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Ugh, stop referring to yourself as a fool.

“Hi, Lux,” he says, not walking in.

“Hi, Ollie. I hope you had a great trip.”

He nods. “I did, thank you. Uh, I wanted to stop by and see you.”

Yet, you’ve been back in town all day…

When I say nothing, he continues, “But I needed to do something first, and now that I’ve done it, I?—”

I put a hand up. “Listen, you don’t have to?—”

He stops me with his hand over mine. “Please, let me finish. You were right about everything you said the other day. That’s why I wanted to formally introduce you to someone.”

He moves back, extends his hand, and opens his car door. I didn’t even notice Ayla was sitting in there.

She comes up to stand by him.

“Lux, I want to introduce you formally to my daughter.”

“Hi, Lux,” Ayla laughs and hugs me.

“Ayla, as I told you, Lux and I?—”

“She’s your girlfriend,” she finishes.

I feel like I’m in a wind tunnel, and everything is happening around me, but I can’t catch up. My breath is stuck in my throat. Is this really happening?

“She’s my girlfriend,” Ollie says, and now I’m really speechless because I don’t know what I could possibly say. This is what I’ve wanted, but I don’t know how to react.

As it turns out, I don’t need to say anything. Ollie hugs me, and I hold onto him because I need a minute, but then I remember she is there, and this is the first time I’m the girlfriend to her dad, so I push away from him.

Ayla’s smile gets wider. “I kinda knew.”

“You did?” I ask.

“Apparently, it was obvi that I like you,” Ollie says.

The smile slides off her face. “Papi, you can’t use that word.”

“Do you guys want to come in?”

He shakes his head. “We don’t want to impose. I know you were not expecting us.”

“I was just prepping to record tomorrow. Maybe I can get Ayla’s take on my review?”

“Yes, and I want to see your studio.”

We go upstairs, and Ayla immediately begins commenting on all the things she likes. I show her my place first, and then we go to the studio. She loves it, and I get her take on the pieces I’m reviewing.

“I’ve been asked to do a clothing haul for Thiccletics’ new spring line.”

“The colors are to gag for,” she whispers, looking at the pieces.

“Aren’t they? I think this fuchsia would look amazing on you.”

She nods. “I really like it. Fuchsia is one of the colors you said would look really good on my skin.”