AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He hauls me into his arms, kissing me without hesitation. “I would do anything for you, Daze. I hope you know that.”
I touch his jaw, and I swear I can feel the tension easing from him. Do I calm him down like he does for me? When things get rough, he’s the perfect person to have by my side. I never want to lose him.
Ever.
“I know,” I whisper, leaning up on tiptoe to kiss him one last time. “I’ll text you later.”
“You better.” He says it like he doesn’t believe I will, and I think of how I never texted him last night when I promised I would.
I hate breaking promises. Especially to Arch.
Reluctantly, we part ways and I head for my house, my stomach pitching and rolling like I’m on a freaking boat. I stand up straighter and increase my pace, faking confidence. Hoping it’ll turn into real confidence but my shoulders sag when I see that my father is outside, like he’s waiting for me. In the garden, a giant pair of clippers in his hand.
His gaze is directed on me as I approach and he looks away as if he’s disgusted, striding over to the rose bushes. Panic rises, clogging my throat, and I break out into a full run, not stopping until I’m standing between him and the line of rose bushes that belong to me.
I’m the one who nurtures them, not him. They’re mine.
“I know you were with him all day. Don’t bother denying it. I just saw the two of you together.” His face is contorted into an ugly mask to the point that he’s downright unrecognizable. “All day, Daisy. You skipped school! Youneverdo that.”
“I had to go to the clinic. I needed stitches.” I point at my face, relieved when Dad drops his arm, the clippers hanging at his side. “Arch took me there. He helped me when I needed him.”
“He helped you screw around and forget all about your responsibilities. What about school? What about getting into college? Skipping school and getting behind is only making it tougher on yourself.” Dad’s tone is bitter. “I’m disappointed in you, Daisy Mae. You know how I feel about Arch Lancaster and yet you still ran away with him.”
The disappointed remark isn’t going to work on me like it did last time. His feelings about Arch don’t affect mine.
“What I don’t get is why you hate him so much. Maybe he wasn’t that nice to me at first, but he’s changed. He cares about me. I know he does.” I glare at him, wishing he would actually listen to me. “Us not being at school had nothing to do with ‘screwing around,’ as you call it. I needed to see a doctor.”
Dad’s mouth sets into a firm line, his displeasure more than obvious. “I would’ve taken you. It’s my duty to take you—you’re my daughter. At the very least, you should’ve seen the nurse on campus first and gotten permission to leave and see a doctor.”
“Why bother when she would’ve sent me to the doctor anyway? What’s done is done. I don’t know why we’re arguing about it.” I try to walk past him but he shifts to the side, blocking me from going any farther. “Daddy, please. I want to go inside. I need to take a shower.”
“No. You listen to me.” His voice lowers and when I meet his gaze, I physically recoil. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my father look so…mean. “You two are done. I forbid you from seeing that boy.”
What?“But—”
“No buts. And I don’t have to give you an explanation. I’m your father and I know what’s best for you. And I don’t care to hear you defending him either. If you’d only open your eyes, you would see he’ll bring you nothing but trouble. Look at you now. You start hanging around him and you’ve turned into a different person. I still can’t believe your attitude last night. I don’t even recognize you anymore.”
I feel the exact same way about him. Who is this man, and what has he done with my thoughtful father? “You’re the one who cut my roses—”
“They were going to die anyway!” He inhales sharply, averting his gaze. Like he can’t stand to look at me. “You’re being ridiculous. Way too focused on the damn roses when they’re not the issue. They’ve never been the issue. That boy is the problem, Daisy. You just can’t see it.”
He’s too stubborn to see that Arch makes me happy. That he’s bringing me out of my shell and helping me discover I can stand up for myself. “Why can’t you trust me? It’s like you don’t even think I’m capable of making my own decisions.”
“When it comes to him, I don’t trust you. You’re too dazzled by his wealth and his good looks. You can’t see beyond that. The boy has faults. Lots of them,” Dad mutters.
“Don’t we all?” I ask incredulously. “And that’s not true.” I can’t deny that Arch is gorgeous but it’s more than that.He’smore than that. “I like him for more than his face. He’s a good person.”
“Who’s using you,” he practically spits.
“How? He doesn’t need to use me. He could have any girl he wants and he choseme.Because he cares about me.”
“He uses you for—sex.” He bites out the last word with disgust.
My entire body flushes with embarrassment at my father uttering that word. Like that’s all my relationship with Arch is about and nothing else. He doesn’t understand.
He most likely never will.
“This is the last time we’ll have this conversation.” My father’s voice breaks through the silence. “I forbid you from seeing Arch Lancaster. End of story.”
