Hello everyone, sooo I just had my 21st Birthday! Too bad I had to work lol.. Anyway thanks to everyone who commented, I really appreciate it. Here's the next chapter. Also I have a sneak peak as to whats coming up in my story, either with the next chapter or the one after. I'll let you all know when its posted. I think What I'll do is post it on my Profile, but I'm not sure yet. Anyhoo, here you are!

Chapter 9

The next morning I woke up with a dull headache, and an irritated sigh. I rolled over in my bed and recalled last night, and briefly wondered if Dallas was still here. Maybe he decided to rob me of my truck after all. I almost wondered if that might be the better outcome. I had no idea what I was going to say to my dad about all this. Rolling out of bed I made my way to my closet and grabbed a change of a quick shower, I brushed the gross after taste of last night from my mouth.

Making my way downstairs I was only semi-suprised to see Dallas and my father sitting at the table idly talking and sharing the paper. As I made my way further into the kitchen, my father glanced up at me and sent me an expectant look, but I pretended I didn't see and made for the fridge to start breakfast, ignoring both sets of eyes following my movement. It was oddly silent; the only sound echoing in the room was the occasional turn of the newspaper. It wasn't till the sounds of sizzling bacon filled the room that my dad decided to speak.

"You came home drunk?" He asked. I couldn't read the tone of his voice and I wasn't about to risk turning to adress him, so I couldn't say what kind of look he was giving me.

"Yeah... I guess thats what happened." I said, chancing a glance over my shoulder.

"What you don't remember?" He prompted. This time I could hear the agitation in his voice. I turned in their direction leaning against the counter, crossing my arms to hide my own agitation.

Sighing I said, "yes I remember." I rubbed my eyes in wonder at how tired I still was. 'Would he get on with this?'

"...And you brought a boy home." He said glancing at Dallas, who was sending me a cheeky grin. Never had I wanted to slap someone so badly. When I didn't respond he continued, "You've never brought a guy home before."

"Yeah well I've never come home drunk either, last night was just chalk full of firsts." I said smartly, feeling my frustration bubbling within me.

Suddenly the room went silent with the implication of my last statement. My dads head shot up and he was looking back and forth between me and Dally.

"Just how many firsts are we talking about here?" He asked unsteadily, and I swore his vioce broke, as if he was unsure wether he really wanted to know. Dallas on the other hand busted up laughing and I amended my previous thought. Now I really wanted to slap him.

"D-dad!" I stammered, silently wondering why I was blushing so much. 'Its not like there was anything to blush about.' "Geez! its not like that." I said failing to give him any details. I turned back to our breakfast, cracking eggs into the skillet, doing my best to tune out the rest of Dallas' laughter.

Minutes later breakfast was done, and I was filling a plate for my dad and our 'guest'. As I made my way to the table, I set a plate in front of both men. Sighing I turned to look at Dallas, who was staring at me with an amused smirk, and it was all I could do not to reach across the table and smack him. "I'll take you back into town after breakfast." I said doing my best not to gritt my teeth.

"Sure thing doll." He said in a deep voice, laughing again at my dads raised eyebrows.

"Oh gods help me." I muttered turning back to the stove for my own plate.

It was silent as we made our way back into town. Dallas had decided he was driving and for the second time in as many days pushed me into the passnegers seat, as he snatched my key from my hand. I sat there steaming mad, wondering how I get myself in situations like this.

"Your dad," Dallas started talking over the loud rumble of the trucks engin, "he digs okay."

I glanced at him still annoyed about breakfast. Him and my dad seemed to get on alright, and dispite the unlikelihood of them ever running into eachother, I didn't like it. They had chatted amicably about this and that, and they got particularly chatty when dad brought up all his plans for this farm. I kept my mouth shut through the entire conversation and Dallas seemed intrigued by the whole thing. I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes too many times to count, and tuned out most of the conversation.

"Yeah, I guess." I muttered turning away to look out my window. I wasn't really sure what to say to that. I loved my dad, and we got on okay. It's just that we never had that typical father-daughter relationship. It's like most times we didn't know what to say to eachother. He kind of did his thing, whatever that was, and I was the silent partner in the background.

"You dont think so?" He asked, not breaking his attention from the road.

The way he said it, I knew he thought I was some spoiled kid who didnt know what a good thing they had. The thing is I did. I knew there were lots of kids out there who didn't have a parent to rely on. Or someone to help take care of them. I had that and I was thankful, but when it came to my dad there was always something missing, this invisible wedge between us that made things uncomfortable. I've always felt like a doll being tossed this way and that, passed between one person and the next. Staying with my aunt or a friend of his from time to time. It was never for more than a few days,or a week at the most, but... I dont know, when I went to live with my aunt we grew distant. While I was there I didn't hear from him much, and when he came back neither of us really knew where to start. All these years later, its still kinda the same.

"I know what your thinking Dallas, and it's not that. Relationships with people are never black and white...My relationship with my dad is... complicated."

"What is the deal with you two anyway?" He asked glancing my way.

I turned in his direction furrowing my brows. "Is there a reason your asking? Or are you trying to get me to spill all my deepest darkest secrets just for conversations sake?"

Dallas shot me an irrtitated look before rolling his eyes, "You always got such a smartmouth doll face? I asked you a question." He said hotly, "Most men woulda been pullin' out the shotgun, they woke up with a guy their daughter brought home the night before, sittin at the breakfast table. And there you are walking into the room like it aint nothin'. I know a lot of girls who'd been lying through their teeth, the old man asked them if they came home drunk. You two aint normal."

