“Does Travis know about you two?” She opened the door. “Travis!”
“Laura, please.” Gillian reached for her hand.
“Please what?”
“What’s going on?” Travis appeared and smiled. His joy faded when he saw mine and Gillian’s hands connected. “What the hell is going on?” His voice boomed.
Gillian stepped in front of me. Bless her heart, but she wouldn’t be able to protect me from her father’s fury. “We need to talk to you. Privately.” She flicked her eyes to Laura and Pam.
“Excuse me? I think I deserve to know what’s going on here,” Pam hissed.
“The hell you deserve anything,” I shot back. Who in the hell did this woman think she was, demanding anything from us?
All the while, Travis looked as if he could tear me to pieces any second.
“Dad, please.” Gillian released my hand and stepped toward him. “Can we talk?” she asked in a calm voice. Cautiously, she touched his arm.
His gaze dropped to her. Thank God he didn’t pull away. It would destroy her if he did.
“Gillian, please tell me this isn’t what it looks like.” He gripped her arm, making her wince. I held back, trying not to react hastily. But if he didn’t ease off her, I’d knock him back and protect what was mine.
“Of course it’s what it looks like,” Laura huffed. “Pam suspected it. She’d called me this morning to tell me she’d heard them in the bathroom at the Mexican restaurant. She thought they were doing it, Travis.”
His eyes bulged, darting between Gillian and me.
“We were not!” Gillian cried out. “Please, Dad. Let’s go inside. Just the three of us.”
Laura gasped. “I deserve to be included.”
“Get inside, Gillian,” Travis barked. “You too, Fox.”
Gillian reached for my hand again, as if trying to protect me. I loved her for it. Travis was fucking scary standing in the doorway, not budging from his spot as we passed him. Knowing how much he loved his kids, I didn’t think he’d punch me in front of them, but I could be wrong. There was no telling what he’d do at the moment. He might react on impulse, rage like in a crime of passion.
“Honestly, Travis. He’s old enough to be her father.” Laura quibbled in a harsh tone. I never really liked her high-and-mighty attitude, but Travis had seemed content with her. I figured no one would ever make him as happy as Alyssa, his first love.
I knew something about that now with Gillian. Nobody had ever made me feel the way she did.
We sat next to each other on the sofa, my arm around her protectively and our fingers linked. We were a united front. Ready to take the heat for our actions and burn together. Really, was it so wrong to be in love with each other?
Wasn’t age just a number?
The front door slammed shut, making Gillian jump in her seat.
Travis didn’t join us right away. I heard him in the kitchen, my ears dialed in to the sound of clinking bottles.
“I love you,” I whispered, squeezing her hand for assurance.
“I love you too. Nothing changes.”
God, she had no idea how much her words meant to me. “Nothing changes,” I repeated back.
Travis appeared with a bottle of tequila and two beers. I didn’t expect this. A bottle and a shot glass were placed in front of me. He sat across from us in his black leather recliner and threw back his shot.
We just stared at each other for the longest minute of my life.
“Christ, she’s only nineteen.” Travis gritted his teeth. “She’s my daughter, you motherfucker!”
Gillian tensed, squeezing my hand.