Page 248 of Daddy's Pride

Is that another rule?

SUNDAY 9:46 PM

A suggestion.

SUNDAY 9:47 PM

I don’t mind if you make it a rule, LOL.

Sorry, that sounds weird. I just mean that, um, I’m having a salad tomorrow because of your green vegetable rule, and I don’t even mind that Tyler makes fun of me because… I like making you proud of me?

I don’t know what I’m trying to say. I know dating isn’t a salad.

But I’d even eat more salads if you told me to.

(But please don’t tell me to.)

I should go to bed.

SUNDAY 9:50 PM

You should. And I am proud of you.

SUNDAY 9:52 PM

Thank you, Daddy.

Good night, Daddy.

SUNDAY 9:55 PM

Good night, sweetheart -xo

Chapter 4

North

“You know what we should do this weekend, hermano?”

I hit send on the text I’d just sent to my—to Owen, congratulating him on completing his last final, then looked up at Juan.

“Get started on your new deck?”

He knocked into my shoulder, chuffing out a laugh. “Hell no. What? We are not relaxing after a long week of work by doing some extra work. My deck can wait. We need to go to the club. It’s been months.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Months? Weren’t you just telling me about the bratty little boy you met there last week, the one who looked so good with your cock down his throat?”

Juan grinned at me. “So you were listening. I can never be sure anymore, not now that you’re always glued to your phone.”

He lunged for it, and I instinctively yanked it out of his reach, making him laugh.

“Still keeping your love life a secret, I see.”

I tucked my phone into my back pocket. “No love life. Just a friend.”

Which was nothing but the truth, and yet it felt like… less than the truth.

Owen wasn’t mine.