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“Lorelei?”
Oh, no.
Fuck.
“Bennet?”
We break off the kiss quickly, both of us turning to find Rick standing there with his mouth wide open. My oldest, and best friend stares at us as though we’re going to disappear in a puff of smoke like he can’t understand what he just saw.
“Why are you… what are you… what’s happening here?”
He strides forward, a look on his face I recognize well.
Rage, pure unfiltered rage.
“Well?” he snaps. “Is somebody going to explain what the fuck is going on?”
Chapter Nineteen
Rory
I’ve never seen Dad like this before, his whole face twisted in fury. There’s something else in his eyes too, something that makes me want to let out a scream of pain.
Sadness, complete and utter sadness at our betrayal.
“Dad, it’s not what you think.”
I feel Bennet tensing up beside me, as though he thinks I’m going to lie about us. But it’s far too late for that.
“No, what is it then?” Dad strides forward, standing so close to us, staring at Bennet like he’s thinking about swinging at him. “Did I just imagine you kissing my daughter, Bennet? Am I daydreaming?”
“No, Rick, you’re not imagining a thing.”
He grits his teeth. “I was being sarcastic. Obviously, I didn’t fucking imagine it. It still doesn’t explain why you two are kissing.”
“We’re… we’re together, Dad,” I murmur.
It’s the only way I can think to explain it.
“But it’s so much more than you think. It’s—”
“My only child,” Dad growls, his eyes still fixed on Bennet. “I don’t understand how you can think this is okay, on any level. I don’t understand how either of you can. This isn’t something men do, Bennet. They don’t go after their friend’s daughters.”
Bennet stares at my dad, looking more conflicted than I’ve ever seen him. “I know it isn’t. But Rory is right—”
“Rory? Since when did you start calling her that?”
“Dad, please just calm down and—”
Dad waves a hand through the air, spinning on me as his whole body tenses. It’s like he’s going to leap at us any second, even if I know my dad would never hurt me or Bennet.
No, but we’ve hurt him. It’s plain on his face.
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” he snaps. “And don’t try and explain this. There is no explanation.”
He turns away.
“Dad, where are you going?” I yell.
Pausing, he glances over his shoulder. “I was going to surprise you and take you to dinner, but it seems you’ve got other plans. So go on, go ahead. Go home with Bennet. Because you’re definitely not coming home tonight.”
“Rick, please, just take a breath and we can talk about this. You can’t blame Lorelei.”
“I blame both of you. How long has this been going on?”
“It’s not what you think,” I murmur, tears brimming in my eyes.
“You didn’t kiss?” Dad grits out like it pains him to even ask the question.
“No, we did. Obviously, we did. But it’s not just some fling or—”
“I don’t want to know.” He laughs in a disbelieving way, sounding more disturbed than I’ve ever heard him. “Whatever’s happening here, it’s clearly proof I don’t know either of you. I don’t have a goddamn clue who my best friend or my daughter is. So fine. Go with Bennet. I mean it, Lorelei.”
I step forward, but Bennet cuts in first. “I get it. You need time to calm down. But tomorrow, we have to talk about this. You have to let us explain, Rick. Because this really isn’t what you think. You know me. You know I wouldn’t take advantage of your daughter, or use her in any way.”
“Pfft.” Dad laughs bitterly again. “Sure, whatever you say.”
“Tomorrow,” Bennet says firmly. “What time will you be home?”
“If it means that much to you, come by before work. But I don’t know what you think you can say to make any of this better.”
Dad stalks across the street before I have a chance to say anything else. My legs twitch, urging me to follow him, but I don’t know how to deal with this new side of him. It was like the rage boiling up inside of him was ready to erupt. I’m not sure how he’d react if I went after him now.
“Bennet, what are we going to do?” I whisper, all thoughts of my essay forgotten, my stomach twisting with regret.
“We have to give him the night,” Bennet says. “I know Rick. He doesn’t get angry easily, but when he does, it takes him a while to cool off. At least he agreed to meet with us tomorrow. That’s progress.”
I nod, trying to believe him, but all I can think about is the way he looked at me, at us, like he never wanted to see us again.
Bennet sighs and picks up my backpack. “I can book you a hotel or you can spend the night at my place.”
