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I think it’s pretty clear he’s interested in me, although god only knows why, but my head is spinning so fast, and my own arousal is past boiling point, I don’t think either of us has the luxury of questions for much longer.
“You okay sweetie? You sound frazzled.” My dad observes.
If wild animals in heat are being held apart from their alpha mate by a thin layer of fabric and constant interruptions, then yeah. I’m ‘frazzled’.
“Well I’m just calling to let you know—” my dad starts but I cut him off angrily.
“I know, dad. Alright? I just spoke to her and I know they’re coming back a day early,” I add, punching out my words as my free hand hits the soft cushions beside me.
As if I need reminding.
“Well, okay. Uh, you sure everything’s alright. I mean, if you need anything you only have to ask,” he says. Making me feel like an ogre.
I’m never usually so grouchy with my dad, so he’s smelling a big rat, and him being a police detective, he always needs to investigate.
“I’m just tired dad,” I lie. Something else I never really do with dad, because there’s no point.
“You sound wide awake, honey.” He observes. “What’s happened?” he asks me point-blank. In his serious dad voice.
Closing my eyes I let out a bitter sigh.
He’s gonna find out sooner or later. He’ll start digging as soon as I get off the phone.
“I just sprained my ankle is all. Last night. A little accident.”
That’s lie number two.
Three strikes and he’ll be coming down here himself, I just know it.
“Alright, Gillian. Now, from the beginning, just take a moment and explain exactly what happened,” he says.
It’s his detective voice now. Good cop. ‘Tell me the truth and I’ll help. Lie again and I’m getting in my car and driving down to find out myself if I have to’.
I feel myself starting to shiver. I can hear Xander in the kitchen and the smell of fresh coffee is where I’d rather be right now.
“Gillian?” My dad asks again firmly. He only calls me Gillian when shit gets real, which is rare in our household.
Like never happens kind of rare.
I feel tears coming, but if I cry it’s worse than lying, so here goes.
“I was walking Orion last night, and I forgot my glasses,” I start, but he interrupts straight away.
“You were walking alone at night?”
I shiver harder, remembering that’s something I guess neither I nor Mrs. Patterson told dad about, me walking Orion at night.
My silence forces his own, and he calmly asks me to continue.
“While I was walking Orion, I fell down a ledge and someone from campus happened by and helped me,” I blurt out quickly.
There, no lies but plenty of holes in my very, very short story.
Xander’s huge frame fills the tiny doorway, he has two mugs of hot coffee but I’m struck by how such a tall man could manage in what he makes look like a doll’s house.
He casually stoops into the lounge, putting the cup within reach before moving off into what I figure is his study.
His face is firm but fair.
The college professor equivalent of my dad’s good cop routine.
I suddenly feel torn, knowing I can’t lie to either of them and I still have so much to deal with, and all with a sprained ankle too.
“Anything else?” Dad asks dryly, casually handing me that length of just enough rope.
“Orion’s run away and the Patterson’s house hasn’t been cleaned for six months,” I whisper hoarsely, hoping Xander won’t hear, but the sound of his coffee mug being slammed down makes me jump.
He heard me alright.
“I’m coming down, Gillian. I’ll be on the next flight. I can get a cab to the Patterson’s.” He sighs heavily.
Disappointed, I can tell, but coming to the rescue in his own mind.
Kids.
I can just imagine him saying it to himself, rolling his eyes. Quietly thankful nothing’s seriously wrong. Real life and death stuff I know he deals with every day.
Stuff like fathers killing college professors once they find out what they’ve nearly been doing with their teenage daughters.
“Please don’t come down daddy, I’m not even at the Patterson’s!” I yelp, suddenly shaking my head at just how stupid I’ve become overnight.
I hear Xander’s heavy step before he curses loudly, banging his own head on a low beam in the next room.
There’s a chilling silence from the other end of the phone, and Xander comes in motioning me firmly to hand him the phone.
My eyes bulge out of my head, is he fucking kidding me?
Xander Sexton, the man I almost kissed and did about a dozen other things with, on the phone with my dad?
He calmly takes the phone from me, his whole demeanor shifting instantly.
“Mr. Parker?... Oh, excuse me, Detective Parker. I’m Professor Sexton from the college. I helped Gillian out a little last night and was just about to take her to the medical center for a—”
