Page 34 of Not Your Little Girl Anymore

I walk past him into the kitchen and grab a bottle of water out of the fridge.

“I was with a friend.” Which is true, if Alec is considered a friend.

I take a sip of my water, twisting the cap back on when Dad asks, “Chloe?”

I contemplate telling him it was Alec, but my mind travels back to how Dad viewed him, and something unsettling grows in my belly, causing me to swallow aggressively.

My eyes blink more times than I’d like, my nerves clawing at my insides. “Yeah,” I lie.

His lips morph into a pin-straight line, and he eyes me with furrowed brows. He knows I’m lying. I can feel it.

When he nods, I feel better. That is, until he says, “That’s funny, seeing as I saw Chloe a few hours ago.” I try to keep the shock from my face. “Which leads me to question where. Were. You?” he adds through clenched teeth.

A snort vibrates through me, and I didn’t mean for it to slip out, but there was no way I could hold it in. My laugh fades quickly as my eyes soak him in, conflicted with how he could go from sitting upstairs with me, pouring his heart out to the man before me.

Is he serious?

I studied him a bit longer. It would have been easier to tell him the truth from the start, but I knew that wouldn’t have gone over well either. I am kind of stuck at this point.

Finally, I decide to be honest. “I was with my friend Alec.”

His body tightens, jaw locking. “You lied to me.”

I clear my throat, running my fingers through my hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t…”

“Save it, Summer. You live under my roof. You follow my rules. That boy is trouble. I don’t need him to take you down with him.”

Anger bubbles inside of me. Alec is far from trouble. If anything, he’s been nothing but caring and sweet to me. My eyebrows furrow, growing with concern. Dad’s lips part, but then he closes them again.

I look down at the floor for a second before looking back up at Dad. “What is it you have against Alec? It seems that you are judging him instead of you know… getting to know him.”

“I know enough about him, Summer. Now, stay away from him,” he demands.

Suddenly, I think about Dad’s face when he saw us at the cafe. Then it clicks. My father doesn’t like Alec because of his record. Of course, Dad would know about it. It wouldn’t matter if Alec was set up. His case file says it all. He was found with drugs and arrested, multiple times. Then my mother… Dad knew she was addicted to drugs.

My heart dips lower, knowing that he’s only looking out for me. The way a father should look out for his daughter.

“Alec isn’t a bad person, Dad. If you just talk to him and hear his story...”

“Enough!” I jump from the raise of his voice. “You are not allowed to see him again. Do you understand me?”

My eyebrows crease. “Dad, I’m not a little kid anymore…”

His chuckle is short and deep. “In this house, you follow my rules.”

My lips part, wanting to fight back, but I close my mouth instead. It’s clear I’m not changing his mind. At least not anytime soon.

His phone rings, breaking up the tension between us. I look away, hugging myself closely. Dad takes his phone out of his pocket, looks at the screen and walks away without another word.

From where I’m standing, I can see him. The look on his face brings concern out of me. I can tell it’s a work matter. It’s always a work matter. That’s been his normal routine since Mom passed.

Dad’s fingers run through his near-gray hair, and he grips the back of his neck. I guess I’m not the only one who has upset him.

My eyes follow the motion of his chest as he takes a deep breath. When he hangs up the phone, I quickly avert my gaze, lean against the wall, and look out the kitchen window so it doesn’t look as though I was eavesdropping. Not that I was, but it’ll certainly look that way.

Dad clears his throat. “I have to head…”

“Back to the office.” It’s not a question but an ‘I already knew that’ statement.

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