This was mortifying in so many ways. But at the same time, it was actually kind of comforting that he was here. The rumor was probably already spreading that he was my dad. Maybe that would make Gigi leave me alone for once. But I didn’t think his arm was around my shoulders to protect me from Gigi. He was doing it to keep Axel and Jacob away from me. Axel and Jacob.

It wasn’t like he was buddying up to Liam in the hallways. Not that Liam would care. Apparently he was adjusting to high school just fine. He probably wouldn’t think this was embarrassing at all.

We stopped by my locker so I could grab the books I needed. “You should have heard all the rumors going around the school today,” I said.

“Oh you mean like that call me Daddy comment?” he said with a laugh. “That was funny.”

“It wasn’t funny. It was gross. And what would mom think?”

“She’d laugh too. She knows my heart belongs with her.” He spotted Sophie in the hallway. “Do you need a ride home, Soph?” my dad asked.

“Nope.” She shuddered, holding back another gag and then ran into the bathroom.

“Are you sure she’s okay? Should I call her dad?”

“No, she’s fine. She’s just having trouble swallowing some news.” Ew. Why did I word it that way?

My dad shrugged. “Well, this is going to be a fun year,” he said as we made our way out of Empire High.

I froze in my tracks. “Wait, you said you only took this job for a year. Where are you teaching next year?”

“We’ll see what happens.” He smiled down at me.

Hell no. “You can’t follow me to college, Dad.”

“Who said anything about following you to college? That would be very controlling of me. And I’m certainly not controlling.”

He was the definition of controlling. Why else would he be here?

“Come on. Your mom has ice cream waiting for us. She had a feeling you’d need it after my surprise. I don’t know why.”

I laughed. Because there was nothing else I could do. There was no way my dad was going to quit teaching here. If anything, my stupid outfit had solidified his need to insert himself into my life. And the fact that both Axel and Jacob had been staring at me during class. Had they really been? Or was my dad just overreacting?

“This is going to be the best year ever,” my dad said as he opened up the car door for me.