Page 194 of How to Lose at Love

It was inevitable. Shit, I’d been on the verge of ending things with him myself—and I would have done it in person, and it would have been awkward and it would have sucked because that’s how breakups are.

If it wereeasy,couples wouldn’t wait until they feel stuck.

“Well…guess it hardly matters now, but I still wanted to hear it from you.”

“Yeah.” Diego moved the beer from one hand, stuck his other hand in the pocket of his coat. “You’re with Dallas now. Don’t know why you’d give a shit.”

I chuckled at that. “We have you to thank for that.”

“You’re welcome.” Diego snorted. “Can I go now?”

Can I go now? “No one made you follow me in here.”

“I needed a beer.”

Rolling my eyes, I strolled back out of the room to the couch, cramming myself between my boyfriend and his brother, doing my best to ignore my ex-boyfriend for the rest of the afternoon.

“Where do you want this box marked ‘stuff’?”

I step forward, lifting the lid off to peek at the contents inside.

Bras, underwear, and socks.

“Bedroom.”

It doesn’t take long to get things put away. My dad came to campus with a truck he borrowed from his buddy, taking my couch, coffee table, and mattress home with him, promising my parents would store them in their garage until I decide what to do with them.

Sell them or save them for a new apartment, perhaps?

It doesn’t take long before I’m hugging my dad, kissing him on the cheek, and telling him to drive safe.

“I will, buttercup.”

Buttercup?

That’s a new one.

“And, Dallas, take care of my little girl.”

When Dallas goes to embrace my dad, I can’t help noticing how small my father looks compared to him, how he fits perfectly, wedged under my boyfriend’s armpit.

Whoa.

“I will, sir.”

Sir?

I snicker at that, at the polite way Dallas has treated my dad the couple hours he’s been here, surprised but also…

Not surprised?

He should be treating my father respectfully, but hearing him call my dad sir was unexpected—and damn adorable.

We walk my dad outside, furniture tied down and sticking out of the bed of the truck.

Hug once more.

Tell him to drive safe once more.

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