“Nothing’s going to happen to me.”
“You say that because you’re twenty and full of confidence. You never think anything’s gonna happen to you when you’re young. Your mom didn’t think anything would happen to her either, but it did. And it’s my job to see all sides and make sure I stop the bad shit from touching you.”
“You can’t stop all of it,” I said. “You have to trust that I can look out for myself.”
“So, you looked out for yourself by getting a fake ID and heading to Nocturn for a night of underage drinking with your bestie?” he growled. “And what about Everly? I won’t insult you by telling you you’re banned from her presence, because I know... goddammit, Iknow... you’re the bad influence on her. What if her parents decide they don’t want her hangin’ with you?”
“They won’t do that. They’re cool.”
“Her father’s a religious man, Violet, and if he knew his daughter was out at a club, you better believe he won’t be cool anymore.”
“It’s not like Everly’s virginal, Dad. She’s got her own rebellious streak.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not responsible for her rebellious streak. Just yours. Jesus, you two have been a pain in my ass since kindergarten.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I grumbled, but his smile showed he loved every second of it.
“Come here,” he demanded, and I went there.
The thing about me that most people knew was that I could never resist a hug from my dad. Even though we might butt heads, he was my favorite person on earth, and he’d stepped up in a major way after my mom had died.
“I love you,” he said, squeezing me gently. “You know that, right?”
“Yes,” I conceded. “I love you, too. Even if you’re a dictator.”
“I’m a benevolent one, though, baby girl.”
I leaned back and met his eyes. “You need to find a woman.”
“Got plenty of women.”
“No. You need a woman who’ll bring you to your knees.”
“Plenty of—”
“Nope. Don’t want to hear about my dad’s sex life,” I snapped, pulling away. “Too far, Dad. Way too far.”
He chuckled. “We good?”
“Am I allowed to leave?” I asked hopefully.
“Nope.”
“Then, we’rekindagood, but you’re dead to me for at least two days,” I sassed.
He shrugged. “I can live with that.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Go away. I have to get some sleep so I can study tomorrow. I have a semester final on Monday.”
“Sleep tight, baby girl. Love you.”
“Love you too, Daddy.”
He closed the door and I went through the drawers to see what I had to sleep in.
* * *
Monday morning Oriondrove me to school, dropping me off with a promise to pick me up when I was ready. I headed into class, texting Jasper after I took my seat. I couldn’t help but be impressed by his concern for me the other night, but this still probably wasn’t a good idea. It didn’t stop me, but it still wasn’t a good idea. So much for staying away from him. Maybe I’d luck out and he’d be an accountant by day and a bouncer by night.
