Page 40 of Dash

I smile at her concern. “Never been better,” I say wrapping my arm around her and pulling her into my side.

“What all did my father have to say to you?”

I lean over and kiss her hair. “Don’t worry about it, baby. He knows about us and I’m still on the team. I told you. No worries.” She sighs heavily. “What were you gonna talk to him about school?”

“I had a test the morning after I climbed your tree and jumped your fence. I found out today that I failed it. My dad’s gonna kill me.”

I chuckle. “Were you that wrapped up in me that you couldn’t concentrate?” I ask trying not to laugh.

“Shut up,” she snaps, and it makes me laugh harder.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s not funny.” I smile.

“No, I’m sorry,” she sighs. “I’m just losing my mind.” She pulls away from me and rolls over giving me her back. “So much has happened so quickly,” she whispers.

I snuggle up against her back. “It’s all gonna be okay.” I kiss her bare shoulder. “What did your teacher say about your test?”

“The bastard is letting me take it again next Saturday.”

“What a nice bastard,” I observe, and she gives a little laugh. “I’ll help you study for it. It’ll be great.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

TABATHA

“I passed,” I exclaim, running into my father’s office with my test in my hand.

I don’t get the congratulations party that I quite expected. My father sits behind his desk dressed in his dark blue suit that cost more than some people pay for their cars. Stacks of paperwork sit in front of him. Dash has his palms on the desk as he leans to look it over as well. I take a moment to admire the sliver of his lower back exposing some of the nail marks that I left on him from the quickie we had this morning before I went to school.

Dash and I haven’t left my father’s house this past week. Well, I go to school and his body is almost back to normal so he goes up to the track. He and my father are trying to get his new bike ready. Something is going on with what happened, but neither one is telling me shit. But at least Daddy is letting us stay here. Together. Every morning, we get up and walk down to the kitchen for Dash to have some coffee and for me to eat breakfast before school. My father just sits at the head of his table and stares at us. Like maybe he thinks it was a mistake to allow us both to stay here to be together. But he wants us to keep our relationship a secret from the world, therefore, we gotta keep it under wraps. And that wouldn’t happen if we were at either of our own houses.

“Sweet pea?” my father says, getting my attention. Dash stands from the desk and turns to face me.

“Hey, baby,” he says and then walks over to me. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in for a long, slow kiss.

My father clears his throat, and I chuckle as I pull away.

“You can at least pretend to be discreet around me,” my father says eyeing Dash.

“Sorry, sir,” he responds with a head nod.

I hold up my test. “I passed,” I say once again.

“That’s great.” Dash takes it from me. He reads it over and then looks at me wide-eyed. “You did more than passed, you aced it.”

I give him a big smile. “That I did.”

My father stands from his desk. “We should go out to celebrate.” He smiles.

“Daddy. It was just one little test. That I had to take twice,” I remind him.

“Nonsense.” He waves me off. “We are going to dinner. I feel like you guys haven’t been out of this house except for school and work all week.” He sighs. “I remember when your mother and I were like that.”

“Eeeeww, Dad,” I say scrunching my face with disgust. I do not want to hear about my parents back when they were young. “Speaking of mother. Will she be joining us?”

“No. She has a meeting this evening.”

I nod with a smile to hide my disappointment. She’s always working. “Go ahead and get ready. We should be done in about thirty minutes,” he states before he sits back down.

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