8

"Why not?"

"What do you mean why not?" I ask, now standing up, taking a cupcake and walking around the room "He is a certified psycho! I mean who shows up at my door in the middle of the night claiming to have been sent by my dad and is being freakishly awkward and... Why are you looking at me like that?!"

There is a smug smile on Pops face as he sits on the bed now, staring at me with a funny look in his eyes "You know, you once hated Tyler"

I groan now "You can't be saying this"

"I mean, I thought you'd forever hate him. He's not as bad as some boys, I know, but I don't like the guy, and you didn't too, and it was usually our thing, then all of a sudden, boom! You are dating him and you were even talking about having babies with the boy"

I groan louder, using my fingers to rub my eyebrows "How can you sound so obviously jealous?"

"I am not jealous Princess, it's just that he came in between us you know"

"That's not even what we're supposed to talk about" I cut in "I'm talking about the green eyed maniac who...."

"Oh you noticed his eyes too?" He says "Such a beautiful colour, don't you think?"

"Pops!" I say, exasperated "You don't even know the guy!"

"As I said, you both were childhood friends, but then they moved away and now they're back" He says "And he saved your life"

I roll my eyes "Pops, I passed out. Not had an accident that would have taken my life in the next five seconds if no one was around me"

"I won't take another risk with you" He says "Okay, so maybe you both met on rough terms"

"He is a freak Pops! He said he wants us watching Romeo and Juliet together! Who says that in this century?"

".... But give him a chance" He completes "He's charming and handsome and he would sweep you off your feet Princess, I just know it"

"I'm still dating Ty Pops" I say "And you can't possibly change that"

"Okay, okay, don't date him but atleast talk to him?" Pops asks "I just.. I just don't want you home alone"

Normally, I would have countered with a 'you should just let your stupid rule down and allow Dana and the girls stay here' but the last time they were here, we blew the microwave and nearly burnt down the house.

And I don't think I was ready to talk to them.

Sighing, I fold my arms "This sucks though"

"So you'd do it?"

"I don't actually trust him Pops" I say

"I don't know. There's something wrong and sinister about him"

"Princess don't get me wrong, but you usually hate everyone"

"Yes, mock my horrible choice of words" I say with a snap and reach out for the last cupcake on the tray "Besides, I literally have nothing to wear that would catch his eye"

"Kim Yi Jung"

"Huh?"

"He's korean"

I know that Pops was trying to impress me with that info but of course, my face is still blank as he sighs and says "Jesus, Lily, don't you know the BTS?"

"Oh, the cute male dolls, is he one of them?"

"No not technically, but he is rumoured to look as good as them"

I stare at him for a while and say "Pops, you've spent all your time listening to gossip at the station instead of focusing on work, haven't you?"

"That's not even the point" He says "How can you not know BTS? I mean I'm old, and I know them"

"You have an agenda, that's why you know them . I on the other hand like a different set of boys" I say "The ones who can break other boys if they dare look at me"

Pops rolls his eyes now "You're too soft to watch someone in pain"

"Excuse me?"

"Liliana remember that time I was taking some random girl to jail for carrying around some weed and you went all ballistic about how I folded her hands to the back?"

"Pops you were about to pop it! You were infringing on her human rights!"

"Lily, the girl wasn't even complaining"

"If the weak are too weak to speak. I, their saviour, shall"

Pops has this weird look on his face as he stares at me before we both burst out laughing.

This was how it had always been.

Pops having time and staying over , always trying to sabotage my relationship with Tyler, and me always defending...

But right now...

I was not even sure about what exactly I was defending anymore.

"Besides Pops" I say "I told you to get rid of all my dresses, and I know you did. Obviously, oh, and I don't know this guy, except his name so if you want me to impress him..."

"I know for certain that he would not care what you wear" Pops cuts in "Literally, he just wants to see you"

"So he knows I'm coming?"

"No"

"Pops"

"It'd ruin the surprise"

"Pops I'm not a birthday card wrapped for Thanksgiving!"

"Right, you don't have the right dress for that"

"It's like you're filtering all my words right now"

"Oh, I have a dress of yours left. I would have taken it... Out, but I couldn't... It was your favourite dress, I just couldn't get rid of it"

I remember the dress.

He had gotten it for me last year on my seventeenth birthday to make up for the fact he was going to be busy.

Said it reminded him of Mum because they had met in hawaii on one of his rare vacations.

It was a summer dress, With a flay design, yellow background and pink flowers all over.

It looked like something that one would have gotten somewhere in Miami, and with just one look at the fabric, I could tell it was really expensive.

Of course, he got me extra expensive pink pumps to boot, but it was obvious that the dress was phenomenal.

"Pops, I don't want to wear any of my clothes" I say "That's.. the old me. And I know that's it hard to recognize this.... Me, but we can work on it, you know, me and you, you could get to like this new me..."

He smiles "I understand"

No, he does not.

"I mean, all lilies have to bloom someday, right?"

This was why he was elected Sheriff, I am so sure of it.

His ability to twist whatever one said and made it to his favour as long as he was getting what he wanted.

Just like me.

Except his ways were more dark.

"I love you whatever way and..."

"I'd wear the dumb thing!" I suddenly snap.

From a corner of my eyes, I see his eyes shine in happiness but when I face him, he has a sad look back on "You know, you don't have to"

"Don't play coy Pops" I say as I walk up to him and begin to drag and push him out of my room "Now get out, let me dress"

"But..."

"And don't bother me till like five hours from now" I say as I successfully push him out the door and slam the door while I hear him begin to sing and whistle happily.

Making me smile.