Sticking up to my father is something I typically don't do. But the way he is looking at Boston slightly petrifies me, so before leaving the room, I make sure to mouth the words I know will leave him flabbergasted.

Be nice. I love him.

After I exit I see my mom pacing the hallway. She looks how I feel; nervous as hell. "Hey Mom." She turns around and looks at the door behind me.

"You left him in there, alone, with your father?"

"Yeah, they'll be fine." My admission had at least momentarily stunned my father. My mom walks over to me and gives me a much needed hug. "I've miss you so much, Mom."

"You too, honey. Sorry to surprise you but your father would not calm down. He insisted on driving down to make sure you actually came back to school. We called you several times but uhm," she looks back at the door, "it appears you were busy." She looks down the hall, "I heard the last bit of the fight before your father barged in. Are you alright?"

I look around and there are surprisingly no prying eyes. Hopefully the commotion can just be contained to my dorm. I let out a long sigh before answering, "yeah, I'm alright. But the whole thing just sucks."

Her voice lowers, "from what Carter said... this guy means a whole lot to you." Oh right. They heard all of that. My mother and father know Boston and I just had sex. Lovely.

"Yeah he does." I blink back a few tears feeling an overwhelming wave of emotions. "He really does. I, uhm, I love him."

Her brow furrows. "You just met him, Monica."

"I know it sounds stupid but I do."

"It's not stupid, honey. I just want to make sure you're not just in lust with him." It's my turn to furrow my brow in confusion. "You know like just want to have sex and do—"

"Okay, Mom, no. Stop." I give her a reassuring look. "I love him, love him. I feel things for him that I never did for Carter."

She gives me a soft smile. "Well, let's hope your father doesn't murder him so I can meet the man who's got you so taken."

As if on cue the door opens behind me, out comes my father and Boston laughing with one another.

"You know, kid, you're lucky you did a nice job." My dad pats him on the shoulder. "It's a unique piece."

"Yeah, I sketched it from scratch."

"That's talent, kid." My father closes the door behind them. "Boston, I want you to meet my wife Rae. Rae, meet the new guy who's after our daughter." We both just stare at my father for a moment. This is not what either of us expected at all. "What? Do I have a dick sticking out of my forehead or something?" Boston snorts out a laugh, probably not expecting that either.

"No, Seth, you do not have a dick sticking out of your forehead. Try to have some semblance of manners, for goodness sake." My mother swats his chest.

"Well that's what the two of you were looking at me like." I shake my head at my father and reach out for Boston's hand. He slips it in mine, my father eyes it before eyeing me. "I like him better than the other one but," he glances over to Boston, "that's not saying much."

"It's nice to meet you, Boston." My mother gives him a warm, genuine smile as she looks him over.

"It's nice to meet you too Mrs. McCaslin."

"Call me Rae." He nods his head at her. "How about we all go out and get something to eat? I saw a nice little Italian place down the street."

"That sounds great." Boston and my father said at the same time.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. I'm starving." I add, breaking up the awkward look they're sharing.

"Then it's settled."

"I just want to freshen up. We'll meet you there in a half hour?" My father grits his jaw but nods regardless before the two of them turn and leave.

Once they're out of earshot Boston says, "I'm not going to lie, your dad is intimidating as fuck."

"Tell me about it. You want to wait in the room while I go freshen up?" I asked upon entering my mess of a room.

"Nah, I'm going to clean this shit up while you get ready. I'm sorry for fighting in here like that. I shouldn't have punched him in the face."

"No, he deserved it."

"Thank fuck you think that because he really did. I was just trying to be nice." He begins picking up the mess on the floor when I spot the tissues.

For all that is holy, please let my father not have seen those. Please God.

✩✩✩

We enter the restaurant hand in hand, immediately spotting my mother and father in the back. Honestly, it'd be not hard to spot my father in any room. His height and size, combined with the ink adorning his skin, makes him stick out just about any where.

