My dad’s voice drops, quiet and dangerous. “Let me get this straight. You’ve been dating behind my back. You’re in love. And now you live together?”
“Yes,” I say, lifting my chin.
His eyes narrow even further. “So what you’re telling me is… this is serious?”
I nod quickly. “Yes, Dad.”
Jake clears his throat.
I feel him shift beside me, like he’s fighting the impulse to correct me and tell the truth.
Or to pull me behind him and take the hit himself.
My heart pounds.
Please don’t.
Please.
Jake doesn’t speak.
He just stands there, jaw tight, eyes unreadable.
My father turns his attention to Jake like a spotlight snapping into place.
“Is that true?” my dad asks.
His tone is deceptively calm now, which is a terrifying development. Calm means he’s collecting information. Calm means he’s deciding where to strike.
Jake pauses.
And in that pause I feel my entire world wobble.
If he says no, I’m dead.
If he says yes, we’re trapped.
Jake’s gaze flicks to me.
I finally look at him.
His eyes are intense, hard and warm at the same time, like he’s furious at the situation but not at me. Like he understands why I did it even if he hates the risk.
Then he looks back at my dad.
“Yes,” Jake says.
One word.
Solid.
My knees almost go weak with relief.
My father’s jaw tightens. He inhales slowly through his nose, like he’s trying to scent the lie in the air.
Then he steps closer to Jake.
“Serious,” he says. Not quite a question. More a test. “This is serious between you two? You love my daughter?”
