He stares at me for a moment. His eyes swim with accusations and questions. I hold my breath as I wait for which he decides to go with.
My stomach drops when he decides. “Does my dad know about me?”
Swallowing hard, I look my baby boy, who hasn’t been a baby in a long time, right in the eyes. Time for the truth. But not all of it. “No, Tyler. He doesn’t know.”
Heaven
Ten Years Ago
When We Were Young
“Order up. Table four,” Arnold calls out, sliding two plates in my direction.
I grab the plates of burgers and fries to take to the adorable couple sitting in the booth near the door. They’re probably in their seventies and still look completely in love. It’s so sweet the way they smile at each other and hold hands across the table. I want that when I grow up.
“Here you go.” I smile widely. “One veggie burger with mayo and one cheeseburger with everything.”
“Thank you, dear,” the lady tells me sweetly. “I love your hair by the way. It makes you look like a little fairy.”
I feel myself flush at her compliment. It’s not every day that an adult actually compliments my lavender hair. It was the first thing I changed when I came to the city. Then I cut it up to my chin. My parents have no idea. They also don’t know about my new piercings or the tattoos I let Heidi give me.
“Thank you, ma’am,” I tell the lady, still blushing hard.
After another few seconds of polite customer service, I make my way to the booth in the back. Four guys that walked past me with low whistles sit there, talking among themselves. I try to pretend they’re just normal guys, but the entire diner can see they’re not. Even in New York, four guys that hot are not common in one location. Especially not Arnold’s Diner. Although, I suppose it makes sense they would travel in packs. Beautiful people attract beautiful people, right?
When I reach their table,I have to force myself not to gasp. From across the room, they’re hot. Up close and personal, they can’t possibly be real. I restrain myself from reaching out to touch them. Men like this should not exist in real life, and they are all so different. Brown, highlighted hair, curly hair. Blue eyes, brighter blue eyes, bluish-green eyes, hazel eyes. Dear Lord, it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet.
“Hi guys,” I say brightly, working to keep the nerves that these guys invoke at bay. I can feel the sweat starting to bead on my neck. I’ve never been shy or anything, but these guys are – different. I can already see it. “What can I get for you?”
“How about your number?” the one with hazel eyes asks with a sexy as hell accent and eyebrows arched in a mischievous manner.
Brighter blue eyes chuckles,and I feel the pink staining my cheeks. I hate that I blush so easily, and I hate even more that my fair skin hides nothing.
“Can we get our food before you start hitting on the waitress, Ryder?” the blond one who looks a few years older than the rest says with a grin. “She kind of looks like jailbait anyway.”
Hazel eyes - Ryder - looks me up and down with a smirk. “You’re not jailbait are you, love?” His accent makes me want to clench my thighs.
I don’t even know how my voice comes out clear and steady. I give myself a mental pat on the back at the accomplishment. “I’ll be eighteen in January,” I shrug.
“So, seventeen. That’s legal, right, Madsy?”
“Age of consent is seventeen in New York and Louisiana. I’m covered in two states,” his friend says, showing a row of perfectly white, perfectly straight teeth. He has an accent too. I’m guessing since he mentioned Louisiana, that’s where it’s from, though not as thick as I would assume. His voice glides over my skin like the smoothest silk causing goosebumps to erupt everywhere.
“You two are such assholes,” the curly-haired one says with a laugh. “I’m Jake,” he extends his hand for me to shake. I take it with a smile, my eyes lingering on his full, pouty mouth. “This is Dane,” he gestures to the blond next to him who smiles widely. Then he nods across the table. “That’s Ryder and Maddox.”
Maddox winks at me with a grin, but Ryder looks at me like I’m a steak, giving me another round of pebbled flesh. I’ve had plenty of guys hit on me. Lots ask me out. I’ve never had one look at me like he does.
“All right then,” I say with a slight rasp to my voice, my nerves starting to show. I clear my throat like maybe I have an itch, hoping they buy it. Judging by the smirks around the table, they don’t. “Now that introductions are out of the way, what can I get you guys?”
“I still want your name and number,” Ryder tells me again, showing his persistence.
I laugh. “My name is Heaven, but I can’t giveyoumy number. I’ll lose my job if Arnold finds out.”
“Heaven? That’s an interesting name,” Maddox tells me.
I shrug, but it doesn’t stop yet another flush from rising. “It was supposed to be Haven. A screw-up in the record's office got me named Heaven, and mom and dad decided they liked it.”
“You look like Heaven to me,” Ryder says with a lascivious glance over my body.
