Page 96 of Forbid It

“Stop being like this, Robbie.”

“Like what?”

“Difficult,” she snaps.

I knew as soon as I took that call that we would have to talk about the repercussions of our relationship being a subject of speculation, but I didn’t think she’d try to leave. “Sorry if I’m making it difficult for you to walk away from me.”

“I can’t talk about this anymore.” She tries to barge past me but I stay close, forcing her to look up at me as we linger in the doorway.

“Is this about your dad?”

She freezes.

“Is it? Cassie,” I swallow harshly. “Do you really think he’ll care?”

“Yes, I think he’ll care,” she hisses. “He has an opinion on everything I do, and I can’t⁠—”

“Can’t what? Disappoint him?”

She narrows her gaze as a flush colors her cheeks. “If you’re going to be so immature about this⁠—”

“Me immature?” I snap. “You’re the one who needs Daddy’s permission to get a fucking boyfriend.” Hurt blanches her face, and I instantly regret it. I want to swallow back the words until I choke on them. I want to turn back time to thirty minutes ago when I woke up with her hair tickling my nose and her soft breaths against my skin, but instead she shoulders past me and I can’t bring myself to stop her.

“No, Cassie, wait, please,” I beg as I follow her down the stairs. “That was too far. I’m sorry.”

“I have to go.” Cassie keeps her head down as she yanks my front door open. “Bye Robbie.”

42

CASSIE

My dad’s car is in my driveway when I pull in. He’s parked outside the door to the garage, in the spot where I usually park mine. I pull further around the drive, and take a few deep breaths before I climb out.

On the longer than usual walk to the front door, I run through all the things he’ll probably say to me. How he’ll send me a look filled with such disappointment that I’ll probably shrivel away and die on the spot.

I open the door, and don’t even bother to call out. I can hear his booming laugh reverberating through the house as he talks to someone on the phone.

I lean against the wall just outside the door to the library, and let my head rest on the wall. He’s laughing, talking about numbers and projections and whatever else he needs to talk about with his super important associates, while I wait here for the punishment I can’t even anticipate.

My eyes close, but all I can see is Robbie’s face. The smile that fell as soon as he walked back in the room and saw my bag at the end of the bed. The second of confusion before he realized what it meant. That I was leaving. That we were done.

A tear gathers at the corner of my eye, but I catch it with my nail before it drops. Dad’s call finishes up, and he calls my name.

I take one final calming breath and round the corner.

He’s…smiling?

“There you are,” he says as he crosses the room and presses a kiss to my heated cheek. “I was wondering when you guys would get here. I’ve been waiting.”

What?

He glances behind me as if expecting someone else. “King not with you?”

I shake my head mutely, unable to speak even if I tried. I brace myself for him to raise his voice, or even worse, the quiet disappointment that will hurt much more.

“That’s a shame.” Dad sighs, but it’s missing the ice I was anticipating. “I was just talking with Rupert over at the paper. They’re sending a photographer to come and snap some candids of you guys, but I’ll have to tell them to hold.”

My legs are shaky as I perch on the arm of the sofa. I can’t really compute the words as he says them.