Page 42 of Daddy's Lesson

I was tempted, I really was, but all I had to do was think about Zoe in her silk jammies waiting for me to get back. I shook my head. “I’m good. Zoe doesn’t drink, and I don’t want to over-imbibe.”

All of my friends stared at me speechlessly. “Lennon, bruh…” Theo managed to get out.

Bas narrowed his eyes. “Are you going all in with a teetotaler?”

Nyla shook her head. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

Bain looked at me sideways. “Listen, Lennon, I mean, god knows you can cut back on the partying; we aren’t in college anymore, but…” He trailed off and never finished his thought.

Archer had a look on his face I couldn’t quite place as he grabbed both the glass and the bottle and stomped back to the bar. When he came back, he simply said, “I hope she's worth it.”

And I couldn’t understand the anger that rose in my chest, but there it was. Bubbling with all the thoughts I’d managed to bite back for so many years, letting my friends fold me into the box that suited their needs.

“You know what?” I burst out. “Fuck you guys.”

“Whoa, whoa, what the hell, man?” Bas was the first to jump up. “Relax, we were just having a little fun.”

“Right,” I grunted, thoroughly annoyed. “You're always just having a little fun. Usually at my expense. You guys all want to paint me with this party-boy brush, the same one you’ve been using for the past decade, but it’s kind of funny how you’ve all been allowed to grow and change, yet you seem to think I’m incapable of doing the same. And even when I do, you don’t see it. Or worse, you can’t accept it. You want me to spend the rest of my life being some drunk loser party boy so you can all feel better about yourselves. Well, newsflash; I haven't been that person in a long time. I just play the role for you all because that’s how you want to see me.”

Once I started going, I couldn’t seem to stop, apparently, and when I stood and looked out at my group of friends, seven horrified faces stared back at me.

“Forget it,” I scoffed. “I'm out of here.”

As soon as I turned Archer grabbed my arm. “Hey bro, come on, sit down. Let’s talk.”

“Talk amongst yourselves,” I growled, aware that play had stopped throughout the club and there were a hundred eyes following my trek to the front door.

I didn’t care. And I knew my friends and I would make up eventually. Like the song, I just wanted to be mad for a while.

ZOE

I’d given Lennon a key to use because I figured I’d be asleep by the time he got home. Instead, he strolled in barely after nine while I was sitting on the couch with a cup of tea, a small plate of chocolates, and a Golden Girls rerun.

“Hey!” I cried, jumping up when he entered. “You’re back much earlier than I expected. Is everything okay?”

He didn’t answer, and strolled past me to the bathroom.

Taken aback, I stared after him doing the slow blink. A nasty feeling settled in my gut. I didn’t like his lack of answers or the way he’d ignored me when he came in. It reminded me of my ex, and that just wouldn’t do. With a huff, I jumped up and followed him down the hallway to tell him that, but when I reached my room, the bathroom door was locked, and I could hear the shower running.

I could have picked the lock with a coin and joined him, or pushed the matter, but something told me to give him the space. So, even though it was torture, with my mind imagining a million different things that could have gone wrong to prompt such behavior, I sat on the bed and waited.

When he came out twenty minutes later, the smell of mint and cedar clung to him, and droplets of moisture pooled on the still-damp muscles of his chest. He had one fluffy towel wrapped around his waist and was using another to dry his shoulder-length hair.

“Hey,” he said, giving me a wry half smile.

“Hi, yourself. You kind of scared me coming in early like that and ignoring my question. Is everything okay?”

He stared at me blankly and cocked his head, as if he was trying to decide how to answer. Finally, he sighed. “No, not really. But it will be, and I don’t really want to talk about it.”

His non-answer gave me anxiety, but I knew that was more my issue than his, so I just nodded, and tried to wordlessly convey that I was here, willing to listen if he changed his mind.

He didn’t say anything, though. Instead, he finished drying his hair, dug in his suitcase, and turned around to dress in a pair of worn sweats, giving me a perfect view of a tanned and dimpled ass and a lean waist. I almost drooled. Any other time, I would have come up behind him and pressed my body against his, but tonight I could tell he wasn’t in the mood.

When he turned around he was wearing a smile, and took my hand as he knelt on the bed next to me, pulling me into his arms.

“Tonight didn’t go as planned and I’m going to have to deal with it eventually, but tonight I just want to hold you in my arms and sleep. Is that okay?”

“More than okay, Daddy,” I whispered, the pain in my chest subsiding. Whatever had been wrong with him when he walked in the door seemed to be better—or at least mostly better now as he pulled back the covers, climbed into bed, and tucked my body against his.

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