AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Savannah explained about not even being in the same room as the shooter, just the same building, but they’d gone on lockdown after the shot was heard, and they didn’t let anyone out until they had him in custody.
“Who did he shoot?” Angel asked.
“No one.” She shook her head. “I heard someone say the gun went off on accident.”
“You see, this is why you can’t believe shit on the news anymore.” Angel turned to her dad. “I didn’t wanna say anything earlier because you were already so worried, but I’d heard one channel reporting that they might be dealing with a mass school shooting.”
Everyone in the room hugged Savannah one by one, and Byron was already wondering how in the world he’d tear himself away from her once the dust settled.
“You always leave your door unlocked?” her father asked with a scowl as he pulled away from her.
Savannah winced, exchanging glances with Xochitl. “We’ve been known to rush out sometimes and forget to lock it. But there’s security out front.”
“Not always.” Her dad countered with an even more severe scowl. “We walked right in because no one was there when we got here.”
The lecture she got from her dadanduncles about safety and the importance of locking not just her door, but all her windows was much appreciated by Byron. Savannah promised she’d be more diligent about locking everything from here on.
All said and done, much to Byron’s relief Savannah said she’d save the trip down to La Jolla for the morning. “If it’s all the same to you daddy, I’m exhausted and it’s safe to say mom’s dinner’s a wash anyway, right?”
Thankfully, he didn’t argue. Byron and Savannah walked them out. “You guys go ahead.” Mr. Moreno told his brothers and Taz. “I’ll be right there.” He turned to Savannah but placed a hand on Byron’s shoulder. “Give us a moment, sweetheart.” The instant alarm in Savannah’s face wasn’t missed and her dad’s face soured. “He’ll be fine.”
She nodded, saying nothing before kissing her dad goodbye on the cheek, then wincing at Byron. Her father waited until she’d gone into her dorm but started toward the parking lot. Byron walked alongside him bracing himself, as he remembered the lethal probing earlier. “Look, I don’t need to know what it is that upset her anymore. Obviously, she’s over it and it’s clear you really care about her.”
“I’m in love with her, sir. Have been almost since I met her.”
Alex stopped and stared at him for a moment blankly, as if letting that sink in. “Well, I guess if anyone’s gonna date my baby girl, he better be in love with her. Lowers the odds of his hurting her, and me ending up in prison.”
“I’d never hurt her,” Byron said with conviction. “What she was upset about earlier was something that happened before her and I had made things official. Before I knew I even had a chance of anything serious with her. But ever since things changed, I promised her, like I promised you before and I’m promising you again, I wouldneverhurt her.”
Her dad searched Byron’s eyes for a silent moment, as if looking for any insincerity. “Good to know. And believe it or not, son, I like you. The idea of her having someone who’s looking out for her now that she’s so far from home, had grown on me. But I’ll especially like it now that I know how much she means to you.” He shook his head with a frown. “Girl can’t even remember to lock the door, for Christ sakes.”
Byron chuckled almost giving into the stupidity of what hearing her dad say he liked him did to him. He nearly blurted out that he didn’t have to worry because most days she stayed at his place lately anyway. But he managed to catch himself. Instead, he admitted something there was no doubt about anymore.
“She’s everything to me now.” He had to suppress the emotion he was feeling once again. “I’d doanythingto keep her safe and happy. You have my word.”
Her dad glanced away taking a deep breath, before looking back at him. “I’m holding you to that, boy.” Clapping Byron’s shoulder, he started to walk off but turned around. “You’re welcome to join us tomorrow if you wanna drive down with her.” Before Byron could respond to that, the big guy turned around again with an almost smirk. “Don’t think I’m all sweet on you either. I’d just feel better if she didn’t take the two-hour drive down and back by herself.”
Smiling for the first time, in what felt likewaytoo fucking long, Byron was already mentally clearing up his busy schedule tomorrow. “I’ll see you there.”
Despite how good it felt knowing Savannah was safe, and that her father and him had made an unlikely connection, Byron started back to the dorm where he knew he’d be facing the music about his night with Irma now.
