Page 94

It was definitely more than friendship now.

Her giving me control and letting me explore her body had meant a lot to me because I knew she didn’t do that for anyone else. I was pretty sure she never made a habit of letting the other person top her either.

I parked in the driveway behind Mom and Dad’s cars, locking the Supra and making my way inside the house. They were sitting at the kitchen table, Tempest nowhere to be seen, and Dad instantly got to his feet with a sharp tone in his voice. “What did that fucker do to you? I’ll kill him.”

“Good morning,” I said dryly. “It’s lovely to see you too.”

“Good morning,” he said tightly, trying to calm himself. “Seriously, what happened? Lex said he was being an asshole and you’d just had enough.”

I nodded, hoping he didn’t want details. He’d strangle him for talking about Mom.

“He was showing off in front of his friends, and when I called him out on it, he acted like a prick. It’s fine, people break up all the time. That doesn’t mean you have to kill them all.”

“When it comes to you and Tempest? Yes. I will kill them all,” he muttered, glancing out the window with a frown. “Where’s Riley?”

“Oh. She lent me the Supra today. She didn’t think you’d appreciate her joining us because she won’t bite her tongue around Stan,” I answered, a scoff leaving him.

“She can taunt him all she likes. If he was a prick to you, he deserves her pissing him off.”

I cringed, combing my hair with my fingers absently before deciding to tell him about Riley. It was obvious Mom hadn’t told him anything or he would’ve exploded by now.

“Uh, Dad? I need to tell you something, and I don’t want you to get mad.”

Mom sipped her coffee, trying to hide her smirk behind the cup, and Dad narrowed his eyes.

“Why’s your mother finding this funny? Why does she already know what you’re about to say?”

“I’m seeing Riley. Like, we’re not dating, but we’re figuring some stuff out,” I said more confidently, glancing at Mom for support. She was smiling, her voice full of warmth.

“That’s wonderful, babe. Right, Arch? Isn’t it lovely that your daughter’s seeing someone who respects her?”

Dad seemed to go through a million emotions before raising an eyebrow. “Respect? Does that mean she’s agreed to take it slow and keep her hands to herself until she marries you?”

My face heated, and Mom laughed. “This isn’t the fifties. A healthy sex life can be…”

“I don’t want to know,” Dad grumbled, but a sigh left him. “Is this what you really want? You broke it off with Stan last night, and you’re already moving on. That’s a little fast, right? I’m worried this is a rebound kind of thing, and you’ll ruin your friendship. Can you hold off on the touching stuff until you’re sure?”

I snorted, not being able to help myself. “I had more sex last night than I’ve had in my entire life.”

“Forget I said anything,” Dad groaned, grabbing his keys. “We’ll talk about this more later, and I’ll try not to strangle Riley when I see her. See? I can be supportive like your mother.”

“Proud of you,” Mom teased, grabbing the front of his Reaper’s jacket to tug him down for a quick kiss. “Remember, they’re twenty.”

“Stop reminding me,” he mumbled, kissing her back before walking towards the door. “Let’s go while I’m still feeling calm. I’d hate to take my mood out on Stanley.”

Mom gave me a wink, and I followed Dad outside towards the cars. He motioned to the Supra, defeat in his tone. “I shouldn’t be letting you drive today, but I can’t punish you forever. You drive.”

“I really am sorry.” I winced as we reached the car and I unlocked it, his eyes meeting mine over the roof.

“I know.”

We drove in silence for most of the way to Stanley’s, but he eventually spoke, his voice flat. “So, you’re into girls?”

“Why do you say that like it leaves a bad taste in your mouth?” I asked softly, peering over at him to find him already watching me. “Am I not allowed to?”

“Fuck, I’m doing this wrong. I’m just confused because you’ve never shown interest in them before. Your mom made it very obvious that she liked them, so this is new to me. You can like whoever you want. Whether it’s got tits or dicks, I still don’t like them touching you.”

I chuckled, going back to watching the road properly. “Well, no. I don’t like girls. I’m still trying to figure it out myself. I just like Riley.”