He looked back down at his wires. "Nah, Bit. You just sit tight."

"Really? Nothing?"

He winced. "Well, maybe something?"

I leaned forward, eager for the distraction. "What's that?"

"Annie wants us to write our own vows and shit." He winced again when he cursed but I waved him on. "I ain't so good with words. You are. You're real good at writing that flowery shit. I was hoping you'd help me write my vows."

"Oh, Dad!" I couldn't help it, I squealed.

"My God, you chicks really are all alike, aren't you?" But he grinned proudly and tucked a wayward strand of hair away from my face.

"We can start that now. Where's a piece of paper?"

"Really? Now?" My dad looked down at his wires wistfully. "I've got time, don't I?"

"Lyle Charles Nesbit, you are not writing your wedding vows the night before you walk down the aisle. You asked for my help, and that is my one condition."

"You really sound like your mother, you know that?" He looked down, sadness overshadowing the gruffness.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should. She was a hell of a woman. I was a shit husband to her, but it wasn't her fault."

My heart skipped a beat. My eyes filled with tears and I looked quickly down at the scrap of paper he had slid in front of me. "There's always room for second chances, Dad." I told him. The words seemed to echo in my head even after I said them, hanging there like the last ringing chord of a sad, sorrowful ballad.

"Do you really believe that?" Dad asked me.

I covered his hand. "I do."

"Me too," Jax piped up from the doorway.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Jax

Bit jumped a mile and the tips of her ears turned red. Caught you, I thought to myself. No door to hide behind this time, Bit.

"How long have you been standing there?" she faltered.

"Long enough to hear the old man needs some help." I yanked a chair away from the table and slung my leg over it. "I'm hurt, you know, that you didn't ask me."

"Yeah? Didn't think you'd be interested." Nails peered out at me from under those bushy-ass eyebrows. The stylist the label hired for my band would have a heart attack over those caterpillars.

I leaned back in my chair. Lily was staring at me with murder in her eyes and truth be told, I was aching for a fight myself. We're gonna talk about the beach, what the hell happened. One way or another, Lil Bit. This way is just going to be more fun. "That's my mom you're marrying, you old fucker. She's batshit insane, but I still want you to treat her right."

Nails leaned back in conscious imitation of my pose. "Don't I already?"

I had to concede that point. "In your own way, old man."

Did Nails Nesbit just look at me… fondly? I darted a look at Lily and I could see she saw it too. I nodded in her direction. "Hey Bit, wake up, we're brainstorming here. How about this one, Nails? Why don't you say something about how you'll always tuck her in if she's had too much to drink?"

Lily gaped at me. "Did you hear that, Bit?" I pressed her. "'I'll always tuck you in when you have too much to drink.' Write that down."

Some of the fire came back into her eyes. Oh that got to you, huh? I've got a few more. I leaned forward, ready.

She adjusted herself primly in her chair and scribbled something down on the notepad. "Okay, I got it. Now Dad, how about this? You should also say something about always being faithful. In fact, that’s probably the most important vow you can make when you love someone. You should put that first. Makes sense, right?"

I broke in before Nails could answer. "You could talk about never being afraid to say you're sorry."

"And you'll always come to her first with problems and not go sharing them with the press," Lily shot back.

"Why the fuck would I even do that?" Nails grumbled.

I stared at Lily. Her breath was coming shorter now and I knew she barely noticed her father was in the room anymore. I knew I didn't give a shit what he was hearing. "You might want to mention how you have her name tattooed over your heart."

Lily looked horrified but Nails just looked confused. "I do?"

I didn't look at him. I was too busy watching Lily. "It's a metaphor," I handwaved.

"Maybe I'll do that for real," Nails mused.

"Yeah, you totally should. Chicks usually go for those kind of demonstrations of your love." I paused deliberately. "I guess it does depend on the chick, though."

"You sound like you're talking from experience," Nails drawled.

"Who, me?" I leaned back again. "Nah. My tattoos are just pictures. They don't mean anything to me." Blatant fucking lie, but I guess I'm going full asshole here. It's what she expects.

Lily made a small, hurt sound and I instantly wanted to take it back. "Dad, you know, you should also maybe talk about humility."

"What?" Nails was confused. I wasn't.

"About how being in love is a two-way street and sometimes you have to let go of your own ego?"

He sighed and let his shoulder sag. "Okay, sure, write it down."

Low blow, Lily. "Write this down too, Liliana. 'I solemnly vow that I will always listen to the words you're saying and not jump to my own half-assed conclusions.' "

"Got it," Lily sneered. "I'm also putting down that you vow to never publicly humiliate her."

"Well, maybe not that," Nails grumbled. "I'm always fucking up in public."

"You'll do your best," she gritted, staring right at me.

"Sure." Nails leaned over to look at the piece of paper with Lily's scrawl all over it. "Gotta say, these are some weird fucking vows, kids."

Lily slammed her hand down on the table. "It's a start. I'll go type them up for you and we can play around with them over the next few days."

"I'll help with that too," I said, rising to my feet.

"No, I got it," she said tightly, snatching the paper away.

But my arms were longer. "I insist." I yanked it out of her hands.

"Listening to you two is giving me a headache," Nails complained. "Go do that writing shit and leave my dumb old brain to these circuits."

Lily shot from the room like a rocket. "Hey, Lil, aren't you forgetting something?" I waved the piece of paper. She bolted toward me and grabbed it from my hand, snatching so hard she left a little corner piece pinched between my fingers. I was laughing, but it wasn't a good laugh. It was the tight, tense laugh of someone verging on hysterics. She bolted from me again, tearing up the stairs toward her room, but I could take one step for every three of hers and I covered the ground between us in no time. I grabbed her arm, wheeling her around in the precise place I had kissed her three days prior. It felt like a lifetime ago.

"You want to stop hiding from me and tell me what the fuck happened at the beach?" I growled at her, heart hammering in my chest.

She looked at me, panicked. For a moment, I thought I had her. Her mouth opened and closed as all the emotions in the world battled for control of her face. My grip softened. "Lily," I pleaded.

Then she shook herself and the open book of her face slammed shut. "Nope," she said. She ducked under my arm and ran to her room. And slammed the door in my face.