"Well, I noticed that when I made the suggestion that the students choose a partner, Cassie was quick to pick hers." There was no easy way to tell Sydney what he knew, no way to sugarcoat the truth that would send this protective mother over the edge. So, he attempted to keep his tone and demeanor casual, in hopes that it would keep Sydney calm, too. "She chose a boy named Ryan, who I noticed also tends to flirt with her during regular class time."
Sydney's complexion paled, and her eyes grew wide with something akin to fear. "Oh, God, are you saying that Cassie deliberately dropped her test scores and grades to get into after-school tutoring in hopes of being with this boy?"
He slid his hands into the front pockets of his khaki trousers. "That's definitely how it looks, though I didn't want to call Cassie on her behavior until after I talked to you."
"Well you can be damn sure I'll set her straight as soon as I get home!" she said adamantly, then ran a shaking hand through her hair. "What the hell is she thinking, playing dumb and risking her grades for some boy?"
Daniel could tell that Sydney was on the verge of hysterics, and decided to share with her the positive aspects of the situation. "What's funny is that Cassie did most of the helping when she was paired up with Ryan, because she knew the problems, and as a result they both ended up with an A on a test I gave the class." He grinned.
"Hell, if she can tutor the boy and get his grades to improve, too, what's wrong with that?"
Her gaze narrowed at him. "What's wrong is that she has no business getting involved with this boy!"
"He's a nice, decent kid, Sydney," he said, trying to soften the situation and reassure her that Cassie hadn't gone after some hoodlum. "He's even a little shy. I've met his parents, and they're good people, too. The kind that care about their son and his education. Just like you do with Cassie."
"I don't give a shit if he's the Prince of England!" She abruptly stood up, her tone angry, "Jesus, was he the reason why she wanted to go to that Halloween party so badly?"
"I'm sure he was there," he said automatically, then wished he'd kept his mouth shut when Sydney grew even more furious.
She paced to the other side of the office, and he felt the distance she put between them like a cold chill. "God, now she's lying to me and sneaking around, too. What's next?" Her voice broke with anguish.
He sighed, trying to keep his own frustration in check. "I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems."
She spun back around and glared at him. "You did not just say that."
He truly didn't understand her extreme reaction to the situation, "It's normal teenage behavior, and I see it all the time at school. She's a fifteen-year-old girl who has a crush on a boy and wants to get his attention. In her mind, playing down her math skills so she could get into after school tutoring was her subtle way of doing it." He moved off the desk and stood, facing her. "Trust me, kids do stupid things sometimes, and while I agree that Cassie never should have jeopardized her grades, I've seen kids do much, much worse." Cassie's actions were mild in comparison to the kind of the peer pressure some girls caved into in order to impress boys.
Sydney's chin jutted out, and she crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "Yeah, well, I know what that 'much worse' is, and there is no way I'm going to let Cassie make the same mistakes that I did."
He had the feeling that they'd just crossed over into uncharted territory for him-that for as much as he knew about Sydney and her past, there was a whole lot more he didn't know that tied into her need to insulate her daughter from the real world. "What are you talking about, Syd?"
"I know exactly what teenage boys want from girls who show them the least bit of interest," she stated adamantly. "I already told you about my past, about my mother's heroin addiction and overdose and how I was sent to a foster home. Well, what I didn't tell you was that it was my own foster brother who took my virginity and got me pregnant with Cassie."
What came to mind was the worst kind of scenario he could imagine. "He raped you?"
She shook her head, causing her curls to tumble wildly around her face. "Oh, no, he didn't have to force me." Her tone was infused with bitterness and regrets. "I was fourteen years old, I already had the body of a centerfold, just like my own daughter does, and Tim Carson was two years older than I was. He said all the right things and led me to believe that he loved me, and because I was so young and naive and wanted more than anything to be loved, I gave in and had sex with him. Three months later I'm pregnant and Tim's denying that he's the father, and his parents chose to believe him. In fact, they accused me of trying to trap their son by claiming the child was his, then promptly called the state to come and pick me up."
The pain etched on Sydney's expression made Daniel's heart break. He'd known she'd had a rough past, but he had no idea just how bad it had been. Now he understood that tough attitude of hers, but he also knew it masked a more vulnerable, insecure side to Sydney, as well. Like the woman who craved love and acceptance, but had never received it. A woman who'd opted to be brash and bold in order to protect her emotions.
And most especially, a woman who based a relationship purely on sex, because she didn't believe herself worthy of love.
"After that, Tim told his buddies at school that I was nothing more than a whore who put out, which had most of the guys making lewd remarks and crude advances toward me, because being a slut and all, they were sure I'd have sex with them, too," she went on, and paced the small area across from where he stood. "They were pigs, all of them, and especially Tim, and I swore I'd never, ever, let any boy take advantage of my daughter that way."
"Not all guys are that way, Sydney," he said gently. He wasn't like that, but despite his numerous attempts to prove that to her, she didn't want to believe that, either.
She released a scoffing laugh. "Tim might have been the first one to take one look at my big breasts and curvy body and decide that he wanted to screw me, but it's been that way ever since. Guys only want one thing from me, and I've learned to deal with that in my own way, but my daughter is not going to be in that situation if I can help it!"
He moved across the small office, until he was close enough to feel the agitation radiating off of her. "So, what, you're going to put Cassie in a chastity belt until she's of age?"
She glared at him. "That is so not funny."
"You're right, and I'm sorry." He released a sigh of breath and gave it another shot. "I guess I see all this from a different perspective, along with my experience of being around hormonal sex-crazed teenagers all day long. The thing is, sooner or later, sex happens, Sydney. But to your credit, you've raised a really smart girl with a good head on her shoulders."
Sydney wasn't the least bit swayed by his point of view of the situation. "Yeah, well, that's not going to keep some boy from getting into her pants, now is it?"
"No, but neither is forbidding her from seeing or dating some boy, which will only force her to sneak behind your back to do it," he argued. "You just have to trust that when she's put into that kind of sexual situation, she's going to make the right decision and be smart about it." Reaching out, he caressed his fingers along her smooth cheek and softened his tone as he continued. "Besides, Cassie has one thing going in her favor that you didn't at her age. She has a loving and caring mother. There's no reason for her to go looking for those things, or to be swayed by a boy's declaration of love. Not if she doesn't want to be."
She jerked away from his touch, a hint of desperation shining through the fierce façade she was attempting to cling to. "You just don't get it, Daniel."
Ahhh, the evasive "you just don't get it" dictum, which, in Sydney's case, meant just the opposite. He was getting too close and too personal, and while she was doing her best to erect emotional walls between them, he was more than prepared to tear them all down. One by one, if need be.