Color Me Pretty: A Father's Best Friend Romance

I gaped, walking us over to the register and paying for the fruit. “And you stayed with him? You deserve better than that, Kat.”

Her eyes rolled. “We both know I’m no saint, Della. When I first found out I was angry he lied, but I liked Mikel. Plus, the sex was phenomenal. Why would I give that up?”

The woman working the cash register froze for a moment, her lips twitching upward at the conversation between me and my eccentric, wild at heart friend. I met Katrina when we were little, and we couldn’t be more opposite to this day, but it worked for us. She loved parties, which she dragged me to if Ren didn’t, sleeping around with as many guys as possible, which I’d always envied, and doing whatever she wanted without consequences. I loved Kat because she was herself no matter what people thought of her, but sometimes I wondered if it got old. The wild child thing. Then again, her family didn’t seem to care what she did because they never stopped her, so why should I question it?

Once outside the campus store, we found a free picnic table to occupy while t

he sun was still out. “Did they let you re-enroll? The semester is half over.”

“Nah. I was visiting a couple friends in Humphrey when I saw you walk in. I know I should have reached out sooner about your father, but…”

I waved her off, not wanting to talk about it. There was no point bringing up the past. Neither of us could change what our fathers did, and it took a lot not to think about the implications that hers might have been more involved than was let on. Considering he was free and roaming, I guessed that wasn’t the case. But still…

“My dad still asks me about you,” she said softly, watching me peel open my fruit cup and stab at a piece with the plastic fork I snatched. “He wanted me to tell you he was sorry he couldn’t be at the funeral.”

It hurt to swallow. “Well, tell him thanks.”

“Della—”

“No, it’s fine.” Clearing my throat, I focused solely on the food in front of me. Unable to do more than stare, I poked around to find the different types in the fruit juice.

“Are you okay? Like, really okay?”

I knew what she was asking. “Yes, Kat. I told you when we talked last that I was better. Nothing has changed.”

“A lot has changed. Your dad—”

“I know about my dad,” I snapped. I rarely did that, lost my temper. As much as I loved Katrina for her strong personality, there were moments I wish she’d drop something. She knew my father was a sore subject, but not as much as my disorder was. Blowing out a deep breath, I set the fruit down on the table. “I told you I’m fine. I didn’t lie. So just…”

She shifted uncomfortably because she wasn’t used to being yelled at. People were intimidated by her and her own father rarely ever raised his voice when she was involved. She had him wrapped around her finger. “I’m sorry, Del. I just care about you. I know how hard things were for you and how much stress could make it worse.”

I felt bad, so my shoulders dropped. “I didn’t mean to get angry. I just don’t want to talk about this. Tell me about what you’re doing now that you’re back.”

Her dulled expression changed in a millisecond, becoming much more chipper as she perked up. “I’m renovating the guest house to move in to before my classes start this summer. In fact, Sam and Gina said they’d help.”

Ah. Sam and Gina used to dance with us once upon a time. Their mothers were friends with our mothers, so we’d all hung out quite a bit growing up. I never liked them because they were into things that I didn’t like being part of. Sam almost got arrested for shoplifting when we were sixteen, but her father got her out of trouble. I was certain they still participated in the hobby because I saw Gina’s mugshot in the New York Daily only months ago for stealing liquor.

“Get that sour look off your face. They’re not that bad,” she scoffed knowingly.

I tried my best to act unfazed. “I didn’t know you hung out with them still. I heard that Sam got into some trouble at some high-end party last year.” Theo had been at that party because it was for some investor who put a lot of money in Interactive Marketing. Sam’s father had made it no secret he wanted in, so he was there to try talking with Theo when Sam showed up drunk before causing a scene. I wasn’t sure what happened with the potential business Theo could have drummed up from it because I heard Sam’s dad was a strong-willed man.

“They like to party. So what?”

I didn’t say anything.

Kat sighed. “You need to lighten up. Why don’t you come over to my place tonight? They’ll be there and they mentioned how much they’ve wanted to reconnect. They feel bad about…things.”

I held my tongue, knowing it was better not to say a word about what those things were. Reminding myself that they weren’t their fathers usually helped, but it would be easier if they didn’t act like they didn’t have a foot in the door of the family business they should have been avoiding altogether if they were smart.

“I have a lot of homework,” I told her quietly, picking up my fruit again.

She grabbed it from me. “You’re lying. I know you, Della. You’re bad at it. My place. Eight. I’ll tell them to be on their best behavior.”

It didn’t matter what she told them, they marched to the beat of their own drum. I used to wish I could be like them. Free. Willing to take risks. But the risks they took weren’t the same kinds I wanted to.

I knew Kat though. She wouldn’t take no for an answer, which meant one way or another I’d wind up at her house. If she was moving into the guest house out back by their large pool, who knew what I’d be walking into.

She took a piece of fruit and winked. “I see the wheels turning. Live dangerously for once, Del. You know you want to.” Passing me back my food, she grabbed her purse and shot me a wink. “I’ve missed you.”