Page 102 of Fame & Rhythm

“You really think I’ll make it worse if I push them apart?” Dad asks.

“Yes,” Mum answers simply. “If you want Annie to respect you, you need to respect her. Right now, she wants her music… and her boyfriend.”

“Ugh. Don’t say that.”

“What? Boyfriend?” she teases.

“She’s too young.”

“She’s seventeen, Colt. How old were you when you had your first girlfriend?”

“Shut up.”

I clap a hand over my mouth to stop from laughing.

“Fifteen,” Mum says sweetly. “Two years younger than Annie.” Dad groans. “I know this is hard,” she continues gently. “But she’s growing up. You either grow with her… or you push her away.”

Silence stretches between them.

“Fuck,” Dad mutters.

I grin.

“I know,” Mum says softly. “But it’s for the best. And for God’s sake, stop glaring at Aston every time he looks at her.”

“He better not—”

“Colt.”

“Right. Be respectful,” he grumbles. “This is going to take some getting used to.”

“It will,” Mum agrees. “But you’ll get there.”

“I will never be fine with anyone handling my daughter—”

“Colt.”

“Okay. I’ll try. For now.”

That’s basically a win, isn’t it?

“But if I see anything I don’t like—”

“No, you won’t.”

“Dee—”

“Colt.”

He hesitates, then… “Dammit! I hate it when you’re right.”

“You love it,” she teases.

I hear him sigh. “Yeah… I do. And you know what your swearing does to me.”

“Colt, that was five minutes ago.” She giggles.

Nope. Time to leave them to it.