Page 23 of DILF

“Thank fuck you feel that way. I missed you too. And—” he begins but steps away, looking over my shoulder. “Well, I hope you drive safely.”

My brows furrow, and I look behind me to see Charlotte pulling into her driveway. My eyes widen a bit, and then I school my expression.

“I wanted to make sure I caught you before you left!” Charlie yells from her driveway.

I step around Linc. “I was about to leave. Your dad was just helping me with the lock box.”

“Oh, okay,” she says. Something crosses her face, but it’s gone before I have a chance to ask. Suddenly, I’m a nervous wreck. Does she know? Can she sense the tension between her dad and me?

“You’re going to come visit, right? You can always stay here. Whenever you want. Right, Daddy?” she asks, as Linc is making his way back to his yard.

“Yeah, sure,” he says without looking back at me.

“And you?” I ask Charlotte, also walking towards her. “You’re good?” I leave the question vague because I don’t want her to give up too many details about her weekend with Randy in front of her dad.

“I’m good. Great, actually. Don’t think I’ll make it to that college thing next weekend. Randy wouldn’t really like me going without him.”

“And you have to do everything this kid says? You have to ask permission now?” Linc huffs.

“He’s my boyfriend, Daddy. I can’t just go to a sorority party.”

“Sure you can. You’re eighteen years old. You have to go out and date around, you’re not married to this guy. You’re too young, Charlotte.”

“Are you seriously advocating me going to a party full of guys?”

Linc gives me a quick look, and I can see his jaw tick. “No. That’s not what—I mean, I just don’t think you should be tied down, is all.” He turns to me. “And you? You’re going to this thing—this party? Is it a sex thing? Drunk, horny guys?”

With my eyes wide in disbelief I sputter, “It is not a sex thing. It’s a party. I live in the sorority house. Kinda have to go. And they don’t allow alcohol, by the way.”

“They may not allow it, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be brought in or that the guys come inside, already drunk. Your parents know about this?”

“My parents?” Oh, so this is how we’re going to play this? “Yeah, they know. They’re cool with my decisions because I’m responsible and they also know it’s really none of their business. They trust me, I’m a big girl.”

“They probably don’t know exactly what you’re up to.”

“No. They probably don’t know exactly what I’m up to.” I glare at him.

He glares right back. “You should not go to that party, Lily.”

“One minute you want her to go to the sorority thing,” I say, flinging a hand at Charlie, “and the next you don’t want me to go?” I cross my arms over my chest, daring him to continue. This is not a conversation we should be having in front of Charlotte. I wasn’t exactly going, going. Like I said, I live there, so I can’t really avoid it, and I had planned to sit in my room and study anyway, but now that he’s being this possessive prick, I’m getting pissed off. Especially since not twelve hours ago he let me walk right out of his house without saying anything. No promises or intentions made.

“Goddamn it,” he practically growls. “Do whatever the hell you want to do, both of you.” He stomps away and slams the door to his house.

“What crawled up his ass?” Charlotte asks.

“Dunno. I think he doesn’t know how to deal with you dating.”

“I guess.” She shrugs and gives me a hug. “Anyway, I have to get to class. Drive safely and call me.”

“Love you, Charbear.”

“Love you, Lilybear.”

It’s a long drive back, and my head’s all over the place. I thought it was over last night. Then this morning he called me baby, and I almost melted into a puddle of stupid girly goop. I’ve heard other women being called baby before, and I always thought it was stupid. Now I see the appeal. Big time.

By the time I pull up to my parking spot I’m a confused mess. He hasn’t texted or called. He was mad, then sweet, and then mad again. And I’m the immature one?

I’m about to run into my first class when my phone vibrates in my pocket.

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