To Amber’s surprise, Duncan grinned. “Understood.”
He didn’t want anything. He’d asked for nothing. He just wanted to see her.
Amber wasn’t sure if her heart could take any more of this emotional battering. She felt bruised and exhausted and yet, somehow…good.
She was never going to have her family back the way it was. She’d long ago accepted that. But maybe she and her mom could have more of a relationship than Amber constantly bailing her out and resenting it. As for her dad…maybe there was hope for them too, if he was really going to try to turn his life around.
“You can move to Chicago if you want,” she said quietly.
“You trust that I won’t get in trouble again and mess up your life?”
She bit her lip and cautiously met his eyes. “No,” she said honestly and she saw him jerk in reaction. But he held her gaze. “I can’t say I totally trust you yet. You’ll need to earn that back.”
“I get it.” He gave a short nod. “I plan to try.”
Air burned in her lungs as she inhaled, her chest so full of emotion. Duncan’s hand landed on her thigh and squeezed. For a moment, overcome, she leaned into him, turning her face into his shoulder, and he slid his arm around her waist. He pressed his lips to her temple. “It’s okay, baby. It’s all good. Right here with you.”
She nodded, unable to speak, her throat clogged. When she could finally speak, she whispered, “Thank you.”
She didn’t need anyone. She’d proved she could pick herself up and look after herself. She didn’t need her mom or her dad, or a man. But she was so, so glad that she had them. Maybe her mom wouldn’t figure things out. Maybe she’d go through some tough times still and Amber would have to figure out how to help her. Maybe Dad would slip back into addiction and crime, or maybe he’d learned his hard lessons. And maybe she and Duncan would fight over money or how they were going to spend their summers or all the other things they could fight about, but if they loved each other they’d get through it. And that was what it was really all about…love.