“What relationship changes? I don’t think it’s a big deal. You’re vegan, I’m not, but we love each other all the same.”
Prowler spoke with such matter-of-fact authority, as if Cass wouldn’t be able to have a single thing to say to that. But Taylor knew better. Cass had laid it all out for her before, and she got exactly what Cass was putting down.
“I don’t mean it the way you think I mean it. Well, not completely. Of course, everyone still loves everyone else. I mean little things, like the fact that you hide your bacon double cheeseburger noshing from me when I visit, even though you know that I know you eat them. Why? Is it because you feel judged by me?”
The sincerity and worry in Cass’s voice was tugging at her heart. Cass had explained it all before, but knowing that she picked the project because she really was worried about her dad’s feelings was next level.
Especially since she thought he was … Oh, shit. It just hit her like a speeding locomotive. The sly little shit, it wasn’t all about veganism. It was also a metaphor for the possibility of her dad being a shifter and hiding that.
Fuck, Taylor was so dick drunk for Prowler that she’d totally forgotten that conversation from last night.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
“No, Cass. Never. You have never made me feel anything but love.” He put his fork down and raked his fingers through his blond locks. “You give me more joy than anything in my life ever has or ever will. Period.”
“Then why do you hide it from me? Why not just do it right out in the open? Let me see you for who you are.” She crossed her arms over her chest, adopting the same haughty lookProwler did when he thought he had someone cornered. Those two were so much alike it was scary.
Taylor cut her eyes to Prowler’s, and where she normally saw denim blue, there was a flash of gold. It happened so fast, it had to be a trick of the light.
“Because I always want to make you proud. There are parts of me … I mean … my life that I know wouldn’t do that, so I just … eat that before I come home to you.”
Prowler seemed flustered. His speech halted as if tripping over his words. That was new. He was almost always composed.
Cass looked Taylor’s way and raised an eyebrow as if to say,see.
“That’s an impact. A small one, but still.” Cass continued to eat as if this was the most casual conversation in the world. And while she was obviously using it as a metaphor—at least it seemed obvious now—she was also passionate in a way only the young can be. Taylor had to admire her. Cass thought she could save the world. And fuck if her confidence didn’t make Taylor want to see her do it.
“Take my friends, well, friend, for example. If she is going out to eat, she never invites me along anymore, and we’ve grown apart. She says it’s because she knows I won’t want to go, but that’s not true. I’d go all the time and just have a salad. The true reason is either she feels judged by me, even though I make it a point to say absolutely nothing, or she doesn’t want me around because she feels bad about eating animals when I’m there. So, see? Impacts.”
Cass sounded devastated about growing apart from her best friend Misha.
Taylor kept her thoughts to herself. This was their discussion, but she paid attention to the dynamic between them and the words exchanged.
Even with a topic that obviously made Prowler uncomfortable, it was clear he enjoyed talking to his kid. Not just going through the motions but engaging with her and truly listening.
It shouldn’t have been as big of a turn-on as it was since Taylor had zero desire to have her own children, but God help her, it was.
As their conversation hit a lull, Taylor excused herself to retrieve dessert.
After giving them each a plate with a vegan carob brownie, Taylor took a pass. Not because it didn’t look absolutely amazing, but because she was working hard to cut out sweets, her kryptonite.
“This looks great, Tay.” Cass’s compliment slid into her heart. “Don’t you think so too, Dad?”
She swallowed back a groan at the obvious matchmaking and gave Cass a look that said,knock it off.
“Umhm,” Prowler answered as he took a huge bite. No sooner did it go in than it was spewing out. Cass was a bit more subtle, but the end result was all the same. The brownie went in, and the brownie came immediately back out.
“Oh my god, what’s wrong?” Her first thought was a classic sitcom mix-up with salt and sugar, but the vegan recipe called for agave, so that wasn’t it.
“It’s um…” She waited for Prowler to finish, but he didn’t. Just guzzled soda like his throat was on fire.
“What?”
“It’s fucking awful,” Cass said.