I laughed a bit at that, "Dallas... there aint no such thing as normal. There's just life and people in it. Besides typical, and normal... That would get kinda boring dont you think?" I said turning my head to look out the window. I was lying when I said that. Normal and typical sounded pretty damn good to me, but it was something my dad used to say when I was younger, as a way to justify why we didnt live like most people. It was always an effective response when someone asked why we moved all the time, and I thought it would work in this situation.

Seconds ticked by and still I got no response from Dallas, and I glanced in his direction only to see him staring out the windshield in deep thought. "Anyway," I started breaking him from his daze. "My dad is still my dad, and I didnt see the point in lying about something he already knew the answer to. To be honest, I'm not really sure what to expect when I get home."

Dallas just nodded, reaching into his pocket to pull out a pack of cigarette's and put one in his mouth. Glancing my way he gestured if I wanted one.

"No thanks." I said eyeing the pack.

"What you dont smoke doll?"

"Nope, never really felt the need." I said watching him deposit them back into his pocket.

"Figures." He muttered fishing around for a light.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked turning to look at him.

"Didn't figure you to be the type. Kinda give off that 'goody- goody' vibe, when your not pretending to be a greaser."

"Look I wasn't pretending to be anything, and if someone has a problem with how I act, it sounds like just that; their problem." My voice was rising and I shot Dallas a look before focusing my attention outside.

"Besides," I continued, "It looked to me that the only person who had a problem with last night was you."

When I turned to look at him I was met with a piercing gaze. His intense stare made me jump. Seconds passed and I found my eyes nervously jumping back and forth from him to the road, but he never wavered.

"Dallas... Please Dal, the road!" I was starting to panic, and my heart was pounding, I could feel it thudding in my chest. I glanced back to the road seeing the way we were swerving between lanes, my stomach lurching at the thought of oncoming cars. My heart jumped again painfully when I saw a corner in the distance inching closer and closer as seconds ticked by. I hadn't realized I'd been sliding closer to Dallas untill I felt his arm brush mine.

"Your going to kill us Dallas! look at the road!" I snapped my head toward him only to find him looking at the way our arms were touching, before once again bringing his eyes up to meet mine. His stupid face was unreadable, but his stare was burning.

"God your such an idiot!" I was smart enough to know not to grab the wheel, but I was running out of options fast. Just as I opened my mouth to tell him off, I felt the truck lurch and words failed me. In a moment of panic I reached up my hands and grabbed the sides of his face snapping it back towards the road.

Immediately I saw him focus on the upcoming corner, feeling his body shift next to mine. The truck lurched only this time to a stop. If it hadn't been for the arm holding me against him i would have been picking myself off the gear shift.

"What the hell Winston!" I yelled pushing away from him. "What! Were you just never going to stop?"

'I can't believe this jerk!'

"Well, I figured you'd break before now." He smirked

As he reached for the gear shift I snapped to attention, "Hell no!" I shouted, "no way on god's green earth am I going anywhere with you behind the wheel!" I was seething mad, 'who the hell did he think he was, putting my life in danger like that!'

"What?" He started lazily, "You want to fight me for driving privileges?" He glanced at me, as he once again decided to search for his light.

"It's my truck. I don't have to fight you for anything, so move!" I said shoving at his shoulder.

Dallas moved fast. One second he was sitting next to me lazily mocking my anger and the next I was pressed into the back of my seat, staring up into piercing blue eyes. I could feel his legs on either side of me and he was all but sitting in my lap.

"What are you doing?" I asked bewildered. I didn't miss the breathy tone my voice took on, but 'come on, what the hell did he think he was doing?'

"You told me to move doll." He said fingering a loose curl, the soft touch whispering against my skin. His eyes glancing back to mine and he stared at me intently. We sat like that for a few seconds before he shifted above me the movement brushing our bodies, jolting my spine even straighter than it already was. He smelled like smoke, and sweat, with a strong undertones of something I couldn't name.

The finger that was playing with my hair, brushed my cheek and a shiver shook my body, causing me to catch my breath when he leaned closer. His lean muscled chest against mine causing my heart to pound so hard I was sure he could feel it. I realized I had been staring at the way our bodies were touching and brought my face up to look at him.

Then I saw it. The look on his face snapped me back to reality. He was staring at me with that smug grin, our faces only inches apart. Realization dawned on me that this couldn't possibly be real. Dallas was playing with me, and I refused to acknowledge the pang that shot through my chest, at the reality of his expression.

"Get off me Dallas." I said sharply, hardening my face. I did my best to catch my breath and I forced myself not to react to the way his body flexed around mine. The blush that I knew was obvious on my face was too far gone, and I could only hope he might think it was out of anger.

He looked at me a long second before he busted out with a wide grin. Laughing he retreated to his side of the cab. Shifting gears he said, "It's a good thing you didn't want to fight doll.. cause you'd loose."

Fuming I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. "What are you talking about? Thats not what I call fighting. Thats harassment." I said shaprly.

He smirked again, turning to face me. His bright blue eyes caught mine when he said, "Lina, case you havn't noticed everything we do is a battle... There's more than one way for fight somebody." With that he turned back to the road.

I stared at him under furrowed brows wondering 'what in the hell he was going on about?'

The rest of the ride into town was silent, but I couldnt help but wonder why the hell he did the things he did. He never made sense.

Alright another month another chapter! Read and Review please. This particular chapter took me soooo long to write, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.