Page 48 of The Anti-Bachelorette (The Anti-Bachelorette 1)

He actually sounds sincere like he wants to protect me, and my anger dissipates a little. I poke my finger into his shoulder. “Fine. But no monkey business.”

He grins and stands up and wraps his arms around me. He leans down and whispers in my ear. “Like this.” Then he kisses his way down my neck. I don’t want to, but I shove him away. “Yes. Exactly like that. I mean it Alaric.”

He just smiles at me again and then sighs. “Fine.” Then his smile grows bigger, and he leans down just as I hear my dad coming down the stairs. “But we both know you won’t be able to resist me.”

I swallow hard as my dad walks into the kitchen. “Whatcha guys talking about?”

Alaric smiles back over at my dad. “Oh, Emory was just telling me about how you caught her hiding a guy in her bathroom with his underwear laying on the floor.”

My head whips back around to Alaric. Then I look back over to my dad with wide eyes. I can’t deny that I told Alaric that because then my dad would know that Alaric must be the one who was in the bathroom if he knows the story.

I look back over at Alaric. “Yeah. Alaric here was just telling me how that night he tried to go hook up with his date, but couldn’t get it up.”

Alaric narrows his eyes at me, but I see the hint of a smile ghosting his lips. My dad just coughs. “What in the world is going on here?”

Alaric gives an awkward laugh. “I guess these are the things you end up talking about when you work with a person all day and then when you come home, they are still there. Never leaving you alone. Like a constant thorn in your side.”

I roll my eyes and let out a fake laugh. “Ha! Well I guess I better get out of here then. You can handle cooking all on your own.”

I turn to leave. My dad stops me. “Emory. Where are you going?”

I just shrug. “I’m going to Angela’s for dinner. I have a lot to fill her in on.” I glance over to Alaric, and I know he knows I’m talking about him.

I turn to leave again when my dad’s words stop me in my tracks. “She’s staying at her cousin's this weekend.”

My body whips around, and my eyes narrow at my dad. “What did you say?”

He looks over Alaric then back to me. “Uh...she’s not home.”

My hand clenches at my side. “How do you know that dad?”

He opens his mouth but doesn’t say anything for a moment. “Uh...she was asking about you. She wanted to make sure you were okay.”

I look up to the ceiling. “Dad. Have you been texting with my best friend?”

He just shrugs like it’s no big deal. “She had my number for emergencies. She was worried about you.”

I close my eyes and groan. I pinch the bridge of my nose and look back up at them. Alaric narrows his eyes at me. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

I can tell he is just saying that because he feels guilty about sleeping with his best friend’s daughter. My dad continues and adds on. “Yeah, she wanted to know what was going on and when you were coming back. She stopped by yesterday to check up on things and-.”

I cut him off. “Wait what? She was here?"

He shuffles nervously. “Yeah, she stopped by when I was making dinner, so I told her to come in and I filled her in on everything that was going on?”

My eyes widen at him. “You invited her in for dinner?”

His eyes shift nervously over to Alaric like he knows he shouldn’t have but wants back up on the matter. “Emory. Nothing inappropriate happened. We just ate, and then she left.”

I roll my eyes and wipe a hand down my face as I sigh. “You eating dinner alone together is inappropriate dad.”

My dad just laughs. “Oh please. You and Alaric were alone together these past few days. Was that inappropriate?”

“I fucked Alaric!” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. My eyes widen at my dad, and then I glance over to Alaric. His face is cringed with his eyes closed like he knows something bad is about to happen.

My dad looks over to him and then back to me. “You what?” He almost whispers like he can’t believe the words that just came out of my mouth. “I...dad…”

He looks back over to Alaric, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen my dad look so angry before. Alaric tries to save face as my dad starts walking toward him. “Look. Let me explain.”

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