Her cheeks were stained with tears as she dipped her feet in the pool. After everything Thomas said about her, her father blew up. He left the house, spewing words about how she's no better than some of his students who try to get perfect grades by sleeping around. He didn't call her any names directly, but she knew what he meant.
The sliding door shut behind her. She didn't turn around; she kept staring at her black toenails in the clear water. Thomas sat beside her. "I thought I was bad. But I guess I found someone worse than me."
She didn't react. "Try living with him for twenty years. I was the youngest of four, and the only daughter. He wanted me to be perfect. And I guess falling in love with my professor wasn't apart of that plan."
He wrapped his arms around her as a star flew through the sky. She wished that her dad was okay with this.