Romance Collision ✔

ღChapter Forty-Five: Dan's Harsh Reality

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Daniel sat on one of the kitchen stools with his arms crossed and a scrutinizing gaze. Across from him was his daughter with her lips reeled into her mouth, staring back at him. Neither had said anything for the twenty-two minutes Eve had arrived home like she rolled around in a dumpster.

Daniel had been stirring the strained noodles, slowly adding the marinara sauce into it when the front door had creaked open. He turned, smiling until it dropped when his daughter slipped into the house. She raised shoulders, biting the corner of her bottom lip.

Daniel's brown eyes scanned her from head all the way down to her sneakers.

Flicking his gaze back up to the guilty-faced teenager, Daniel raised a brow. 

"Wanna take a seat, Kiddo?" He used the large wooden spoon to point at the counter.

Eve actually preferred not to. She really didn't want to, but Eve had only come inside in the first place to inform her parents about the dinner invitation she received for this evening. 

Eve was now thinking showering before she came to ask permission would have avoided any awkward stare downs or questions. 

After being motioned to take a seat on the red cushioned stool, Eve grimaced, raising her foot to take a slow step. She glanced at her father who was still pointing to the counter with the spoon, only now he used his head to nod for her to pick up her pace.

Eve groaned, rolling her eyes and walked over. Her sneakers were making squishing noises. She was sure some gunk would be found in strange places when she'd take a shower.

Daniel had placed the wooden spoon on the counter between them, crossing his arms once he took a stool to bring around and sit on. His eyes were still taking in the sticky masterpiece before him.

Though it presented opportunity to joke around, Eve had explained why she was looking the way she was and so Daniel was no longer amused. It involved a boy. And that didn't set well with him.

"So let me get this straight," Daniel finally spoke, lifting his hands up in the air and scrunched his nose with his eyes closed.

"You were at school."

"Yes."

"In English."

"Yes."

"And---" Daniel raised a brow quizzically, "—this boy... um..." he squinted, hinting he needed help with the name.

Eve craned her neck forward with raised brows as she supplied, "Gabriel."

"—Gabriel," Daniel echoed, looking back at the counter. "This Gabriel and you skipped school."

Eve pointed out they had not skipped at the same time. That Gabriel had left school first and Eve technically was at school, just not in the school because she'd been contemplating in the bleachers the whole afternoon.

"Contemplating...?" Daniel frowned. He was now tapping his fingers on the counter.

Glancing at this, Eve looked up at her father nodding slowly, "Yyyyyes."

"I see..." He carried on going through the replay of what 'went down' as Eve put it. He squinted, turning his head to raise a brow. "And you went to his house?"

Eve gave a firm nod. "Yes."

Eve narrowed his eyes. "And you both were alone?"

Gulping loudly, Eve nodded again. She made sure not to mention that Gabriel had been half naked, and had been standing in said half-naked boy's bedroom while he was dressing.