They had to know the truth—or some of it. I walked into the middle of the bedding and sat down, gesturing for them to follow.
“I need to tell you something.” My hands shook and Hayden took one in his own to settle me.
Jackson touched my back. “Babe, you can tell us anything.”
No, I couldn’t, but they had to know enough to stay safe. “So, here’s the thing, my dad is…pretty charismatic.”
“He’s a preacher, right?”
“He is, an evangelist and also a crook. When I was ten he was busted for stealing money from the church in Oceanside. He had a drug addiction and a whole heap of bad habits.”
“Holy shit,” Jackson said.
“The church agreed not to press charges if he joined their prison mission team, which involved traveling around the country preaching in prisons and to the less fortunate.”
Hayden’s eyebrows shot up. “Prisons? Like Johnny Cash.”
“Shut up, dude,” Anderson said, smacking him on the arm.
“I wish. No, he’s nothing more than a petty thief and a con-man. He grew up in the oppressively religious town of Oceanside, and since the church covered for him and it appeared as though he left me and my mom, the town assumed we were the sinners. That’s why we moved to Allendale.” I took a deep breath. “I had no idea he was back. I doubt my mom knew either, until he showed up.”
“Wow, that’s pretty intense,” Oliver said. “Why didn’t you tell us about any of this?”
I shook my head, fighting back tears. “Because it’s embarrassing and weird. I grew up with a lot of rules and shame was a common punishment. You guys were so different. So accepting. I didn’t want to drag my past into our relationship.”
Jackson spoke up. “He seemed excited to see you and he’s taken an interest with school and everything. That can’t be bad.”
“My father has a way of manipulating people—things—and situations. He’s very controlling. He believes in one set of rules for the women in his life and a whole other for himself.”
“You’re afraid he’ll find out about us?”
And what he’d do to me or them if he found out.
I nodded. “We can’t let him find out. And you can’t engage him, do you understand? If he shows up asking for a favor or offers you a job of any kind, say no.”
Anderson’s forehead creased. “Heaven, is he dangerous?”
Physically, no. Emotionally…
His green eyes held mine and I had no doubt he understood me. He grabbed my free hand and said, “If you want us to stay clear of him, that’s fine. We can do that. And as much as none of us want to hide our relationship, we’d already decided to take things slow at school. None of us want you to go through the stuff that happened at Allendale.”
“Yep,” Oliver agreed. “We’re just your amazing group of BFFs that, you know, can’t keep our hands off of you.”
“Thank you. I hate dragging you into anything involving him or my family.”
“Babe, you are our family,” Jackson replied.
Hayden leaned over and kissed my ear, sending a chill down my spine that replaced the anxiety with something different—better. We’d get through this like we’ve managed every other obstacle over the past year.
Together.
3
“Is that what you’re going to wear?” my mother asked as I came down the stairs.
I shot her a look, then one down at my dress. It was a summer sundress that hit just below my knees and had criss-cross straps over my back. Zero cleavage. “What’s wrong with this?”
Her outfit didn’t escape me. I had no idea what corner of her closet she pulled it from, but she should have left it there. It was navy blue. The skirt was long and down to her ankles. A heavy cardigan covered her plain top. The outfit was bland, boring, and shapeless.