Between The Lines

Chapter 144: This Is Ridiculous-

Rebecca's POV (1st Person):

The air in the room thickened as my dad leaned forward in his chair, his eyes narrowing at Lane. I knew this was coming, the grilling, the interrogation. My dad wasn't about to let this go without putting Lane through the wringer. And as much as I had prepared for it, my heart still pounded in my chest.

"So," my dad began, his voice low and steady, "how old are you, Lane?"

Here we go.

Lane didn't even flinch. He sat tall, meeting my father's stare with his usual calm. "I'm 25, sir."

My dad raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching in displeasure. "25?" He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms like that number alone was offensive to him. "And you think it's appropriate to be dating my daughter, who's just out of school?"

I winced inwardly, glancing at Lane, who didn't break eye contact with my father. "We didn't start dating until after she graduated," Lane said firmly, his voice cool but respectful. "I waited because I care about her, sir. I wasn't going to do anything that would hurt her or put her in a bad situation."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Liana, my older sister, roll her eyes at our father. She had been quiet most of the night, barely even paying attention to the interrogation, but now she was clearly over it. She shot me a knowing look, her silent way of saying this is ridiculous — and honestly, I couldn't have agreed more.

"Care about her," my dad repeated slowly, his voice dripping with skepticism. "Do you even know what that means at your age, Lane?"

Oh my god, could he be any more condescending?

"Yes, I do," Lane replied without missing a beat. His hand was still under the table, gently squeezing mine, but his tone remained steady. "I'm not taking this lightly, sir. Rebecca means everything to me."

I felt a surge of warmth in my chest at his words, even though I could see my dad's expression harden further.

"And what exactly do you do for a living, Lane?" my dad pressed on, his tone turning sharp. "Besides being a teacher?"

I could practically hear the disdain dripping from the word "teacher" as if that wasn't a respectable profession. I glanced over at Liana again, who was now staring at my dad with the same incredulous look. She got it, the way he always tried to diminish anything that didn't meet his standards. She understood how suffocating it could be living under his expectations.

"I'm a teacher, yes," Lane said evenly. "But I'm also pursuing a master's degree in education. I want to move into school administration eventually. Teaching is my passion, but I have bigger goals as well."

"School administration?" my dad echoed, his eyebrows raising in mock surprise. "And you think that's enough for my daughter? What kind of life do you think you can give her on a teacher's salary?"

"Dad," I cut in, my voice shaky but determined. "That's not fair. Lane's more than capable of taking care of himself—and me, for that matter. This isn't about money."

"It's always about money," my dad snapped, his eyes flashing in anger as he turned his gaze to me. "You think love's enough to live on? That's childish, Rebecca."

Liana let out a quiet sigh, loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Oh, for god's sake, Dad," she muttered, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "Would you give it a rest? This isn't about money or careers or whatever else you want to lecture them about."

My dad shot her a warning look, but Liana didn't back down. She just rolled her eyes again and gave me a small, reassuring smile, silently reminding me that at least someone in this family was on my side.