Without You

Me: At Will’s.

Colt: Are you okay?

Me: Of course I am. When are you going home? If Dad or Mom ask, I’ve been with y’all.

Colt: Alex, please tell me you wanted this.

Me: Colt, I love him, and yes, I wanted it more than anything.

Colt: You know I want to pound his ass right now.

Me: I love you for that.

Colt: Luke is gonna freak, Alex.

Me: It’s none of his business.

I glanced up and noticed Will watching me. “Colt knows.”

Will closed his eyes and pushed his hands through his hair. “Ah hell.”

I let out a giggle and then quickly looked at the back door when I heard it opening. I snapped my head back at Will, who was looking at the door in horror.

When the door opened, Josh and Heather walked in.

Heather stopped and looked at me. She smiled. “Alex, darling.”

Josh stopped and glanced over to Will before turning and looking at me. He tilted his head a bit as he looked at me, then back at Will, and then back to me again. He smiled sweetly, but then he slowly turned to face Will. “Will, it’s pretty late, and I’m sure Alex needs to be heading home.”

Will nodded his head and grabbed his keys from the island. I jumped off the stool and instantly felt sore. I was pretty sure I’d played it off, but with the way Heather was staring at me, I knew I had done a piss-poor job of it.

I started to walk by when Heather reached for my hand. I stopped and turned to face her.

Her eyes softened, and she smiled at me. “Will, wait for Alex out by your truck, please.”

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.

I glanced at Lex and gave her a small smile. Then, I headed out the door, and my father followed me. I walked up to my truck and opened the door, only to have him push it shut.

“You want to tell me what in the hell you were thinking?”

I’d never lied to my father, not once, and I wasn’t about to start now.

I slowly turned and leaned up against my truck. I looked him in the eyes. “I love her, Dad. It was something we both wanted.”

His whole body slumped, and he let out a sigh as he shook his head. “Her father would break you in two if he knew what happened tonight.”

I pushed off my truck. “You’re not going to tell him, Dad, are you?”

He just looked at me. “I ought to. In my house, Will? My. House.”

“Dad, I didn’t want her first time to be in my truck or some damn barn. I wanted to at least make it special and have her feel comfortable.”

I saw a small smile play across his face.

He quickly looked away. “At least we taught you something right.”

I knew what I was about to do was a low blow, but I was going for it anyway. “Did you and Mom wait, Dad?”

He spun around and glared at me. “Excuse me?”

“Did you wait, Dad? I’m just asking a simple question. Did you wait until you were married or until you found Mom? I love Lex. I saved myself for her, Dad. We both wanted this.”

His mouth opened slightly. “You…you’ve never had sex before?”

I shook my head. “No. I told you, I love her and wanted my first time to be with her. I gave her the promise ring Granddad made. I gave it to her before we even did anything.”

My father slowly nodded his head and let out a long breath. “To answer your question, no, I didn’t wait. As a matter of fact, I was a bit of a player before I met your mother.”

I pulled my head back. “Really?”

He let out a gruff laugh. “Yeah. I have many regrets, Will. I was foolish and disrespectful to many women. I don’t want you to follow in my footsteps.”

I stood there in shock as I took in what my father had said. He always pushed me to be a gentleman and to treat women with the highest respect. I guessed he’d learned from his mistakes, and he didn’t want me to make the same.

“I’m sorry if I disrespected you and Mom by bringing Lex here tonight.”

My father walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. “William, I’m not going to say I’m happy about this, but there is one thing I’m happy about.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“I’m happy and damn proud of you for taking Alex’s feelings into consideration in all of this. I’m not going to share this with Gunner because, honestly, I’d like to see you have a go at this life.”

I let out a chuckle.

My father raised his eyebrow at me. “I’m being serious.”

I nodded my head. “I know you are, sir. Nervous laugh, I guess.”