“This coffee shop on campus doesn’t have a good signal. I think you’re cutting out.”
“You’re not on campus,” Dad says, voice dripping with fury. “Are you?”
“I am,” I croak out. “Promise.”
Lies. And he knows. I don’t know how, but he does. It’s probably my phone. He’s a tech genius, so I bet he has a locator on my phone.
I’m so stupid.
“We’ll see. If you’re not waiting outside the front of that school by the time the driver pulls up, so help me Landry, there will be hell to pay.”
He hangs up on me. I stare at my phone in horror, shock rendering me immobile for a few long seconds. My ears ring loudly and my heart pounds out of control. It’s not until Ford squeezes my thigh do I realize he’s speaking to me.
“What are we doing, Laundry?”
“School,” I rasp out. “I have to get back to school or…”
He doesn’t wait for me to elaborate and fires up the engine. The trip here was terrible because he drives like a maniac, but right now I’m thankful because it means I might make Dad’s frightful deadline.
“Belt on,” Ford barks. “And tell me why the fuck I don’t stick around and beat his ass when we get back.”
Shuddering, I buckle my belt and shoot him a glare. “Don’t even joke about it. He’d bury you, Ford. It’s what he does.”
“Who’s in the mob family now?” he jokes, but it falls flat because neither of us are feeling very playful.
I close my eyes and gnaw on my bottom lip that’s still sore from this weekend. I’m all out of sorts. My nerves are eating me alive from the inside out. Parts of my body, though, still throb from Ford’s expert touch.
We had sex.
Well, we started to. It would have been better had we finished. For those few minutes, it felt so raw and real and ridiculously hot. I was someone else. Not Landry Croft. If I could have frozen the moment, I would absolutely have.
That’s not my reality, though.
This is. My reality is my father controlling my every move and punishing me the second I step out of line. The older I get, the harder it is to play by his rules. I don’t want to be here with that monster. I want to be far, far away with Della.
What would a life without pain and fear even look like?
“I don’t want to take you back to him,” Ford grumbles. “I want to take you back to my place. Keep you safe.”
I nearly burst into tears at the earnest, sweet way he says that. I’d love that. Then I could keep pretending we were in our own little world.
But where does that leave Della?
All alone with the monster.
“You can’t call me anymore, Chevy. Don’t text me or anything.” My bottom lip wobbles. “I’ll see you at school on Wednesday and later that day when you tutor Della. I can’t risk him knowing I have a…you. I don’t want him to know.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. I’m deleting your number. Please don’t make me block you.”
His jaw clenches and he glares at the road. I feel like a bitch, but I don’t know what Dad will do. I’ve had my fun and lived a little. Look where it’s gotten me. I’m crushed at losing this thing with Ford. I have no choice, though.
“Pull in the back,” I instruct when we make it back to campus. “I’ll go through the building. He can’t see me pull up with you.”
“Your dirty little secret.”
He’s hurt and I get it. It doesn’t change anything. My dirty little secret has to go to the grave now. I have to figure out how to convince my dad that I’m not sneaking around doing bad stuff. If I can’t, I dread to think what he’ll do.
To me. To Della. To Ford.
Ford pulls up to the curb and throws it in park. Before I can escape, he curls his palm around the back of my head and pulls me to him. His lips crash to mine, possessive and comforting. I want to sink into his kiss and forget my life. Just live here in this blissful moment.
“We’ll talk on Wednesday,” he assures me against my mouth. “Tell me everything.”
I can’t make him any promises, so I don’t. Not that he lets it deter him. He steals another soul-warming kiss before I physically wrench myself from him. I hurry out of the car and when I turn back around, he has my backpack in hand. I go to take it, but he doesn’t let go.
“We’re going to finish what we started, babe.” He winks at me. “Next time, I’m going to take my time with you. Enjoy being deep inside you.”
Heat floods my cheeks, but a silly grin finds its way on my face which is quite a feat considering the amount of stress I’m currently under. “Bye, Chevy.”