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“Hey, what’s up?”
“You got a minute?”
“Of course,” he replied expectantly.
We quietly made our way to my room, and he hadn’t even crossed the threshold behind me before I was confessing my darkest sins. “I slept with Edie.”
Dad’s hazel eyes widened, all traces of sleep gone. “EdieDraven?”
I nodded. “That’s the only Edie that I know, Dad.”
“Have you lost your goddamn mind-”
I put my hand up to stop the lecture. “It’s not like that,” I quickly clarified. “It’s serious.”
“Since when?” he squawked. “Jesus Christ, Lars.” I watched as he ran a hand through his already ruffled hair. “Out of all the girls in town, how in the hell did you get involved with Edie?”
Afraid that he might actually deck me, I went on to tell him exactly how things had gotten to this point. While I didn’t regret my decision to be with Edie, I knew that things were complicated. I also knew that things had the potential to get worse if Talon didn’t approve. At this point, as much as Talon meant to me, there was no fucking way that I was giving Edie up. I was in love for the first time in my life, and I planned for it to also be my last. However, I’d been mindful enough to leave out how I hadn’t used protection with her.
When I was done spilling all my secrets, Dad let out a troubled sigh. “Goddamn it.”
“I love her, Dad,” I stated simply. “I wouldn’t be inviting all this drama into our lives if I didn’t.”
He shot me a knowing look. “I’m not doubting what you feel for her, Lars,” he said. “I just…does she feel the same way? Are you sure this is forever for her?” He let out another sigh. “I mean, you’ve sowed a lot of wild oats and can make this decision without regret, but what about Edie? She finally has a chance to spread her wings and fly, and she slams right into you. Aren’t you afraid that she might come to regret this rashness later on?”
He made a good point for debate, but all I could say was, “I’m not giving her up, Dad.”
“Even if Talon loses his shit?”
I nodded. “Even if Talon loses his shit.”
“Lars, if you end up breaking that girl’s heart-”
I laughed.
I really laughed at that.
“Trust me when I tell you that if anyone’s going to get their heart broken in this scenario, it’s going to be me.” I shook my head solemnly. “I have no idea how or why Edie, but you better believe that I was certain before taking it this far. I just…I need to talk to Talon, and I don’t want to do it over the phone.”
“Look, I know that the horse is already out of the barn door and all that, but unless you plan on driving up north tonight, I think that you need to cool it with Edie until you have a chance to talk to Talon. Whether you like it or not, Talon’s fighting days have made him popular enough that I can see someone letting him know what Edie’s up to if they see you guys together.” He actually looked like he felt a bit sorry for me. “Do you really want Talon coming home because someone sent him a picture or whatever of you and his little sister?”
“You know that I don’t,” I scowled.
“Then I think that you and Edie need to take a step back from this until you talk to Talon,” he advised, and I hated how I thought the same thing. “Even though you and Edie have known each other your whole lives, this thing between you guys still feels like it could have been a little rushed, Lars.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he quickly threw his hand up to shut me up. “Look, I believe in love at first sight, son. I only have to look at your mother to remember that fact. However, your mother’s brother wasn’t one of my closest friends in the world, either.”
“I know, Dad,” I replied, my chest hurting, my head more fucked-up than before.
“You also need to give Edie some consideration, Lars,” he said carefully. “Do you really want to lock her down before she’s even had a chance to live?”
“I amnotgiving her up,” I bit out, refusing to be reasonable about the truth of his wisdom. “Even if it is unfair, I’m not giving her up.”
“Okay, okay,” he replied. “Calm down.”
I let out a deep breath. “I just…complete honesty here?” He nodded. “I don’t regret a single second that I’m spending with that girl, and that lack of regret has me feeling guilty as hell, Dad. It’s weighing on me like my knees might buckle at any moment.”
“Then you better tell Talon before it gets worse,” he said, and he wasn’t wrong.
Chapter 20
