reached a point where if both of us were going someplace together, or if he’d walked me to the car, I didn’t even reach for my belt. That was Daddy’s job.
I focused on his taillights in front of me as we made the short drive home. The stupid, insecure part of my brain screamed at me that it wasn’t home, it was Theron’s house and he wasn’t even officially my boyfriend so I couldn’t claim his space as my own. I thumped my palm against the steering wheel, trying to force those thoughts out of my head.
Daddy was already at the edge of the garage waiting for me when I parked on the wide slab at the top of the driveway. He opened my door as soon as I turned off the engine. “Are you ready to go in and get some sleep?”
“I don’t usually go to bed right after I get done with work,” I told him. It was another reason I hadn’t wanted to come over here on work nights. He woke up early every day, and I didn’t want my crazy schedule screwing with his.
“We’ll have to see if we can find a way to help you unwind then.” He hefted my backpack over his shoulder and slid his hand into mine. “Did you have dinner tonight?”
“Yeah, but that was hours ago.” After my screw up, I wasn’t going to give Daddy anything less than the complete truth. Without asking if I was hungry, he led me to the kitchen and pulled out a stool at the island. My stool, because it was where I sat whenever he was making dinner. He filled a sippy with water and handed it to me. I scrunched up my nose. “Juice would be better.”
“That might be, but water is healthier. You don’t need to load up on sugar when you’re supposed to be going to bed soon.” He grabbed a handful of nuggets out of the freezer, then cut up a few strawberries and a banana while the chicken heated in the microwave.
I loved the way my mind settled from just watching him put together a late-night snack for me. But I couldn’t fully relax because Daddy was still upset. I knew he was, even if he wasn’t saying anything. “Are you going to yell at me for lying to you?”
“Would it make you feel better if I did?” Instead of answering immediately, I took a few seconds to think about his question. I wasn’t sure if it would make me feel better or worse. I just wanted whatever was coming to happen so we could move on. Until I knew I hadn’t ruined a good thing, I’d be constantly waiting for something to happen. Daddy set down a plate in front of me and took the stool next to mine. “It’ll take me time to process how I feel about what happened tonight. It was unexpected and I don’t do well with that. I like to think I’m observant, and I missed the signs.”
“Because I didn’t want you to see them.” Daddy didn’t like it when I interrupted him, but he had to know this was my fault, not his. Deep down, I knew he wouldn’t be agreeable to me sleeping at the bar, but I didn’t want him to see me as incapable or needing rescuing. I needed to know that he wanted me because of attraction, not a sense of needing to save me. “Maybe that was wrong of me, but I’ve worked really, really hard to prove I could make it on my own. Admitting that I’ll do just about anything to stay away from my apartment until I can get out of my lease is something almost no one knows. The guys at work know because it’s kinda hard to hide from them, but no one else. Not even my parents. Especially not my parents.”
“I get that, baby.” Theron picked up a chicken nugget and held it in front of my mouth. I took a bite and he smiled. After he popped the rest of the nugget into my mouth, he started rubbing my back. “But you have to remember that I’m not anyone. I’m Daddy, and it’s my job to take care of you. Not because you can’t do it on your own, but because we both get something out of it.”
It was impossible to swallow my food with the huge lump in my throat. Tears pooled along my bottom lashes. I felt horrible.