Page 59 of Scoreless Nights

“Of course,” he laughed. “I’m glad you two are getting along. But I wanted to call you before you got home tonight. Gloria is worried she isn’t drinking enough water. Can you—?”

“Ay, dios!She’s a grown woman,” I yelled. “I’m not going to tell her to drink her fucking water.”

“Look,” Dad replied sternly as Lil started to shift uncomfortably in her seat. Tapping her thigh gently, I then took her hand, giving it a silent kiss so she knew not to worry. “If she didn’t forget things like that, Gloria wouldn’t worry so much. Honestly, it's all I can do to keep her from packing our house up and moving to Miami tomorrow.”

“Well Lil will be home soon enough. She’s fine. I promise I’m keeping an eye on her.”

Suddenly, I was less angry, and more compliant. The last thing I needed was Gloria thinking moving to Miami was a good idea. I wouldn't put it past her either. Dad was retiring, and there was nothing left in Brookville once Lil left. And I loved my dad and wanted him near, but not while I was mentally planning all the ways I was going to make his step daughter come later.

“Good deal,” my dad sighed. “Gloria will be happy I spoke to you. Lil hasn’t been very chatty lately. I guess she has some new friends, and we are happy for her, but it's just hard.”

I rolled my eyes, suppressing the need to gag. It all made perfect sense why Lil was who she was. If they had stifled me the way they did her, I would have rebelled and told them to get lost. Lil was too good for that response, and had spent a lifetime just being a good girl for them.

Telling my dad I was pulling into my parking garage made him hang up quickly, and I whipped into my spot before looking at Lil.What the hell did I just talk to my dad about? Had it always been that bad?

“I know how it looks,” she cringed. “I haven’t been able to tell them I’m a big girl now. Ivan isn’t so bad, but he would lasso the moon and give it to my mom if she wanted it. His calls to you are for her, and I’m so sorry you are in the middle.”

“I’m worried about you.” I turned in my seat the best I could to face her and took her hands again. “How are they even going to let you move for a job at this rate?”

“I don’t know,” she laughed and rolled her eyes like it was no big deal. “I keep thinking that the more I spread my wings, the more courage I will have to tell them I need some space.”

“Let me keep helping you with that,” I winked, before getting out of the car.

When we got upstairs, my first stop was the refrigerator to get the leftovers we had from the night before. Lil walked toward the balcony, texting on her phone.

When I had two bowls ready, I carried them outside where the rain was still coming down, and handed her one. She took it with a small smile. “Thanks.”

“Your mom on the phone again?” I nodded toward her phone that kept lighting up on the table between us.

“No, this time it's Angel and Jackie. They asked me what I did this evening, and of course, I lied again. Everyone is turning me into a liar,” she mumbled as she took a bite of her food.

“Even me?” I teased her. “I feel like you’ve been super honest with me.”

She turned a slight shade of pink, but didn’t look up from her bowl. She stabbed at the food a few times and then finally looked up at me. “Even you.”

I swallowed hard, not expecting that to be her answer. I wanted to press her for more, but deep down, I knew what she meant, and I didn’t want to admit it any more than she did. There were feelings between us. More than what my dad and Gloria hoped would be between us.

There always had been.

Impossible shit that we would lie about to them, and each other, until the end of time.

But not yet.

“Come on.” I took the bowl from her hand when it was almost empty then led her to my bathroom.

I started running the bathwater instead of my normal shower, and she watched me move around the room anxiously. “What are you doing?”

“I’m dirty.” I tilted my head at her like she should have known that, but also added a suggestive undertone. Getting closer to her, I reached up and pulled the Maddux jersey over her head. “I’m not going to rip this up because your friends got it for you. But I don’t want to see it touching your skin ever again.”

Maybe I was being irrational, but I meant every word. Tripp’s name didn’t belong anywhere near her.

When she was completely undressed, I held her hand and guided her to step into the warm water. She sunk beneath the bubbles and then smiled at me as I started taking my own clothes off.

Since the secret was out, I made sure to turn around and give her another glimpse of the tattoo I had of her lily on my body. My hidden secret for so long. Even the guys in the locker room didn't know about that tattoo. If they had, they would have already put two and two together.

“I still can’t believe you did that,” she laughed, referring to the ink.

I turned back around, completely naked and stepped into the tub behind her. “I can't believe you can't believe it.”

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