The Bad Boy's Girl (Now Available as a Paperback and ebook)

Chapter Forty One:BAM, You're Naked and It's Go Time

"Relax Tess, it's not nearly as bad as it is in your head." My dad tells me as he sits on couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table. I saw him a couple of days ago but now he seems older, scarier and maybe a bit more authoritative. I haven't done anything wrong but still this feels like those times as a kid when you know you're going to get scolded for something. 

"Why do I get the impression that it is? You wouldn't have flown over in a night if it weren't." 

"I had business in the city anyway when your mom called I decided to come early." 

Shaking my head, I begin pacing the room. "What did she say to you? Whatever it is you have to know that she tried to manipulate me." 

He huffs out a breath, "Of course I do honey. I know all about the latest man in her life and I know it's just a fleeting affair. But she recognises a golden opportunity when she sees one and probably thought she could set you up with the son and keep it in the family." 

"That's disgusting, she had no respect for my relationship and Drew, oh my god Dad, you can't even begin to imagine how big of a self righteous, ignorant prick he was." 

He laughs at me and shakes his head. "I'm pretty sure Cole put him in his place if the medical reports were anything to go by."

That immediately makes me shut up. "He deserved it, " I mumble, once again defending Cole against the world. 

"I'm sure he did and I'm not here to berate you about your personal life or your relationship. But your mother while being as misguided as she is made one valid point."

Fear lodges itself in my throat, any valid point my mom makes can never be good news. 

Feeling as though what he's going to say to me will be nothing but bad I take a seat on the plush  love seat opposite my dad so as to give my shaky legs some support. Maybe I'm overreacting, maybe he has to say to me won't be necessarily negative or even if it is then it shouldn't matter to me. But that theory goes to hell the moment Cole enters the room looking all freshly showered and outrageously sexy. There's a grim expression on his face as though he's heard part of our conservation and knows that there's a problem. 

"Mr O'Connell, " He nods his head towards my dad and sits down close to me. He grabs my hand in his and squeezes it in reassurance. "This is a surprise." 

"Well it was either I show up here or let me ex-wife sort it out with your family. I think the Sheriff would prefer not going through that kind of torture. We compromised, I decided to come here and talk to you two and she promised to stop being a giant pain in the ass."

I wince, a part of me still not used to having my parents talk so harshly about each other out in the open. But mostly I'm frustrated with the fact that my mom chose the absolutely wrong time to start giving a damn about my life. I have no idea what's going on in that head of hers or why she feels so compelled to make interfere in my boyfriend's life. But if she doesn't stop soon, she'll have a very angry Irish blooded daughter to deal with. 

"I guess I appreciate that." Cole tells him and it's my turn to squeeze his hand. 

"But you don't completely disagree with her do you? There's something you find reasonable in all her madness?" 

"Yes there is one where I think she's coming from the right place."

"And?"

He sighs and rubs his hand across his jaw, studying the two of us carefully and then studying our joined hands. Then as if thinking very carefully about his words he tells me, " What I feel is that the two of you are young and that it's not exactly healthy to have such a dependant relationship at this age."