Page 110 of Landon & Shay: Part One

He sighed. “If you care anything about her, you won’t get any more involved. She’s a good kid. She’s the best kid.”

“I hope your other daughter doesn’t hear you saying that,” I spat out.

Still, he showed hardly any emotions on his face. He simply appeared hardened. “I see you, Landon. I see you and the fucked-up life that you live, and I don’t want my daughter around that kind of mess.”

“Funny, coming from you.”

“No, I get it. I’m a monster. I am not a good person, and I have fucked up my family more than I can say. That’s why I’m saying you should stay away. Shay already has a monster in her life. She doesn’t need two.”

“Yeah, well, too bad you don’t have the right to tell me what to do.”

“You think you’re better than me? Better than my demons? I’ve watched you; I see your broken pieces in your eyes. You’re never going to stop fighting the demon that lives in your soul. I don’t need you bringing that crap around my daughter. Before she started hanging around you, she was good. She was well behaved and obedient.”

“She’s not a damn puppy.”

“Yes, but before you, she was house trained. She never spoke back. Never skipped school, never lied, never snuck out of the house. You’re doing that to her. You’re making her someone she isn’t.”

I stood tall with my arms crossed tight. My mind was running wild from his words, and I tried my hardest not to move, because if I moved, I’d punch him out.

“Thanks for the talk.”

“I’m not kidding, Landon. Stay away from my daughter.”

“Okay.” I nodded, sliding my hands into my jean’s pockets. “But, remind me quick. Which daughter are we speaking about?”

“You really don’t want to push me, kid. I’ve been on this Earth a lot longer than you; I’ve been a monster longer. I know how to hurt people. To make them suffer. Don’t cross me. Trust me, you’ll regret it.”

His lips sealed shut and he didn’t say another word. He walked to his car, climbed inside, and drove off. Then, I headed to school to tell his daughter the truth.

I waited until after theater rehearsal to tell Shay about her father. I didn’t want to do it during the day, because I wasn’t certain how she’d react, and I didn’t want to throw her off before rehearsal.

As time ticked by, the knot in my stomach grew bigger and bigger.

“Opening night is going to be so good,” Shay said as she packed up her things in the auditorium. “You get better every single night, which is kind of annoying,” she joked.

“You’re amazing,” I said somberly, feeling completely guilty for what I was about to tell her. “Do you know that? Do you know that you’re an amazing person?”

Her cheeks reddened a bit. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Make it so easy to fall for you. Do you want to go get some food or something?” she asked.

“Aren’t you still grounded?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll just tell them rehearsal went late.”

She was planning on lying to them. That fact alone made my skin crawl. Maybe KJ wasn’t wrong. Maybe I was a bad move for his daughter. Maybe while she was making me better, I was making her worst.

“Don’t do that, Chick,” I murmured.

“Do what?”

“Become a liar.”

She arched an eyebrow at me. “Are you okay?”

Everyone else had already gathered their things to head home, leaving the two of us alone in the theater space. I stuffed my hands into my pockets. “Yeah, there’s just something big I have to tell you and it’s making me nervous.”

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