“I… I think so.”
I snap my head to the side. “You think so?” Fuck, the things I want to do to her. “Did he even lick your pussy?”
“No, he said it’s gross, but he was happy for me to suck his dick.”
What sort of selfish kid have I raised? “There’s nothing gross about you, Sera.” I grit my teeth to stop myself from blowing my load, her hand still absently stroking me, driving me fucking crazy. But something niggles at the back of my head. I’m old enough to be her dad. She should be with someone her own age. I have to stop this.
“Damn it.” I jerk the truck to the curb outside her bungalow and slam it into park.
Her hand grips me tighter.
“Enough.” My voice comes out sharp, rougher than I mean it to. I grab her wrist, not hard, but firm enough to stop her.
Her eyes flash up to mine, wide and glassy in the glow from the dashboard.
“You think this is a game?” I bite out. “You think I carried you out of there just so you could wind me up again?”
“I thought…” Her eyes lock onto mine, full of hope, sadness and confusion, and I fucking hate it. “I thought you carried me out of there because you wanted me. You kissed me.”
“That was a mistake.” I reach for her face, but she turns away from my touch. “Sera, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have touched you.”
“Then why do you look at me like that?” Her brown eyes glaze over. “Like you’d burn down the world to keep me safe, but you don’t want to touch me.”
“Because I would burn down the world to keep you safe.” I drag a hand over my face. “But I’m not dragging you into the ashes with me.”
“So you carried me out of the bar because you couldn’t stand seeing someone else touch me.” Her chin lifts, defiant. “Even though you don’t want me for yourself.” Her words cut straight through me. “Like father, like son.”
I flinch. “That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?” she whispers. “You both pretend to care, but don’t want to date me. Are you embarrassed by me as well?”
“Embarrassed?”
“We all know that’s why Mason ended it with me. You only have to go through his Instagram reels to know. Did you know he even deleted all our history? He didn’t want to be seen with the fat emo girl by all his new college friends.”
“Sera, I?—”
“Don’t worry, Chief. I won’t embarrass you around town. We’ll just pretend nothing happened. I’m good at that after Halloween night, remember?” She climbs out of the truck before I can reply.
I open the door, desperate for air. “Sera, let’s talk about this.”
She turns around halfway across her lawn, with that stubborn tilt of her chin, heartbreak sitting heavy in her eyes. “I thought you were more of a man than he was.”
I’m stepping out of the truck when her words stab me in the chest. “I am. That’s why I’m doing this.” But why does it have to hurt so fucking much?
“Whatevs, Pops.” She flips me the bird as she reaches her door, and I’ve every mind to stomp over there and spank her bratty ass, but she’d probably take that as proof I want her, and she wouldn’t be wrong.
I want her with every fibre in my body.
But it’s wrong.
I’m sick. Stupid. Scared.
Still, at least I’ll still be able to look at myself in the mirror tomorrow. Barely. Even if all I see staring back is the miserable bastard who let her walk away.
She shouts over her shoulder, “Go to hell.” Then disappears inside, the door slamming like a gunshot, making me jump.
I lean against the truck, chest heaving, her scent still clinging to my skin. The street’s silent except for the rustle of leaves and my pulse thundering in my ears.
