Page 54 of Dear Glory

“Dad, first off, calm down! What are you even doing here?!” I return the question, arms crossed.

“Glorinda Cross!” he raises a brow and I shrink into myself, knowing I’m not going to get out of answering General Cross.

“General Cross!” I challenge, peeved.

“General, let’s give her some time to speak. Maybe she has a good explanation.” Linus has my back and I’m thankful,but I don’t want him here!I know he’s only doing this to get on the good side of my dad and myself, but I’m not interested.

Though I guess I should at the very least thank him for helping me calm him down and convincing him to send the patrol away, which I knew would have been a huge feat on itsown had Linus not been there.Ugh…but I don’t want to thank him!

“Thank... You… Linus,” I grit out through my teeth before turning in my seat to my dad. “Dad, first off, you are overreacting! I came to France on because I was trying to escape this ridiculous bullshi?—”

“Watch your mouth, young lady!”

“No! You don’t get to tell me that after pulling up at my friends’ home with guns drawn! You have some nerve, Dad! And you!” I poke Linus’s chest hard, making him rub it.

“Ow…”

“Why won’t you stay out of my business?! I’m so sick and tired of being sick and tired of the both of you!” I shout, huffing.

“If you feel that way, you should have answered my pages!”

“You don’t get to blame me for my disappearing when you’re the reason I left America in the first place!” I groan. “And now you’re showing up with the entire damn French Cavalry simply because I missed a few pages and didn’t call! I thought snatching my date up from my apartment and getting my ex to watch me was your worst, but you continue to prove me wrong, General Cross,” I spew, but he ignores me.

“Who is this man to you?” he questions and I curl my lip, disgusted.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but this is Edouard. I’m friends with him and his wife, Astrid,” I answer, not bothering to tell him anything further.

“Glorinda Cross, I can surmise and believe you’ve befriended these… people, Edouard and Astrid… but you’re wearing an outfit that costs less than fifteen dollars altogether, shoes that have no brand name or seem to fit as well as,” he pauses and reaches across the table and pulls my bloody, bandaged hand, looking it over with a frown. “You’re not one to fight unless you have a reason or have been insulted. So I’ll ask again… what isgoing on, Glorinda? This time I want you to explain it without the lies.” He rewraps my hand but he keeps holding it. Of course he knows I’m lying. He’s as amazing as they come… and knows me like the back of his hand.

He’s the best father a girl could ask for. He’s extremely vigilant and perceptive, which has always made it hard to lie to him. In hindsight, I wouldn’t have it any other way since it’s kept me safe. However, in this current situation, it’s the furthest thing I want because how am I going to explain what’s been going on in my life?!I’m not… nope… never… never… EVER!

Even at the age of twenty-five, he’d take me and probably make me join a convent or something. While my father is no prude, nor is he heavily religious, there is no way he’d understand his precious little princess doing the things I’ve been doing.Not that I’d tell him the first place…I take my hand back, sighing, feeling overwhelmed and wishing Sir was here…no!I take that back. I, in fact, do not want Sir here. My dad, Linus and Sir in the same room?I think not.

“Glory, why don’t you go upstairs to shower and change? Take anything you’d like from Wolf’s closet,” Bunny ignores everything my father just said, turning to me and giving me the out I need.

“Yes! I’ll do that!” I leap up from the table and go to leave, but Linus’s hand snakes out and grasps me, keeping me in place, but I shake it off.

“No! You can’t! What if you wash off the evidence?!” Linus speaks out.

“Evidence?!” I mutter and he looks me over with concern. “What evidence?”

“Well… as General Cross stated, from the look of your ruffled appearance, something happened and you won’t tell us what it is. What’s more is we do not know this man and you’re taking orders from him uncharacteristically, so it would be careless ofus to let you go like this,” he glares at Bunny, who curls his lip, but I snatch my hand from Linus and place it on Bunny’s shoulder, squaring my chest.

“First of all you are gravely mistaken,Anus.”

“Hey!” he curls his lip upset but I roll my eyes.

“Anyway, Bunny would never hurt me!”

“Bunny?” my dad’s voice booms and I jump. “That’s it! I don’t need to hear an explanation! You’ve been associating with a man whose nickname is Bunny and he’s as big as Levon Kirkland! He’s big enough to eat you alive and swallow you whole!”Well you’re not wrong about that…“Beyond that, you’re roughed up, your hair is undone, and your hands are bleeding from an altercation.” Dad stands, knocking his chair back, and Linus scrambles to get up too. “Glorinda, we’re leaving! I thought you were mature enough to live away from your family so I left you alone, but clearly I was wrong!” he grunts, taking my hand and dragging me to the door, but Bunny stands and takes my other hand and keeps me in place. “Young man, let go or?—”

“Or what?” Bunny sneers.

“You don’t want to know,” my dad threatens him.

“Are you threatening me in my own home?” Bunny growls, but I step in between them, placing a hand on both of their chests.

“I am,boy. When it comes tomy little girl, I can tell you one thing… it isn’t everjusta threat,” my dad curls his lip and I shake my head.

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