“Because I see the way you look at him. I have eyes. I also know you’re my daughter and you’re as stubborn as I am when your mind is made up. So, I’m inclined to believe this person.”
“Who? Who told you that? Because they are wrong,” I lie again.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not just your dad, Lennon. I’m your boss. He’s the competition and he’s sabotaging you. He doesn’t love you. You’re done with him. Am I clear?”
I shift out of Dash’s lap, angry and stunned before getting out of his truck to continue this call privately while leaving Dash in the truck to get dressed. He knows this night is over. Luckily, after we left the bowling alley, we took a drive down a country back road and we’re parked at the back of one of hisfriends’ properties without a soul in sight because although I’m back in my jeans and bra, I’m sans shirt.
“I’ll prove to you I’m not with him right now,” I tell him.
“And how are you planning to do that, Lennon Shay Tyler?” he asks using my full name. He’s so pissed because he told me to end things with Dash a long time ago and I’ve fought against him until recently. I thought it’d be easy to make him believe I’d listened. We’d just sneak around until we could talk some sense into him…and Dash’s team.
“I’ll come to your house right now and show you I’m not even wearing a black shirt, it’s white. The joke’s on you and your secret investigator or informant or whatever the hell they are,” I rush out.
“You have thirty minutes to get here. Anywhere you could be with London in town or in this county will take that long.”
“You’re wrong,” I say. He does love me, I think to myself.
“We’ll see,” he says before hanging up on me.
Dash is already zipping his jeans and pulling his shirt over his head when I open the truck door again. I dial London. When she answers, I curse. My shirt got hung on the gear shifter and I ripped the sleeve. This is one of my favorite shirts too.
“I need you to meet us in fifteen minutes. We’ve got a date at Dad’s. Someone snitched on me, and he wants to see me and you together with his own eyes,” I explain as I throw the shirt over my head despite the new rip.
“It’s not like we’re grown women in our thirties or anything. On my way,” she says. I overhear her tell Hendrix she’s gotta go followed by the sound of a kiss.
“Don’t worry, Lennon. It’ll be okay. We’ll get there,” London assures me.
I feel a sinking feeling in my chest like nothing is okay. Like something about this time is different.
When London pulls up to Dash’s truck, she waves at him from the car, and I blow him a kiss before jumping out without another word to him. Then, I hop in the passenger side of my Hellcat as London shifts into gear seamlessly, leaving Dash behind.
“You’ve gotten good at driving a stick,” I say with a smile, proud of her.
“Because I had the best teacher,” she says and glances at me with a wink.
She tells me how much Hendrix liked the new recipe she tried out. I smile at her. I’m so happy she’s happy. And little does she know, but her boyfriend will be getting down on one knee any time now. He’s just waiting for the perfect moment.
When we’re about five minutes out, I remember my stupid shirt and pull it over my head.
London stops at a red light and looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“I need your shirt. Quick, while we’re stopped,” I say while holding my hand out.
She pulls hers over her head and gives it to me with a quizzical raise of her brow.
“Dad was told I was wearing a black shirt with Dash. He can’t think anything he was told is true. Not even down to my shirt,” I say.
She smiles at me sympathetically before slipping my shirt over her head right before the light turns green.
After we’re moving again, she abandons the gear shifter for my hand and gives my fingers a squeeze.
“We’re like scary good at this, Lennon,” she says.
We both burst out laughing because…of course we are. We’ve had a lot of practice covering for one another or just stepping into each other’s shoes for fun. We are truly identical, so much so, even our parents can have a hard time telling usapart, much less anyone else. Not that we’ve done anything really bad with the ability to transform into one another.
“Yeah, we are. I don’t know what I’d do without you, London. I love him and I couldn’t keep seeing him if you weren’t willing to help me.”
“That’s what sisters are for, Lennon. I’d do anything for you. And Daddy will come around…eventually. He thinks he’s protecting you by trying to keep you away from Dash.”
