Page 22 of Crushing On Dad's Best Friend
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Liam
“You?”
“Yes. It was me,” I exhale. “NotBrian.”
He looks at me, a confused expression painting hisface.
“You’ve been running around with mydaughter?”
“No.”
A thread of concession runs through him before he stiffens upagain.
“Then somebody better tell me what the hell is goingon.”
“Yes, we’re together. It just happened. I’m sorry you found out like this. We didn’t mean to lie toyou.”
He takes in a deep breath and looks down at the ground beneath us, balling his fists up at hissides.
“What you did is not right,” he says calmly. “She’s barely twenty years old. You’re a grown man. She looks up to you. She’s always loved you. She would do anything for you. You took advantage ofthat.”
“I know how it looks, but you have it allwrong.”
My eyes flash over to Katherine, her arms wrapped over her chest. Her big eyes are slicked with rings of red and tears are rolling down hercheeks.
James turns and walks away. I think I would have rather taken a punch than have him give me the silent treatment like this. My eyes flash to Katherine’s again. As her dad walks past her, he doesn’t look down at her. I know that small action is like a dagger to her heart. Her father is the most important man in her life. Hell, he’s probably the most importantpersonin herlife.
I can read the expression on her face from here. She wipes away the tears rolling down hercheeks.
“I’m sorry,” she says, “this is a hugemess.”
“I know,” I say, going over to her, wrapping her up and kissing her forehead. I run my hands up and down herarms.
“Liam, I don’t know if Ican…”
“It’s okay,” I say, letting out a breath as I hold her. She’s trembling in myarms.
“My dad is not happy. With either of us. He wouldn’t even look atme.”
“I know. Listen, Katherine, I know how much you love your dad. And I know how much he loves you. He’ll come around. Ipromise.”
I can feel her soften in my arms, but still, she starts to pull away. I don’t want to let her go, but I know if I insist she come with me now, back to our perfect little enclave, she will wonder if she jumped in too soon. Too fast. Toomuch.
“I meant what I said earlier, about you being mine. And I know you said you wanted to pretend tonight was all we had. But tonight is only thebeginning.”
For me, it could never be too soon. Too fast. Toomuch.
“I’ll see you in the morning, okay?” shesniffles.
She pulls away and I let her slip through my fingers, watching as she starts up the stairs and into her sister’sarms.
