Page 33 of When You Stayed
“About as well as it was the last time you popped in.”
So not super far. “How come you aren’t over at the club?”
All my life, Dad had been busy with the club.
He set the socket wrench next to him and then placed his palms on the edge of the frame of the car.
“Just decided to hang here today and work on this.”
I watched him work while my brain wrangled that response intosomething coherent. But I couldn’t make it make sense. “But it’s Friday. You always have church on Friday.”
I knew this because the last Friday I had been at the club, I’d had my ass chewed by Ford for innocently showing up in a viral video. Something that was still on the internet, and I could not figure out why. I’d reported it and asked others to, but it was still up.
My father wouldn’t look up from the engine as he continued to work. Eventually, he cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Look, honey. I wanted to say I’m sorry for what I said to you. It was wrong and fucked-up. You aren’t causing me problems. I was just caught off guard by him being in your room. I know Ford isn’t a bad guy, but I can’t stand the idea of you being with a guy from the club.”
I shook my head, feeling my throat swell with emotion. “You were right. I wore that pajama set on purpose. I wanted to get under Ford’s skin, but we’re not dating or anything like that, so you don’t have to worry.”
My dad let out a small laugh while shaking his head. “Think you’ve been under Ford’s skin for a while, honey.”
I didn’t know what he meant by that, but I kept going. “I know what I agreed to when I was eighteen, Dad. But Max never came…isn’t there some way we can negotiate some freedoms? Besides, I’m older now. Most of your fear was over the fact that I was just eighteen.”
My father tilted his head back, searching the ceiling. “Your mother told me the same thing. However, the video you showed up in has changed the situation.”
“Changed it how? I know it’s never okay to draw attention to the club…I get that, and I know I’m your daughter, and you don’t want anyone to be able to target me?—”
“No, honey…it’s this Max thing. That video is essentially a map for him to follow, and a red flag being waved in front of a bull. Whoever released it to the public platforms knew that. I have my suspicions that they’re working with Max and making a play for us. So, I want you here now more than ever.”
We sank into the chairs in front of the sixty-inch flat-screen, while Dad let out another heavy sigh. Meanwhile, I let out a shuddery breath that felt more like a sob which was lodged in my throat. Just when Ithought my cage had broadened enough to slip outside of, the door slammed shut.
“I can’t risk anything happening to you, Royce.”
“So, if I leave and run around like Taryn, then I can move out and lose the detail of Stone Riders who follow me everywhere, but if I want to live anywhere within Rose Ridge alone, I can’t?”
Dad reached over and pulled my hand into his. “Max can’t find you out there, baby. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack. Here, you’re a pin on a billboard, he can simply yank out whenever he wants.”
“But what if he never comes? I’m stuck in this limbo?”
He paused, considering my words until he pulled back and slapped his thighs. “Okay, how about a compromise?”
“I’m listening.”
Dad’s green gaze locked on mine, “You find someone who can keep you as safe as I would, then you’re free to leave.”
I was chronically single, so this seemed like a losing opportunity for me. “I mean, there’s Julian, but we’re really not dating, it’s casual.”
My father’s nose scrunched in disgust. “Julian won’t keep you safe, honey. He’s absolutely not an option.”
Okay. I withheld the urge to roll my eyes. “Then who would meet your standards, Dad?”
He stared off to the side for a long time until he sighed. “I’ll figure this out. Just give me some time.”
Great. That didn’t sound cryptic at all.
Dad stood and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Love you, honey. Thank you for being willing to listen, it makes me feel better knowing you’re safe.”
My heart melted like it did when I was a little girl and he’d pick me up and place me on the back of his bike. We used to ride all over the property, and he’d give me and Taryn turns, returning only to leave again because we begged him to. He built us Barbie houses, sewed our ripped stuffed animals, painted our nails as little girls, and best of all, he treated our mom like she was a queen. Taryn and I both grew up seeing true love in real life, and now that I was older, I realized how rare of a gift that was. My dad was the best, so really, this request hehad wasn’t that big. I’d do this for him, and I would find a way to withstand whatever he came up with for this compromise.
“Can we do karaoke tonight?”
