Page 124 of Truck Off

“Lina, doll. Let go.” Dad’s voice is firm and forceful in a tone he’s never used with me before. My eyes widen, and when I meet his gaze, he’s looking at me like a father who’s about to ground his child.

“What?” I ask, the word coming out in a timid squeak.

“Let go of this control you so desperately hang onto and let yourself feel for a change. If you don’t, you’re going to grow old alone and be miserable.”

The look in my dad’s eyes breaks something deep inside me. I reach for him and hug him close.

“Don’t be like me,” he whispers. “Please, doll. Be anything except like me.”

“Oh, Dad.” I cry. “You’re not alone. You’ll always have me.”

“I know, and I love you for that. But you know that’s not the same as having a partner, a person to love, to call your own. You love him. He’s your person.”

I nod. “I’m so scared, Dad. He has the power to really hurt me.”

“Yeah, he does.” He cups my cheek and forces me to look him in the eye. “That means you have the power to hurt him too. It goes both ways. You’re both gonna have to trust that the other won’t do that. That’s love, doll. The real kind.”

My eyes fall closed as I absorb his words. The real kind of love. Is that what Chase and I have? Not something fleeting or temporary that will be gone in a week or a month or even a year. The thought of not having him in my life makes me sick to my stomach.

“Okay, that’s it.” Jayla’s voice cuts into my thoughts. “Let’s go so you can tell him how you feel.”

“What? But I—”

“That look your face just made says it all. You and I both know that losing him is a worse fate than the risk of letting yourself love him.” Jayla declares as she heads toward the door and opens it. “So let’s go so you can tell him.”

“But …” I take a deep breath and scrub my hands down my face. “I don’t know where he is.”

It’s a lame excuse, and I know how dumb it sounds before the words are even out.

“Good thing I do, so move it.”

* * *

“Are you sure about this?” I ask as Jayla drags me toward the entrance to the community center.

“Yep, positive. This moment calls for a grand gesture.” She opens the door and waves me in.

I hesitate, staring at her like she’s lost her mind. She raises a brow as if to say move it or I’m gonna kick your ass. I walk inside without a word.

She rushes past me and straight for the registration table down the hall where Frank Haas is sitting. He smiles up at us.

“Hello, ladies. Did you come to watch the last round? The tournament is almost over.”

“Actually,” Jayla says before I can answer him. “Are the Mutters still in it? We’re looking for Chase.”

Frank raises his brow at Jayla before he looks at me. I’m fiddling with the hem of my T-shirt and can’t seem to stand still.

I immediately drop my head, attempting to hide my face. I’m sure my eyes are puffy and red. When I look at him through my lashes, he gives me a knowing smile and nods. “He’s still in it. He and Mila are close to winning. Beat out the Kochs in the last round. That caused quite the stir. Now it’s just them against the Baylors.”

I sag at the mention of Vicki’s in-laws. They’ve never outwardly treated me poorly, but I’m sure Vicki has said plenty to them to make sure they don’t like me.

I don’t want to do whatever Jayla thinks I need to do in front of a crowd, let alone one that includes someone connected to my lifelong enemy. This is going to be hard enough as it is. I don’t need an audience making it worse.

“Thank you.” Jayla smiles and points toward the door. “Is it okay if we slip in and watch?”

“Of course.” Frank returns her smile. He’s always been such a sweet man and one of the few people I’ve never thought secretly judged me. He’s older. All his kids are grown, and his wife passed some time ago. He’s also a bit nosy and contributes his fair share to the gossip, but his kindness makes up for those flaws. “You ladies go right on in. Just keep it quiet so as not to disturb the players.”

“We can wait until it’s over.” I take a few steps back.

---