"I'm not a heartless man, Daryl," he offered, sounding pained. "I'm just a desperate father, willing to do anything to protect the only family I have left." Looking shook, he removed his glasses and wiped the rims. "I care about you too, Daryl. I always have. You were like a son to me. You have no idea how many times I wished that you never found out. How many times I wished I could've protected you from the truth, too."

"But I did find out," I squeezed out, heart bucking wildly in my chest. "And no one protected me." No one believed me…

"Which is why you need to help me to protect her now," he urged, voice thick with emotion. "Leave it be, Daryl. Let the past stay in the past. Walk away."

2 Molly

"Okay, what the hell is up with you?" Mercy demanded at the end of last period.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I…" She rolled her eyes. "Molls, you've been completely out of it all day. You've barely spoken ten words today."

She was right.

I wasn't with it today.

I had been expecting to see Daryl at school. All day, I went about my business, attended all of my classes, ignored Britt and Ashley's cruel jibes, and ate lunch with Mercy.

The fear, anxiety, and self-doubt that had pushed me to slip out of my bed this morning without a word felt depressingly validated now.

Because Daryl didn't turn up at school.

He never showed.

Because he doesn’t want this.

He doesn’t want you…

Still, I slapped on the brightest smile I could and offered my friend nothing but the version of truth most people wanted. "Nothing's wrong." Another smile. "I'm just tired." Another lie. "That's all. I promise."

"Bullshit." Pulling on my sleeve, she stopped me short in the school parking lot. "I'm worried here. What the hell happened to you?"

Oh, nothing much, Mercy. It's just that last night I lost my virginity to the same boy I used to share a playpen with when we were babies. I took my clothes off for the boy who shared bubble baths with me when we were toddlers. I laid on my back for the boy who tried to kiss me on the lips when we were five and made me cry…

I wanted to say that I majorly regretted my actions last night.

After all, that's what any good, god-fearing girl would do.

But that would be a lie…

"Nothing." Hitching my bag onto my other shoulder, I continued to smile like a maniac at my best friend, hiding my insecurities with the universal sign of happiness.

Smile and the world smiles with you.

Mercy eyed me warily for a long moment before shaking her head. "You're a horrible liar, dude, but I won't push. Whatever's happening inside that pretty head of yours, just tell me when you're ready."

Never gonna happen.

I smiled brightly. "Sounds good."

3 Molly

After a highly anticlimactic day at school the last person I expected to be waiting for me at home was my father. But there he was, standing in the foyer, when I stepped through the front door.