“No, please stay. I like you close,” he whispered sleepily. So I lay back down on his chest and quickly fell asleep.
chapter
ten
“what the hell is going on in here?”
I sat up suddenly, groggy from being pulled out of a deep sleep. I looked over and saw that Clay had opened his eyes, confused. I turned toward my doorway and felt the color drain from my face.
Dad.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. “It’s not what it looks like, Dad,” I tried to explain. My father was furious. I don’t think I had ever seen him this angry, at least not with me.
He held up his hand, shutting me up. “I don’t want to hear it, Maggie. You know the rules.” My dad turned his steely eyes on Clay, who was still trying to wake up.
Thank God he realized that we were in a bit of trouble, so he got off the bed as quickly as he could. He walked over to my dad and put out his hand.
“Hi, Mr. Young.” My father looked at Clay’s hand as if it were a snake and would bite him. He didn’t shake it. I couldn’t believe my dad was being so rude.
“Clay, we have rules in this house. A big one being, No boys are allowed in my daughter’s bedroom when we aren’t at home. And definitely not with the door closed.” My dad pushed the door open as wide as it would go.
Clay dropped his hand to his side and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, sir. Maggie was just showing me her dress for the Formal and we fell asleep. That’s it.” I was proud of how Clay stood his ground with my father. Many a guy would have simply hightailed it out of there. But Clay was being respectful and showing my dad he wasn’t some horny teenage boy there to deflower his daughter.
Although that would be nice, too.
I intercepted my dad’s cold stare. “Dad. Seriously, it’s not like we’re having crazy sex up here or anything. Chill out.” Okay, bad choice of words. Clay turned bright red and looked as if he wanted to fall through the floor.
My dad’s eyes nearly popped out of his head and he stuttered for a few seconds before finally saying, “Well, whatever it was, you know your mom and I don’t allow this. You kids are to stay downstairs when we’re not here. Is that clear?” Clay and I both nodded. “Now, Clay, I think it’s time for you to go.”
My dad turned and went back downstairs, and I was finally able to breathe again. Clay grabbed his book bag off my vanity stool. “Did you have to bring the wordsexinto it? I mean, seriously? I know your dad hates me as it is.” Clay looked as if he wanted to throttle me. I did feel bad for embarrassing him like that.
“Sorry,” I muttered, following him down the hallway.
Once downstairs, Clay respectfully told my father good-bye, and I threw a look of death in my father’s direction after Clay’s back was turned. My dad looked blandly back at me. I accompanied Clay to his car.
After throwing his bag into his car, he turned to face me. “Well, that was a rude awakening, huh?” I was relieved to see his small smile.
“Yeah. About gave me a heart attack,” I joked. Clay chuckled and grabbed my arm, pulling me closer.
“And I was sleeping so well, too,” he said, his voice deepening.
I swallowed thickly. Then I glanced up at the kitchen window and saw my father standing there like a voyeur or something and pulled away.
“Sorry about my dad. He’s just being a little... um... overprotective.”
Clay opened his car door. “I understand where he’s coming from. If you were my daughter I’d want to most definitely protect you from guys like me.” He seemed a little sad as he said that.
I touched his shoulder. “I don’t need protecting from you, Clay,” I said gently.
Clay wouldn’t look at me; instead, he got in his car and started the engine. Not responding to my statement, he simply said, “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” And, with that, he drove off. I was left feeling hollow and empty after feeling so good only an hour before. I could kill my father!
I stomped into the house, slamming the front door. My dad was still in the kitchen, although he had the decency to act like he had been reading a book the whole time and not spying onme.
“What the heck was that about?” I asked him angrily. My dad looked up at me in surprise. He wasn’t used to me getting this sort of an attitude with him.
“Now, just wait a minute. I came home from work to find you in your room, the door closed, sleeping in your bed with a boy—who I don’t know that well, I might add. What about this situation doesn’t warrant the reaction I had?” my father asked reasonably. I hated when he did that—stayed all calm and logical. It made me feel stupid by comparison.
“We’re just friends, Dad. Clay fell asleep and I fell asleep beside him. That’s it. But you totally humiliated me.” I hated the prickle of tears behind my eyes and quickly wiped them away. My dad’s face softened a bit.
