” he said, but he drank it anyway.

“Just because I know your order doesn’t mean I’m good at making it. There’s a reason we get coffee from Sugar Bean,” I reminded him.

Derek smiled, a fondness for all the years we’d worked together filling the space between us. We’d been through a lot and nothing he did changed the fact that he’d saved me from myself. Then, he looked at Kit and back to me, a question forming. “So. Is this really happening?”

Kit glanced at me, waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I didn’t flinch. “If he’ll have me,” Kit said, trying for casual and landing somewhere between hope and terror.

I spoke without hesitation. “I will. I love you.”

Derek processed that. The heartbreak was obvious, but he didn’t argue. He just nodded, slow and resigned. “Then, that’s what’s happening. I respect your relationship.”

Relief swept over Kit’s face.

Silence stretched before Derek broke the moment. “Have you heard from your brother?”

Kit nodded. “He says he’s fine. He sounds. . . happy, which is weird. He says the Sabbatinis are taking care of him.” His eyebrows dipped. “Which concerns me. But he promised to keep me updated so I know he’s okay.”

“Good. Good.” He actually sounded relieved. I supposed Sky was still son, even if he was furious with him. Derek cleared his throat. “There’s one more thing.”

I went on high alert. “What?”

He gestured toward the closed front door. “Leland’s in the car. He didn’t want to come in, but I thought—” He shook his head. “He wanted to apologize in person. He means it. I’m not making excuses, but he needed the money. His dad—” He rubbed his forehead. “Just listen to him.”

Kit looked at me, jaw clenched. “You think I should?”

I shrugged and took a sip of my coffee, then winced. I couldn’t even make mine well. “Up to you.”

Kit inhaled, preparing himself. “Fine. Tell him to come in.”

Derek stood and went to the door. There was a quiet exchange outside—Derek’s calm, low timbre and Leland’s higher, anxious reply—then Leland stepped in, his mouth twisted into a deep sadness I didn’t expect to see on the gentle giant. He wore a rumpled hoodie and clutched his phone like a lifeline. He saw Kit, and his whole face twisted up with regret.

“Kit,” he said, voice small for a big man.

Kit didn’t answer.

Leland took a step forward, then stopped. “I’m sorry,” he said, hands shaking. “I was supposed to look out for you. I never wanted to hurt you, man. I just—” His gaze shot to me, then to Derek, and then back to Kit. Heartbreak and terror mixed together in those big blue eyes, and sympathy struck me. He was young, too, and naive. Despite working for Derek, he’d been thrust into this world because of a gambling addicted father and a mountain of debt. “You were my only real friend here. Ever. I’ll tell you everything. Why I needed the money. My dad, he’s an addict. He got caught up with the wrong crowd and I know I didn’t tell you before, but Kit, I needed the money so bad. I had to feed Anya. You remember Anya, my little sister. Dad kept spending our money and—” A sob ripped from him, giving him a chance to breathe after that speed talk that left him winded and shaking.

Kit’s expression softened. In his heart, he’d always be a gentle soul, and I knew for a fact that Leland had been a good friend to him. The best, despite the spying and reporting to Derek.

“I miss you,” Leland said, and this time he didn’t bother to stop the tears. “It fucking sucked not talking to you, dude. And you blocked me.”