I swear I feel his lips against the top of my head, but then I think it may be my wayward desires making my life, the one that seemed to only really getting to the good parts, kind of suck.
Thoughts swarm like angry bees inside my head, and holding them inside stings. It stings like nothing ever has, and nothing else ever will.
“Tobias, I—”
“Please don’t make this any harder on yourself than it already is.”
Guess I was wrong … Ouch.
I pull my head off his chest and force myself to recoil slowly, very slowly.
Sitting to the side of him in the dark, embarrassed and angry at myself, his hushed voice still inside my head saying, Tiny T, the first nickname from a boy that wasn’t mean, makes me happy and sad all at the same time.
I hear a door slam and cringe at the thought of how the embarrassment I’ve been able to keep hidden in this darkened closet will soon be brought to life.
“Where are you?” Gabby whisper-hisses.
I jump up and blindly reach for the door handle but get his hand instead. I pull it back quickly.
“Don’t be like that,” he whispers as he opens the door.
I hurry out and feel him tug on the back of my dress.
I glare back at him.
“Your skirt was folded up.”
I huff, “Great, just freaking great.”
I hurry in the direction of Gabrielle’s voice and, when I see her, I immediately stop.
“Go. Now.” Her voice does not mirror her demeanor.
“Gabrielle, chill.”
“Go.” Her voice breaks. “Now.”
“Jesus,” I sigh exaggeratedly as I walk to her. “I hated you hours ago, and now, here I am, ready to fight with your bitchy ass.”
“Just leave me alone.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“Just leave!” she cries.
“Only if you go with me. If not, my very angry father is going to show up with my Hello Kitty sleeping bag and retainer, and you and I—”
“Oh my God, shut up.” She’s half-serious and half-laughing.
“Gotta go out the back way,” Tobias says from behind us. “Good news is you’re less than a mile with a straight shot down the beach to Truth’s place. Should be easy.”
“She’s a fucking gimp,” Gabby snaps at him.
“Gonna warn you; that’s my second to last nerve,” I say.
“Still have the dune buggy?” Tobias smiles at her, but hardly ever at me.
She nods. “I’m driving.”
“You take your bedtime pills?” he asks her.
She gasps and nods toward me. “Really?”
“Then Tiny T’s got the wheel.”
I shoot Patrick and the crew a text, telling them I’ll be heading home. I find out that all of them are already at their perspective homes. Justice picked them up and was waiting for my text to come get me. I shoot him back a text to tell him to stay put, that I’m fine.
We use the access road next to the house to pull up the driveway, killing the engine and coasting in. As always, it’s lit up.
“Jesus,” Tobias says, covering his eyes from the blinding security lights.
“That’s Dad’s way of saying welcome home.”
“Sup?” Dad says, stepping out of the shadows, shirtless and in sweats, nearly giving me a heart attack.
“Jesus, Dad!” I gasp.
Ignoring me completely, he walks around the dune buggy and asks, “This a Meyers Manx?”
I walk around him as he leans in. “I don’t know.”
Still ignoring me, Dad lifts his chin to Gabrielle. “This yours?”
She nods as she looks down.
He sticks his head in farther and looks in the back, seeing Tobias. “You wear tights?”
“Oh my freaking God, Dad!” I try to slide between him and the buggy, and he freaking blocks me.
“No, sir.”
“You have a license?”
“Yes, sir,” Tobias answers.
“You not driving because you’ve been drinking?” Dad asks.
“Dad, what the hell?” I try to hip-check him and basically bounce off him.
“Yes, sir,” Tobias answers.
He nods and looks at Gabrielle. “You been drinking?”
“Dad, this is why I only invite family over.”
She swallows hard and answers, “No, Mr. Steel.”
“So, why aren’t you driving?”
I try to push him again, to no avail. “And also why some kids don’t tell their parents when they’ve been drinking, end up driving, and wrapped around a pole.”
“You lose your voice?” he asks her.
“Gabrielle, you do not have to answer him.” I grab his shoulders and yank on him.
“I took a sleeping pill.”
“You tired?”
“Dad!” I jump on his back now, and Gabrielle starts laughing.
“Too tired to get out of the ride?”
“Um, no, but”—she points at me—“your daughter is really trying to get your attention.”
He stands up, and I nearly fall off but quickly wrap my legs around Dad’s back.
“And I’m ignoring her like she did my text a few minutes ago.”
“I was driving. And just so I don’t have to repeat myself, rewind to the whole drinking and driving spiel I just gave—same dangers.”
“Next time, have one of them reply, then.”
“Why didn’t you just ask Justice?”
He reaches behind him and swings me around. Then he sets me on my feet and bends down so we’re eyeball to eyeball. “In case you forgot, I’m your father.”
I lean in and blow a breath of air at him.
He smirks.
I lean back. “You’re so predictable.”
“Love you, little bird.” He kisses my nose then steps back. “You two, come inside. Tara’s got snacks.”
“Gabrielle is spending the night,” I call behind him.
“Cool,” he says as he walks to the door.
Tobias then says, “Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Steel, but I’m going to head home.”
He stops, turns around, and cocks his head to the side.
Inside my head, I am pleading with my father to just let him leave.
“How you getting home?”
“I live just a few minutes away,” Tobias tells him.
Dad crosses his arms. “Great. So how you getting home?”
Tobias looks at me.
“Gabrielle and I can take him home.”
“I can walk,” he whispers.
Dad looks at Gabrielle. “Trust me to take it for a spin?”
She nods.
“Jesus,” I whisper.
“He serious, Truth?” Tobias whisper-hisses as he slides out of the buggy.
“Dad, he can take a Lyft or Uber.”
Dad walks up and pats Tobias on the back. “Thinking about getting one of these. How fast does she go?”
“The speed limit,” Tobias answers, trying to hide his annoyance.
“I bet we can do better than that.” Dad grins.
Tobias sighs and turns to walk away. I grab his elbow, and he turns back to me. “Remember our deal.”