Blurred Lines by Jenika Snow

glad he’d only gotten a suspension, as well, and not thrown
in jail. But Devon hadn’t pressed charges, and after she told the teachers what
had happened, and another student, who had overheard what Devon had said, how
he’d threatened her, started this all, they’d gotten a “slap on the wrist” so
to speak. They could have easily been expelled, gotten the police involved, and
could have lost their graduation. Although she was thankful things hadn’t gone
down that way, she couldn’t help the small sliver of pleasure she got at the
fact Devon had gotten what he deserved.
    “I…”
Lyric’s father said, and looked over at Landon.
    They
knew about the fight, obviously, but they’d also been told about the kiss, and
she didn’t know if they were more shocked about the violence or the fact they
were … whatever they were.
    “You
two…” Landon’s mother said, not finishing the sentence.
    Landon
exhaled and leaned back in the chair, and Lyric glanced at him, wondering if
she should say something, or wait and see what he’d say.
    “Explain
it to us,” Landon’s mom said. She didn’t sound upset, and Lyric’s father didn’t
look angry. They looked confused, and maybe a little worried.
    “Explain
the fight, or—”
    “Everything.
Explain everything to us,” Lyric’s father said.
    Landon
glanced at her, but she didn’t know where to start. She was embarrassed to
admit what had happened at the party, ashamed even, but before she was forced
to tell that story Landon reached out and took her hand in his and started
speaking.
    For
the next five minutes he told their parents about the party, about Devon
assaulting her, what he would have done. He told them about why they’d gotten
into the fight at school, and she could see the anger rising in his expression
when he looked at the side of her face that sported a nasty bruise. Her father
looked upset, as well, and her stepmother looked horrified.
    Landon
finished explaining about the fight, and when he got to the part where he’d
kissed her in front of everyone, he stopped. Maybe he didn’t know how to
explain it either.
    Lyric
looked at her dad, who already had his focus on her.
    “That
all true, honey?”
    She
nodded. “I can’t explain how this happened between Landon and me, but it did.”
She wasn’t about to tell them about how they’d had sex after the party, and
that’s when she started really falling hard for him. She’d wanted him before,
when they’d talked at the creek and she’d really seen him, but that was personal, and not something her father
needed to know.
    “You
two just happened?” her stepmother asked.
    Landon
gave Lyric’s hand a squeeze, maybe for support, or maybe this was all out of
his comfort zone, as it was for her, too.
    “Yeah.”
Lyric was the one that answered. She focused on Landon now. “And I don’t regret
it. I love him.”
    She
saw a moment of realization in Landon’s face, a happiness that she rarely saw.
He cared for her, she knew that, but he also hid his emotions well.
    “You
saved my girl, Landon,” her father said.
    “She’s
my girl, too,” Landon responded. “I’d do it all over again, too. I won’t let
anyone hurt Lyric.”
    A
moment of silence passed between them.
    “And
you love my daughter?”
    Landon
looked at Lyric for a second before looking at Brent again. “I do. I love her a
lot.”
    Her
heart was beating so fast and hard she wondered if anyone else heard it.
Looking at her stepmother, she saw that she had her hands by her mouth, her
eyes looking watery.
    “If
you two love each other, and you’re happy, who am I to say otherwise?” her dad
said. “You protected her, and even though it got you in trouble with the
school, I can’t say I’m upset that you defended Lyric. Thank you for that.”
    “No
thanks needed. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
    They
all looked at Landon’s mother. She slowly let her hands rest on the table. “If
you’re happy I’m