CONVICTION (INTERFERENCE) Read Online Free PDF Page B

more thing. “Shane, I’m sorry that I lied about my age. I don’t know why I did it. I don’t make a habit of lying. I guess I thought you were older than you are and you wouldn’t want to see me if you thought I was too young.”
    “Did you really think a few months would matter?” he grinned again.
    “I don’t know. The lie jumped out before I could stop myself. I’m sorry, and I promise I’ll never lie to you again. I hope you can forgive me.”
    He took two steps toward me and said, “I’ll be honest, I’ve been lied to all my life, so I wasn’t exactly thrilled when I learned the truth. But I think I understand why you did it, so you’re getting a free pass…this once.”
    “Thank you,” I said, wishing he could follow my sister’s advice and kiss me right then, but I knew he couldn’t. 
    “REBECCA MARIE, Let’s GO!” my father shouted, back to his old self again.
    I sighed, “Goodnight.”

 
    Coming Out of My Shell
     
    Normally the scenario would have been something like this when we got home from the restaurant:  My father would have ranted and raved and I would have just sat there listening and nodding at the appropriate times to appease him, fearful that I was going to do or say the wrong thing and disappoint them.  But, not this time.  This time I stood up to him and when I was done, I left him no doubt as to my feelings for not only Shane and Parker, but my father’s behavior as well.  I was angry and I said things I didn’t mean.  But, he pushed me all night and he was so rude to Shane that when I got home I didn’t wait for him to start.  Instead, I laid into him full force.
    “Don’t you ever embarrass me like that again!”
    “I’m your father and I’ll do…”
    “That’s right, you’re my father. You’re supposed to want me to be happy. To find the man of my dreams…and for the last time, Parker’s not HIM!”
    “And this Shane is?”
    “I don’t know. I just met him. But, I like him! He took everyone’s CRAP tonight without so much as returning a snide remark. He was polite and kind and he treated me and all of you with respect…which is a hell of a lot more than I can say for you tonight!  He also apologized for causing any trouble…which most certainly was not his fault…IT WAS YOURS!” I was irate. 
    “Young lady, you’re walking on thin ice!”
    “Well, it’s a good thing I can swim, because I’m not done! I’m only going to say this one more time; THERE IS NEVER GOING TO BE ANYTHING BETWEEN PARKER HAYES AND MYSELF! I won’t date him, I won’t kiss him, I won’t talk to him on the phone, and I will not…under any circumstances marry him or bare his children! Do you understand that now? Have I made myself perfectly clear on this matter, once and for all?”
    My father was speechless. I had never spoken to him in such a manner, but I found that the new feelings I had for Shane gave me the courage I needed to finally confront my father about Parker, and although I knew I was a little hard on him, I also knew he needed to hear it.
    He walked upstairs without a word. He was either hurt or angry, or maybe both, but I knew I couldn’t back-peddle now and lose the ground I’d just gained. So, I left it as it was for the night, and went to bed. 
     
    The next morning, I knew I needed to smooth things over, so I headed down the hall to talk to him before he left for work.
    “Daddy, can I talk to you?” I asked meekly from the doorway to his bathroom while he was shaving.
    “I’m running late, Rebecca.”
    “Daddy, I know I was really hard on you last night. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you or make you so angry. But, you have to admit that you were very rude to Shane…and for no reason.”
    “So you said all that stuff to get back at me?” he said, looking at me with one side of his face clean-shaven and the other still lathered with shaving cream.
    “No, I said it…because it was true and you needed to hear it. But, I’m