Mustang Dreams (COMPLETED)

Chapter Fourteen

     "Clay, can I please ask you something?" Misty asked from where she was laying against Clay on his couch after they finished their breakfast. 

      "Sure, hon, anything." Clay responded, rubbing a finger over the back of Misty's hand he was holding. 

     "What is this? Are we boyfriend and girlfriend, or how does this work?" Misty finally asked the question that had been bothering her since their second date. 

     Misty's head rose and fell on Clay's chest as he took in a deep breath. "Misty, I-"

     "And are you sure that you have to ask my dad for permission?" Misty interrupted, turning her head to look up at Clay. 

     Clay chuckled, looking down at Misty's pleading eyes.  "I'm positive." He stroked her hand.

     "Why?" Misty asked, sitting up on the couch. "I'm not makin' us official because you kissed Jace. And I want to ask your dad for 'permission' just to find out if he knew y'all kissed." Misty could almost hear Clay respond. 

     "Because, this is your first relationship. I want to be your boyfriend. I want to show you what it's like to be in a good relationship. I want to be the best first boyfriend you could ever have." He paused to reach a hand up, tucking some hair behind Misty's ear. "I want to do this relationship right." Clay smiled at Misty, dropping his hand from her face to let it rest on her leg. 

      "Okay." Misty said quietly. Slowly, Misty leaned in, expecting Clay to drop a kiss on her lips, but he pulled back. 

     "Why do you not want me to talk to your dad?" Clay asked, his hand still on Misty's thigh.

     "What? Huh? Oh. N-no reason." Misty looked away. She wondered what she had gotten herself into by asking Clay if he considered her his girlfriend. Two fingers under Misty's chin brought her eyes back up to look at Clay. "It's stupid." Misty swatted her hand in the air as if to say, "It's no big deal." She put two hands on either side of her on the couch, about to stand up, but Clay's hand on her wrist made her freeze.

     "What is it?" Clay's voice asked in a concerned tone. He let go of Misty's wrist, putting both his hands on his knees.  

     Misty sighed, slouching back against the couch. "It's just that my dad can be a hardball. He's used to tellin' folks what to do and not folks askin' him if they can do something. And I'm his little girl. He always tells me he wants the best for me and it's not that I don't think that you're the best for me. I just think that...I'm just worried about..."

     "Misty, sweetheart-" Clay started, reaching a hand out to her cheek. 

     "No, clay. Let me finish." Misty said, putting a hand up in front of Clay; Clay retreated his hand back to his leg. "Clay, I like you. I like you a lot. I'm just scared of what my dad could say and what might result of it." Misty knew at some point in this conversation she would need to tell him about Jace since she was in the mood to be completely and utterly honest. It was not fair to Clay to have her continue beating around the bush, playing him any longer. 

     Clay wrapped an arm around Misty's shoulder. "Darlin, nothing is going to happen. I promise. We shouldn't speculate. Just let me talk to your dad, okay?" Clay pulled Misty tighter against him when she didn't reply. "Okay?" Clay asked, placing a kiss on Misty's down turned lips. 

     Misty sighed, then smiled. "Okay," She replied, giving Clay another quick kiss; she knew that he was right.  

     "I really do not think you have anything to worry about. I understand that you're concerned, but don't be. I have worked closely with your dad for over two years. He knows I'm a good worker, and he definitely knows that I take good care of you. I just want to talk to him to assure him that my intentions with you are honorable and I want to ask for permission to date you. Call me old fashioned, but I want to do things right. Plus, your parents and I really seemed to have bonded the night of your accident." Clay smiled, but when he saw that Misty wasn't looking at him, he frowned. "What's wrong?" Clay asked.