Page 231 of The Villain We Tempt

Well, it was a valiant effort.

Dad’s face creases with worry when the tears start to trickle down my cheeks.

“Stay where you are,” he growls. “I’m going to come to you.”

I shake my head. “No, it’s okay. Just…” I try to suck in the tears. “Can I tell you something?”

“Anything, anytime, always,” he says firmly. "You know that."

I smile wryly. “Even if it’s about a boy?”

“Itis?” Dad chuckles in the driest tone possible. “I would haveneverguessed.”

I snort, bringing my hand up to wipe at my eyes. “That obvious, huh?”

He smiles warmly. “It is. Sorry, kiddo.” His smile slowly fades. “And now I need you to tell mewhichboy hurt you, so that I can skin the motherfucker alive.”

I choke out a bitter laugh, sighing. “He didn’thurt me-hurt me. Like, he didn’t hit me or anything.”

“And yet you still look hurt,” Dad says. “Which means he’s going to die.”

I huff out a breath. “Dad.”

He inhales slowly, then nods.

“Okay. I’m reminding myself that you called me and not Roman for a reason, and that reason being that I ammarginallymore open than him to the reality of our daughter being an adult and having adult relationships.”

“Verymarginally,” I grin.

He chuckles, and my view of the living room at home behind him swings around as he walks across it and lowers himself into his favorite leather chair. “Talk to me, peanut. What happened.”

I lean back against the headboard of my bed.

“Okay, so…there's this guy.”

“Insert dramatic gasp here.”

“Dad.”

He sighs. “Sorry.”

“Anyway, we were...together.”

Dad’s face darkens.

“Kind of. It's complicated, and I'm not going to get into details?—”

“As your parent, I'm confident I don’t need tohearthese details?”

My face heats. “Ding-ding-ding.”

He scowls deeply, then sighs. “It’s okay, I was way worse at your age. But do me a favor: don’t for the love of God tell your Papa that you’ve been seeing a guy and that this guy hurt you.Because Roman reallywillsend some juiced-up motherfuckers to Knightsblood to geld every single male on campus.”

I giggle. “I think I can promise that.”

He sighs. “Okay, go on. So… It’s complicated.”

I mean, understatement of thecentury, what with the masks and an entire secret identity that I will be taking to my grave.