He'd only just gotten here and I already wanted to smash his face into the kitchen counter.

"Damn, she's hot," Dad whistled watching Maya scurry out of the kitchen. I hated how he was looking at her. And the fact that she was half naked didn't make it any better. I had no idea he was even coming home. He usually calls first.

It never really mattered before but I didn't want to subject Maya to him. She didn't deserve that.

For the most part, he looked the same as he did a few months ago, maybe a little bit more tan, but he likes to island hop so he can stay bronzed through the winter months. He held a little bit more expression in his face letting me know that he was due for a fresh injection of botox. His dyed blonde hair was brushed back from his face and his lightweight button down and slacks were inappropriate for the chilly November weather.

"You should never bring the girl that you have on the side to your house," he said setting his phone and keys on the counter. "It makes hiding things too complicated."

"Maya's my girlfriend, Dad." I tried to keep my voice level.

"Really?" he asked confused. "What happened to that one girl--Diamond?"

"Crystal." For all the years that I was with Crystal and he didn't even remember her name. He's met her parents for crying out loud! "And we broke up a while ago."

"Pity," he shrugged making himself a drink at the bar. He sniffled, brushing his nose with the back of his hand. "Now remind me was she the one with the huge rack because I can't remember."

I hate him.

I didn't even dignify what he said with a response. "Where were you?" I asked him trying to steer the conversation around.

"Oh, here and there," he said breezily, "I went to Turk and Caicos for a few days, at least I think that's where I was." He took a sip of the amber liquid in his glass, "I don't really remember, but I think I'm going to open a resort there."

He spotted the open Kennedy Institute letter on the counter, and my stomach dropped a little. "What is this?"

"It's a letter," I said sarcastically. I guess Maya is rubbing off on me more than I thought she was.

"No shit, smartass. But why is an automotive institute sending you letters?"

"Because I applied." Dad was never much into my education, the closest he came to a parent-teacher conference is when he had to turn in a check. He never even came to any of my football games, I never wanted him too. I didn't expect an interest in my schooling to start now.

He wrinkled his nose up with displeasure. "What are you going to do? Change people's oil. You can pay someone to do that you know."

I rolled my eyes. "I know I can pay someone to do that but I don't want to. I want to learn how to do it myself and own my own auto body shop."

"That sounds....horrible, honestly." I didn't expect him to understand he's never been the guy to want to get his hands dirty. "Wouldn't you rather just open hotels with me?"

Now that sounded horrible.

"Nope," I replied.

His brows knitted together in confusion. "That may be the dumbest thing I've ever heard, but whatever."

If I craved his approval I would be hurt, but I learned a long time ago that it's not worth anything anyway.

"Have you talked to Mom recently?" She hasn't called me in months, and I wondered how she was.

He groaned. "No, I haven't, and don't want to." My parents don't get along, it's mostly from my Dad's end. He didn't love her, I don't think he ever did, but the fact that she ran away with another man hurt his ego. "She's still with that pool boy, Renaldo." He practically spit his name. "I wish she would just marry him so I could stop paying her so much damn money."

Ignoring him, I looked down the hall. Where is Maya?

"Maybe she snuck out," Dad mentioned.

"She wouldn't do that." Besides how would she get home I drove her here.

"How did you meet her anyway?"

"We met through mutual friends," I said vaguely. He didn't need to know the full details of everything, he just needed to know that she was my girlfriend.

"What kind of mutual friends?"

"School friends."

"So she goes to East Chapel," he asked with interest. "What do her parents do? Do I know them?"

"She doesn't. And you don't." She barely knows her parents so I doubt he would. "She's already graduated from high school."

He hummed. "How nice." He took a long sip of his drink. "Are you on drugs? Because if you are you shouldn't be getting whatever you're taking from street dealers." He began scrolling through his phone. "Let me give you my guys number."

"No! No I am not on drugs and I don't want you dealers number!"

"Fine," he scoffed, offended. "More for me."

Footsteps came from down the hall.

Maya came back into the kitchen, now fully dressed. I felt a sense of relief when I saw her. I immediately reached for her hand when she stood next to me. Knowing I needed the comfort, she laced her fingers through mine with no issue.

My dad's eyes lit up when he saw her, it made me want to shield her from him. "Hi, I don't think I introduced myself before I was a bit distracted." With a charming smile, he held out his hand introducing himself. "I'm Nick's dad, Ryan Ainsworth, but you can just call me Ryan."

Completely unphased by his charm, she was very short with him. "I know who you are, it's good to finally put a face to the name."

"Am I everything you imagined me to be?" I could feel his ego swelling from across the room.

Looking him up and down, she frowned. "Not really," she said making his smile drop a little.

God, I love her. If anyone could knock Ryan Ainsworth down a peg it was her.

He smirked not so easily deterred. "I know it's late but maybe tomorrow we could get dinner. I would love to know more about my son's girlfriend." I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes, when did he become such a concerned father.

"I don't think so, Dad," I replied.

"Oh, come on. I haven't seen you in ages." Yeah, and who's fault is that? "Maya, what do you think?"

"Sure," she said shocking me. She wants to eat with him.

"Then it's settled, we'll have dinner here tomorrow night." He nodded, satisfied. "Now if you don't mind I'm going to go to bed." He winked. "I'll let you two get back to whatever it was you were doing."

Taking his drink he disappeared down the hall and up the stairs to his usually vacant bedroom. After he was gone we both stood there quietly for a moment. The cold, but otherwise bearable feeling in the house was now overwhelming and I needed to get out.

Dropping Maya's hand, I quickly said, "I'm going to get changed I'll meet you in the car."

"So we're not staying the night here?" She asked suddenly confused.

Before my dad showed up that was the plan, but now we had to leave. "No, I'm taking you home."

Her face fell. "Oh, okay."

"I'll be right back."

"Nick," Maya said, stopping me. "Don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you," I lied. I was, just a little bit, why did she have to say yes to him?

She saw right through me. "Yes, you are. We promised we would tell each other when we were angry with one another."

"I know. I know." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I just--why do we have to eat dinner with him? Why did you say yes?"

"He didn't seem like he was going to take no for an answer," she said, "I shouldn't have, and I don't know why I said yes. He seems like a complete jerk."

I sighed. "Jerk isn't even the word."

She placed her hand on my cheek. "We can cancel."

"No, you were right. He wouldn't have taken no for an answer. We'll go at least we'll get a free meal out of it." I wasn't excited in the slightest. Maybe I'd catch a sudden illness in the morning and be unable to come.

No, then he would just insist that Maya have dinner with him alone, and I wasn't going to let that happen.

"Do you forgive me?"

I gave her a kiss letting her know that I forgive her. "I forgive you. I need to go get changed."

I went upstairs to change. Still irritated, not so much at Maya, but at him. My dad never fails to put me in a bad mood. I put my school uniform in a bag and threw on my jacket.

Dammit. Why did he have to come home? The one thing I can say about my mother, that she's consistent in her absence. When she left, she didn't come back, but he just pops up out of nowhere. Just inconsiderate.

If we're lucky his visit will only last a day and then we'll be rid of him again.