Page 54 of Surrender
“My relationship with Colbie, is the age difference so strange?”
Dallis wanted an outside opinion, knowing Marco would give him an honest one. His circle of family wouldn’t be able to provide him with an unbiased answer since their age differences were even more significant than his and Colbie’s.
“No. You’re an adult, and sometimes people forget that age doesn’t dictate maturity. There are fifty-year-olds that carry on like children. Besides, it isn’t a substantial difference. Hell, a third of the country has dated someone either ten years older or younger than them. Though if you were underage, then yeah, it’d be strange...and illegal.”
Dallis chuckled. “If I were underage, I wouldn’t have even made my first move.”
“Good to know,” Marco responded, and Dallis’ phone beeped, signaling another call. He checked to see who it was.
“I have to go, but thanks.”
“Anytime,” Marco replied, and Dallis answered the other call.
“What’s up, Callie?” Dallis answered, finally taking a bite of his snack.
“Nothing. Just calling to see what you’re doing tomorrow.” His cousin stated.
“I don’t know yet. Why?”
“Don’t you want to take me to a midnight showing tomorrow?”
Dallis swallowed the next bite he had taken. “Not really, but I will. It must be an R-rated movie.”
“It is, and you know my mom isn’t going to take me, so I need someone else who’s eighteen or older. It’ll be Dawn and me,” she told him.
Dallis could not stand Dawn. She tried too hard all the time, but she was a good friend to his cousin, so he didn’t complain about her out loud. Well, at least not often.
“Fine, whatever. I’m bringing Hayden and Arsyn. I’ll pick you up at like nine. We’ll get some food, go to the arcade in the theater and then go to the movie.”
“Have I told you that you’re the best cousin ever?”
“Not recently, and you should more often.”
Callie chuckled on the other end of the phone, and Dallis knew that she had probably rolled her eyes. The two spoke for another thirty minutes before Callie got another call.
Dallis was lying across his bed and tossed his phone to the side. He had some homework he needed to do but figured he could do it later or in the morning before school started. So, instead, Dallis turned his television on and decided to find something to watch, feeling much lighter within himself than he had the past several days.
16
Colbie was beyond nervous. She was having Christmas Eve dinner with Dallis and his parents and wasn’t sure she could do it. Yes, she had said she’d come, and yes, she knew they knew about her, but that didn’t do much to calm her. It was more than apparent that she was having difficulty calming down because they were still in the car.
Dallis had picked her up about forty-five minutes ago. The ride from her house to his had only taken them about fifteen minutes. The past thirty minutes had been him trying to coax her out of the car. His mother had called twice to see if everything was alright, and Dallis had told her they would be in soon.
“Baby, it’s going to be fine,” Dallis reassured for what felt like the hundredth time. However, she was having a hard time making herself believe that.
She had met the parents of people she dated before. It wasn’t that Colbie was nervous about meeting his parents; the age difference was nagging at her. However, he told her they would be perfectly fine with their relationship.
“I know, I know. Just give me a minute,” Colbie responded.
She knew that he was more than likely tired of her saying that. It had been her response to everything he’d said to her since they pulled into the driveway.
Colbie listened to him sigh before he got out of the car. It wasn’t until he opened the passenger door and leaned in to unbuckle her seatbelt that she realized what he was doing. However, by that time, it was too late. He had lifted her out of the car and was now closing the door with his foot.
“Dallis,” she started to protest. Only to have him cut her off.
“No. No more excuses or waiting. You’ll be fine. So, we’re going inside.”
They had just reached the door when it was pulled open, and Colbie found his father standing there with a smirk. Dallis put her down when they stepped inside the house.
