Daddy's Favorite (ManxBoy)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Ace P.O.V.

"Are you sure you don't want me to get Aiden?" Tyson asked for the eighteenth time. Maybe not eighteen, but definitely more than three.

"Tyson...I need to do this alone. Or as alone as possible. You're here because I can't be alone." I winced after hearing myself. "No offense. I mean...I need you here. As a friend." It wasn't as if I didn't want Aiden to be here. I just needed him to be away.

He smiled, holding up his hands. "No offense taken. I'm here."

I rolled my eyes. "How does Nathan deal with you? You're always so nice underneath that steel exterior."

"Well, I find it's easier for me to do my job when I don't look nice. But you're not just a job and neither is Nathan so..." He shrugged. "I don't have to look mean."

"Tyson. I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. I mean, it's not like I would know." I snorted.

He tilted his head sadly. "They'll come back Ace."

I shrugged. "Maybe...maybe not."

"It's okay if you don't want them to. I mean, I get it. There's uncertainty there."

"Why does everyone think I don't want to remember?" I shook my head. "That's not true."

"Okay, you do want to remember. But remembering is just as scary as forgetting. All I'm saying is that I understand."

I closed my eyes for a moment before standing. "Alright, no more messing around. I'm ready."

He rubbed his hands off on his pants. "Okay, I'll play the music."

"I can't believe you remember this."

"It was on blast that whole night. It's kind of hard to forget honestly." His voice dropped to a quieter level and his eyes went dull like he was staring off into space.

"Tyson..." I started.

"No." He straightened up and started his walk to the corner of the room. "I'm playing this music and you're gonna dance."

The hairs on my arms raised. "Tyson what if this doesn't work?"

"Then nothing lost, nothing gained. But we're doing this, that scary personality of yours be damned."

I shook my arms and hands out, physically trying to get the nerves out of my system. "Okay fine." I walked out to the middle of the laminated wooden floor, looking at myself in the mirror. Tyson was watching me expectantly. "Alright, I'm ready."

It's just improv Ace. That's it. Just dance.

The music started and I had no idea what to do. I wasn't connecting with the music. Eventually, I just started doing random things. By the time the music ended, I felt more defeated than ever. "It's not working."

Tyson rolled his eyes. "What the hell have you ever did that worked out perfectly the first time. I'm going to play it again. Just feel the music and go." He clicked play again and that was that.

I made it through the entire song several more times before anything even happened. I almost made it through the whole song for a seventh time before something clicked for me. It wasn't a memory. Well, I guess it kind of was. For like the last eight seconds of the song, my body did what it wanted to do. Like it knew what it wanted to do.

The song ended and my eyes were wide as I stared in the mirror. "Play it again."

Tyson lowered the phone. "What? Are you okay? Did something happen?"