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The room was eerily quiet.

“I said my daughter is a virgin.” He stepped toward me like he was about to carry me out of here and lock me in a tower.

My mom put her hand on his chest. “James. Scarlett is practically an adult...”

“Practically is a key word there, Penny!”

“I think we all need to calm down,” Uncle Matt said. “I for one think it’s brilliant.” He nodded at me. “Congratulations to the happy couple. We should pop some champagne.”

“You would think it’s great because you were crazy enough to want to get hitched in high school.” My dad glared at him and then turned back to Axel.

Thanks for trying, Uncle Matt.

“Axel, my daughter is a virgin,” he said again. “Swear it to me.”

Axel opened his mouth and closed it again.

Aunt Brooklyn laughed. “James. Please. As if you were a virgin in high school.”

“This isn’t about me.”

“And you were only a teenager when you proposed to me.” She gave him a stern look. “And Penny was barely 20 when you asked her to marry you.”

“This isn’t about me,” my dad said again. “It’s about my baby girl.” He turned back to me. “Pumpkin, tell me you’re waiting until marriage.”

My mom sighed. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered silently to me.

But this wasn’t her fault. It was RJ’s for blabbing everything. I shook my head. Actually, it was no one’s fault. I was ecstatic to be engaged. Why couldn’t my dad just be happy for me?

“Pumpkin,” my dad said firmly. “Tell me that you’re still a virgin.”

And why were we having this private conversation in front of my whole family?! “I...um...” I looked to Axel for help.

“Was?” he said.

WAS?! AXEL STEVENS!

The corner of Axel’s mouth ticked up.

I stared at him. I knew there was a lot of bad blood between my dad and Axel but he didn’t need to purposely provoke him.

Uncle Rob laughed.

“Oh my God, you guys did it?” Sophie asked. “I love that for you.”

Soph! Stop talking!

“Gross.” Liam shuddered.

But I tuned them all out. Because my dad rounded the couch.

Oh God, my dad was actually going to kill Axel.

But Uncle Matt grabbed one of his arms to hold him back. “Deep breaths, man.”

“He touched her.”

“I think he did more than touch her,” Uncle Rob said.