Her strength amazes me. I guess that’s why I felt like she was the one. Because I have the feeling that if I’m gonna catch shit for dating her, then she might be on the receiving end of some of that negative shit too.
The thought of that shit happening fills me with rage, and I know I have to protect her, because as full of lip as she is, my baby has a marshmallow core.
My baby, she’d probably kick my ass if she knew that’s how I think of her. Resting my head back against the chair, I played the pros and cons of telling her in my head.
“What’s the matter with you now?” I opened my eyes to see dad looking down at me. “Don’t tell me that you’ve got issues now too. I’m beginning to second guess this move, I don’t think it’s been working out for you and your sister.”
“It’s nothing like that dad and I don’t think Sian would agree with you. She wouldn’t have met Jace otherwise.” I smiled as he sat next to me.
“You’ve got a point but this place is strange. My teenage daughter is engaged to a guy she met a few weeks ago and is now at his home recuperating, after being almost killed in an alley. Damn, it sounds even worse when I say it out loud.”
“It’s life in the fast lane dad. But since when do you measure things in time?”
“I’m not, it just seems like we’re moving at warped speed since we landed here and it’s now hitting home. I’m not sure that I would’ve let Sian become so deeply involved with any of the boys back home, but this Jace, he seems so, I don’t know. He has more sense than I did when I was that age that’s for sure.”
“Jace is solid dad, I’m the one who’s not so much.” I felt the sting of embarrassment over my past actions. How could I have been so stupid? the only saving grace was that I knew I didn’t feel half of what I do now back then.
“What do you mean, did something happen?”
“You could say that. I fell in love.”
“Yeah? But that’s good isn’t it?”
“It’s great but I did something before that I’m ashamed of and it ties in somehow I think.”
“What say you tell your old man all about it and we’ll see what we see huh? I’m grabbing a snack you want one?”
“Nah, Jace had everything you could imagine at his last minute get together.” I tapped my stomach, which was still full, hours later.
“And your sister how is she looking?”
“She’s good but I think he’s making her crazy. He won’t let her do anything, she had to sit and watch the rest of us play all day.”
“Good man Jace. So tell me, what is it that you did at your young age that’s so horrible?”
“You didn’t ask me who I’m in love with.”
“I know already.” He actually snorted.
“What? That’s not possible, nobody knows.”
“You’re good boy but not that good. Every time she comes around here you get stupid. Not to mention the way you follow her with your eyes when you think no one else is looking.”
“Who?”
“Belle.”
“Seriously, you knew…and?” For some reason I knew that the fact that it no longer mattered was all the answer I needed, but I still wanted to hear his opinion.
“And what?” The fact that he asked that had the band around my chest loosening just a little bit more.
“Aren’t you going to tell me I can do better or something like that?”
“What the…explain yourself son. What do you mean by that?” He seemed a bit affronted by my words and that only made me feel better.
“She’s not…” I couldn’t say the words out loud because they sounded so wrong in my head.
“She’s not what?”
“Thin.” There I said it, but it was his reaction that threw me.
“What the fuck did you just say?” Dad isn’t in the habit of swearing, especially not in front of his kids, but I think I’d given him a shock.
“Please tell me that no son of mine is that fucking stupid. And why would you think that I would feel anyway one way or the other about what she looks like?”
“Calm down dad, I didn’t mean to disrespect you by suggesting that, it’s just that…do you remember Janice, Sian’s friend?”
“Which one was Janice, you know I can’t keep up with your sister’s friends.”
“She was the only one that wasn’t on the cheerleading squad.”
“Okay, go on.”
“Well, one day coach caught me looking at her and he ah, he pulled me aside after practice and basically told me that it wouldn’t look good for the team if I dated someone like her.”
“He what?” I think steam came out of his ears and nostrils before he jumped up from his seat.
“Dad where are you going?”
“To call your old principal and get that ass fired or disciplined at the very least. I didn’t teach you kids to believe in that bullshit, I don’t want anyone else doing that shit.
By the way I think Belle is a very beautiful girl and I wouldn’t have cared what she looked like. As long as she’s what you want that’s good enough for me.
Maybe one day soon you will bring her home and introduce her to your mother and I.”
“Dad you already know Belle.”
“I already know my daughter’s friend, I’ve never been introduced to my son’s girlfriend. I guess we need to have the talk again soon huh.”
“That’s okay dad, I remember everything from the last time.”
“Boy you were like seven, you don’t remember shit.”
He left me alone with my thoughts and the phone in my hand. I should’ve known better, even when coach had said those fucked up words to me two years ago I’d known that he was wrong; it was my own cowardice that held me back then.
Now I wasn’t about to let anyone stand in my way again.
Chapter 5
JACE
“I think I should do it.” I’d just told Sian about Mandy and what they wanted me to do. I’d given it some more thought and I couldn’t see any other way.