"What was what about?" I replied, shifting around uncomfortably.

"That weird conversation between you and my dad."

"It was nothing," I lied through my teeth by saying, feeling my good mood darken and deflate.

"Nothing?" she pressed.

Protect my daughter, her father had warned.

In other words, keep your mouth shut…

"That's what I said."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Hell, I don't know, Molly." Releasing a frustrated growl, I slammed my hand down on the wheel. "I ain't a goddamn mind-reader, you know."

"Do you think I'm hard of hearing, D?"

"What?" I frowned in confusion. "No, of course not."

"Then why are you raising your voice to me?"

"I wasn't…" Was I? Fuck. "I'm sorry."

"Contrary to the other girls you're clearly used to spending your time with, I catch on pretty quickly," she shot back, turning in her seat to face me. "Which means that I know there was some hidden meaning behind that conversation between you and my father back at the house."

A vein ticked in my neck, but I didn't respond.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on or not?" she pushed, arms folding across her chest.

"Not."

Because I don't want to lie to you…

"What did we say about telling each other the truth, Daryl?"

Trust me, Dolly, you don't want my truth…

Shaking my head, I pulled into the parking lot of the country club and circled around until I found a parking spot.

Killing the engine, I kept my hands on the steering wheel and stared straight ahead, unable to look her in the eyes.

"What you saw back there was your father just trying to protect you," I finally said.

"Protect me from what?"

I turned to look at her. "From me, Dolly."

"Because…" she drawled, willing me to give her the answers she was chasing.

I shrugged. "Because spending time with me could get you hurt."

She was quiet for a long moment, brown eyes locked on mine, as she mulled my words over.

"Oh my god," she finally said with a small shake of her head. "He got to you, didn't he?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Jesus, I'm right." Groaning, she pressed a hand to her forehead. "The morning after we spent the night together… Dad told me that he showed you to the door –" Her words trailed off as her brain went into overdrive, "And right afterwards you started avoiding me…" She shook her head again. "He warned you off, didn't he? That's why you ghosted me. Why you were cruel at your house that day?" Her eyes widened. "That's why you said that you were trying to do the right thing! Because my father told you not to hang around with me!"

"It's a little more complicated than that, but yeah." I hated myself for giving this girl half-truths when she deserved nothing but full disclosure from me, but the alternative… Fuck, the alternative turned my blood to ice in my veins. "He doesn't want you to get hurt."