“Dads are supposed to care about their kids, protect their daughters… that kind of shit. He’s lucky I think of him as Father and not Shithead.”
Kyle laughs and then sighs wearily. “I’m sorry you have to deal with bullies on top of everything else.”
“It’s not the worst thing in the world. I’ll be fine.”
“You shouldn’t have to deal with anything like that,” he repeats.
“So you say, but it’s not that big of a deal.”
“If a guy stands up to them for you, maybe consider dating him.”
I snort, thinking about Rob and how he hasn’t gotten his friends to stop. Then again, Ace, Gabe, and Zac can make up their own minds. They’re the ones responsible for what they say and do. I haven’t seen Rob since he came over to my place, so I’m not sure where he thinks we stand versus where we actually stand. Hell, I’m not sure where we stand myself.
“I’m not sure I’m ready to have a serious relationship right now,” I inform him.
“I hear ya. That’s why I haven’t been dating seriously since Carla.”
“Should I be asking you if you’re being careful?” I ask slyly.
“I’m careful,” he says, his tone shockingly serious. “You can trust that I’m washing it thoroughly between uses.”
“Washing what?” I ask. There’s no way he means…
“The condom,” he says.
I let out a shriek. “Kyle!”
He bursts out laughing, the kind that makes your eyes tear up. “I’m joking! Man! I should’ve waited until we were face to face to say that to you.”
“You asshole!”
Kyle continues to laugh in my ear, and I hang up. He seriously had me going there for a second.
But it had been so good to hear from him. I can’t believe what he’s been put through. Father was a villain to Kyle. A complete and total asshole. If I ever see my father again, I’m going to make him pay for all of the agony and heartache and pain he’s forced us to endure.
Just like I intend to prove to Rob that I’m a legend in my own right, I can be a villainess right back to my father too.
CHAPTER18
Talkingwith Kyle made it worthwhile to miss class, and I send an email to my professor to apologize for missing class, that I had been detained by unforeseen circumstances but also assuring him that it will never happen again.
Because I refuse to dwell on the talk about my father, there’s one key thing that Kyle said that echoes in my mind.
“If a guy stands up to them for you, maybe consider dating him.”
So far, there hasn’t been one, and I don’t know if there ever will be. It doesn’t matter either way because I don’t plan on dating, like I told Kyle. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t do a better job of standing up for myself. It doesn’t matter what I say to the guys, so maybe it’s time for action.
Although it’s not easy to concentrate, I do my required reading for various classes and even work on an essay, but once my eyes start to cross, I figure I’ve done enough for today.
Which means I can get ready for tonight.
Michaela Fox is one of the friends I’ve made in my major, and she texts me when she’s ready for dinner, but I have to tell her that I have other plans for tonight. While she teases me, figuring it’s because of a boy, that’s not the case. Well, not really, not the way she’s thinking.
I head to my car, and I have to say that it’s a bit unnerving to look at the gas gauge and know that it’s a ruined. Well, ruined isn’t the right word for it. It can be fixed, and I probably should get it fixed. Rob won’t always be around to help me, and I don’t want to have to rely on anyone else. Part of the reason why I came here for college was to prove to myself and the world that I can be self-sufficient, and I will do that.
If I want to prove to the world that I’m a legend, then I need to first convince myself.
At the hardware store, I wander around until I find what I’m looking for. Most of the guys have black bikes, which is why I opt for silver.