After we sit my father eyes the two of us. "I was afraid you were going to take off with her again and I'd have to hunt you down."

"No sir. I was going to wait until the two of you are far out of the state before kidnapping her again." That makes my mother choke on her water and my dad let out a dry laugh.

"Watch yourself, kid." Boston throws both hands up. After a few moments of us looking over the menu and then ordering my father starts his inquisition. "So, you got a last name?"

"Rearick." How is this the first time I'm hearing his last name? And why does his last name sound familiar?

"We know a Rearick." He glances at my mother with a strange look. "Where'd you say you were from again?"

The waitress chooses this exact moment to refresh our waters. Once she's finished Boston answers, "I didn't say but uhm, I'm for Las Vegas. That's where I'm going back to next week." Interesting, I thought he was leaving first thing tomorrow.

"Rearick. From Vegas." My mother repeats, eyes flicking to mine before flicking back to his. Then something registers in my mind.

"Wait," I think back to my sister-in-law's rich older boyfriend from... "Oh my God."

"What?" He looks nervous, uneasy. "What is it, Mon?"

I don't answer that, thankfully my father chimes in. "Your father wouldn't happen to be Rhoen Rearick, would he?"

"Yeah, why? Why do you all look like that?" He's looking between the three of us extremely uneasy. "Do you know my dad?"

"Uhm, you could say that." He's looking at me now, looking completely lost and confused. "Your dad dated my brother's wife Amelia."

"Wait... what?"

My dad signals for the waiter to come over with, "oh I'm going to need something a hell of a lot stronger than water for this."

✩✩✩

After divulging exactly who we are and our connection to his family and his to mine, we'd finished our dinner. I'd said goodbye to my mother and father but my father assured me they'd be seeing me one more time before they leave to go back home.

On the ride back to school I'd asked Boston if we could spend the night in his hotel room. I didn't want to leave after that hefty conversation and, to be completely honest, I didn't want to sleep alone. He hadn't had a problem with that idea, saying he was hoping I would ask so he didn't have to.

We delved into some of it on the ride there but  not much. Knowing now that our lives are much more intertwined than we thought, Boston kept saying the same word— kismet.

It was meant to be. Out of all of the places in the world for us to meet, we met in Virginia. As Boston had made a point of saying earlier, you know what they say about Virginia— it's a place for lovers. How strange that I would meet my first one here.

I watch him flop himself down on the mattress, exhaling deeply as he does so. I slip off my shoes before joining him. We're both staring up at the ceiling before he asks, "what'd you say to your dad before you left us alone to talk?"

"I didn't say anything." I blurted out the words way too fast.

He rolls over to look at me but I keep staring straight up, avoiding his gaze. "Whatever you did or didn't say shocked him and I think made him take it easy on me."

"Yeah, I don't know." My cheeks flare with nervousness.

"Bullshit, Cherry, tell me." I shake my head no. "So you did say something." I bring my hands up to cover my face, just wanting to hide from this situation. His body weight lifts off the bed before his hands come down on me, tickling me. I burst out laughing, grabbing for his hands to make them stop. "Tell me what you said!"

"No!" I snort out a few more laughs as I try to back away from him. "Boston! Stop!" I wheeze out, feeling his hands go under my shirt, making the ticklish sensation that much worse.

"Come onnnn!" I'm barely able to breathe, tears are flowing down my face.

"I said that I love you!" His hands immediately stop and what I just said registers in my head. "I mean..." Oh God. I didn't just do that. I snatch a pillow and before I can put it over my face he takes it away from me.

"That's what you told your dad?"

"Boston, just forget it." My face feels like it's on fire and I kind of want to cry.

His hand grabs ahold of my chin before making me meet his eyes. "Did you mean it?" I blink back the tears that are threatening to release at his intense gaze. "Do you love me, Monica?" I nod. "All of the things."

"What?"

"When I told you that you made me feel all of the things that was me telling you the same. I love you, Monica."

A/N:
The cat is out of the bag!