“I think it’s very necessary,” Dad said in his dad voice.
That particular tone had always let me know when a situation wasn’t up for discussion.
Unfortunately, the threat of punishment no longer worked on me. I wasn’t afraid of a grounding or missing dessert. Dad and Jenna couldn’t afford for me to be nice about this.
“I promise you, it’s nothing,” I assured him. “This is a possible side effect of the medicine I’m on. An unexpected one with how well I’ve been doing until now.”
Wow. This time I almost believed that. My ability to tell lies had evolved a long way from my teen years.
Too bad Dad didn’t look convinced. Jenna, either.
The stubbornness I saw in their faces made it clear they weren’t going to let this go.
In their place, I wouldn’t either. I would have fought to ensure they got the necessary care for whatever mysterious illness they had—whether they shared the name of the illness or not.
I was going to have to be mean to get them to back off. It would probably undo all the work I’d done until now.
And yet I was going to do it to save them from something worse down the line.
Connor set his fork down and patted his lips with the napkin. “You do not need to worry. I will call our personal physician to attend to her when we reach home. He is familiar with her situation and will know what steps need to be taken.”
My dad’s expression loosened. He knew me too well and had been braced for a fight.
That made me hate myself. Just a little.
Dad had always been my safe harbor. My mom and I always clashed, but he’d been my rock.
I wish I was the daughter he deserved. Not this person filled with secrets. Not someone he had to protect himself from.
Connor rose, bowing his head to my father in respect. “I regret that this means we will need to take our leave.”
Next to him, I felt like a lumbering monster as I fought my way out of the booth.
I made sure to take the bloody napkins with me. After what just happened, I didn’t want to chance any piece of me falling into the wrong hands.
Blood was an important ingredient in some spells. It was an easy way to get cursed.
Now that I was thinking about it, many of my enemies were witches. Or at least versed in spell work. I’d have to check to see if there had ever been an opportunity for someone to obtain a sample of my blood.
My dad returned Connor’s bow with a nod before heading toward the waitress to ask for the check.
Connor’s expression turned morose.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Connor was the master of the micro expression. A beautiful work of art that was impossible to know the heart of unless he told you. It took a lot to make him show anything on that face of his.
“I had hoped to pay.” Connor’s frown held a touch of pouting. “From what I read, paying is a way to leave a good impression on prospective fathers.”
“I’m pretty sure you understood that wrong,” I said, fighting a smirk. Connor clearly didn’t understand the difference between a father vs a prospective father-in-law.
“Are you sure?”
I nodded and patted his shoulder. “Yup.”
“Let Dad pay,” Jenna interjected. “It’s his way of welcoming you to the family now that you’re Aileen’s brother and all.”
I was the only one who caught Jenna’s sarcasm. It went right over Connor’s head as he nodded, accepting her words at face value.
