Zane's Redemption
Page 8
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She believed that. He was her rock. He’d always been there for her. Even more so after her mother’s death. She only had him.
“You said you promised him not to date until after college. Did you come up with that or did he demand that?”
“Demand?” She glared at her friend, yet at the same time she remembered how her father had explained that it would be better for her to wait. And she’d agreed with him, secretly relieved that she didn’t have to deal with this issue until later. “He didn’t demand it. We discussed it.”
Lauren tsked. “Do you always do everything your father wants you to do? Have you never rebelled?”
“I have no reason to rebel. Yes, my father is strict, but it’s because he wants the best for me. And I only have him. Without Mom ... I have nobody else. No other family. You can’t understand that. You’ve never been alone.”
Lauren put her hand on Portia’s arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. But you have to face the facts: you have to lose your virginity. You have to get rid of your hymen.”
“What if my father doesn’t know about this? He never hangs out with other vampires. We weren’t part of a coven or a clan. Maybe he doesn’t know because we never integrated in vampire society. We moved around too much for that.”
Lauren shook her head, her eyes full of pity. “He has to know. You don’t raise a hybrid daughter without knowing this.”
“I don’t believe it.” And she would prove Lauren wrong. “I’m going to talk to him tonight.”
Chapter Four
The sun had already set over the Pacific, when Portia got home and found her father sitting on the couch poring over a file he instantly closed when he saw her.
“Evening, sweetheart, how were your classes?” Her father gave her a cheerful smile.
Portia dropped her bag at the bottom of the stairs and walked into the living room.
“Fine.” She hesitated, not knowing how to start this difficult conversation. Shifting from one foot to the other, she avoided looking at him and instead stared at the wall behind him.
“Something wrong? You seem quiet.”
“Uh ... well, there is something I wanted to talk to you about.” She adjusted her gaze to look at him.
Her father sat up, his torso suddenly rigid. “Is somebody giving you trouble?”
She quickly shook her head. “No, it’s not that. Everything’s fine. It’s just ... I found out something today that you’re not aware of and ...” Portia broke off again, searching for the right words. This was harder than she’d thought.
“What is it? You know you can tell me anything.”
Of course she knew that, but this was kind of awkward. In this moment, she wished her mother were still alive, and rather than broach this delicate subject with her father, she could confide her concerns in her mother.
“It’s just that I found out today that once my body sets into its final form, I’ll still ... I’ll still have my hymen if I don’t lose my virginity before that.”
She swallowed. Now it was out and she and her father could discuss this matter like two adults.
“Who told you?” her father’s voice thundered as he rose in the same instant. “Lauren!”
Taken aback by his harsh and seemingly angry reply, Portia nodded quickly. “You mean she wasn’t telling me the truth?”
“It’s none of her business to tell you anything. You know only what I tell you, and that’s it. I’m the one raising you!”
Raising her? She was grown up! “Father, I’m not a child anymore. I have a right to know.”
“Silence! Lauren has no right to fill your mind with these things. Don’t concern yourself with them!”
Confused, Portia opened her mouth again. “But was she right? Is that what’s going to happen to me?”
Her father stared at her, his eyes glaring red in anger. “You are my daughter. And I say who you’ll lose your virginity to and when.”
In that instant, she saw the truth in his face. He understood the implications. He’d always known, but he’d chosen to keep her in the dark.
“Why? How can you do this to me?” How could he betray her like this? Didn’t he love her? Tears welled up in her eyes.
“You’ll understand eventually, and—” The beeping of his cell phone interrupted him. He glanced at it, then back at her.
“I have a meeting. Go to your room and study. I’ll be back soon.”
“You said you promised him not to date until after college. Did you come up with that or did he demand that?”
“Demand?” She glared at her friend, yet at the same time she remembered how her father had explained that it would be better for her to wait. And she’d agreed with him, secretly relieved that she didn’t have to deal with this issue until later. “He didn’t demand it. We discussed it.”
Lauren tsked. “Do you always do everything your father wants you to do? Have you never rebelled?”
“I have no reason to rebel. Yes, my father is strict, but it’s because he wants the best for me. And I only have him. Without Mom ... I have nobody else. No other family. You can’t understand that. You’ve never been alone.”
Lauren put her hand on Portia’s arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. But you have to face the facts: you have to lose your virginity. You have to get rid of your hymen.”
“What if my father doesn’t know about this? He never hangs out with other vampires. We weren’t part of a coven or a clan. Maybe he doesn’t know because we never integrated in vampire society. We moved around too much for that.”
Lauren shook her head, her eyes full of pity. “He has to know. You don’t raise a hybrid daughter without knowing this.”
“I don’t believe it.” And she would prove Lauren wrong. “I’m going to talk to him tonight.”
Chapter Four
The sun had already set over the Pacific, when Portia got home and found her father sitting on the couch poring over a file he instantly closed when he saw her.
“Evening, sweetheart, how were your classes?” Her father gave her a cheerful smile.
Portia dropped her bag at the bottom of the stairs and walked into the living room.
“Fine.” She hesitated, not knowing how to start this difficult conversation. Shifting from one foot to the other, she avoided looking at him and instead stared at the wall behind him.
“Something wrong? You seem quiet.”
“Uh ... well, there is something I wanted to talk to you about.” She adjusted her gaze to look at him.
Her father sat up, his torso suddenly rigid. “Is somebody giving you trouble?”
She quickly shook her head. “No, it’s not that. Everything’s fine. It’s just ... I found out something today that you’re not aware of and ...” Portia broke off again, searching for the right words. This was harder than she’d thought.
“What is it? You know you can tell me anything.”
Of course she knew that, but this was kind of awkward. In this moment, she wished her mother were still alive, and rather than broach this delicate subject with her father, she could confide her concerns in her mother.
“It’s just that I found out today that once my body sets into its final form, I’ll still ... I’ll still have my hymen if I don’t lose my virginity before that.”
She swallowed. Now it was out and she and her father could discuss this matter like two adults.
“Who told you?” her father’s voice thundered as he rose in the same instant. “Lauren!”
Taken aback by his harsh and seemingly angry reply, Portia nodded quickly. “You mean she wasn’t telling me the truth?”
“It’s none of her business to tell you anything. You know only what I tell you, and that’s it. I’m the one raising you!”
Raising her? She was grown up! “Father, I’m not a child anymore. I have a right to know.”
“Silence! Lauren has no right to fill your mind with these things. Don’t concern yourself with them!”
Confused, Portia opened her mouth again. “But was she right? Is that what’s going to happen to me?”
Her father stared at her, his eyes glaring red in anger. “You are my daughter. And I say who you’ll lose your virginity to and when.”
In that instant, she saw the truth in his face. He understood the implications. He’d always known, but he’d chosen to keep her in the dark.
“Why? How can you do this to me?” How could he betray her like this? Didn’t he love her? Tears welled up in her eyes.
“You’ll understand eventually, and—” The beeping of his cell phone interrupted him. He glanced at it, then back at her.
“I have a meeting. Go to your room and study. I’ll be back soon.”
