LITMIR.BIZ

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remains to be seen,” my dad snapped.

      I grinned, hoping to lighten the mood. “You gonna ground me from school?”

      He was unamused. “Good night, Nash.”

      “I have to drive him.” I probably should have taken him home first, but I was hoping my dad would be asleep and we could discuss our next move, in light of that evening’s failure. I dug my keys from my pocket and turned to follow Nash, but he shook his head with one look at my dad.

      “I’ll walk. It’s only a few blocks.” As the door closed behind him, I suddenly wished we didn’t live so close together.

      “Where were you?” my dad asked as I sank onto the couch on his left. “And before you start, I know you didn’t work tonight, and you clearly weren’t with Emma.”

      Great. “It’s not whatever you’re thinking.” I could virtually guarantee that. But I couldn’t tell him where I’d really been, because he’d like that even less than the thought that I was out drinking, smoking, or sleeping with Nash.

      “Then where were you?” He crossed both arms over his chest, and I thought I saw his irises swirl just a little, though that might have been the flicker of a passing headlight on his eyes.

      “Out driving.” Mostly.

      When he leaned forward to peer into my eyes, I realized his irises really were swirling. Weird. He usually had better control over his emotions.

      “Is Nash going to be a problem?” My dad’s voice was deep and rough. Worried.

      I fiddled with a frayed spot of denim over my knee. “Why would he be?”

      He closed his eyes briefly, and when they opened, his face held a new resolve and the colors in his irises had stopped moving. He’d regained control over … something. Something I didn’t understand and he didn’t seem ready to explain. “Kaylee, I know you like him, and I know he’s … not a bad kid. And we all know he was there for you when I wasn’t, and I’m sorrier about that than I could ever explain. But I don’t want you to …”

      He hesitated and rubbed his forehead, then started over. “It isn’t a good idea for you to get too involved with him. You’re so young, and. Damn, I wish your mother was here to explain this….”

      Sudden understanding flooded me and blood rushed to my cheeks. “Dad, is this about sex?”

      That time he blushed, and I almost felt sorry for him. Full-time parenthood was new for him, and we were still feeling our way around in some areas. Like curfews, and apparently that mortifying after-school-special talk.

      “It’s not just about sex….”

      “Okay, please stop.” I held up both hands, palms out, and rolled my eyes. “This is just weird—”

      “Kaylee …”

      “—and it’s really none of your business—” I gestured with one arm.

      He stood, frowning down at me. “This most certainly is my business—”

      “—and I don’t need you stepping in to tell me what I can and can’t do!” I stood to put us on equal ground.

      “That’s my job.” His mouth quirked up in an ironic smile, but I refused to see the humor.

      “Well, you’re not very good at it!”

      His smile collapsed, and his eyes swirled slowly. Sadly.

      I felt guilty immediately. He was trying so hard. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

      “I know.” He exhaled heavily. “But you’re still grounded. For coming home late—not for hurting my feelings.”

      Great. I closed my eyes, trying to think quickly. I knew how to deal with my aunt and uncle, but with my dad, I was in mostly unexplored territory. “Okay, but this is really kind of a disastrous time for me to be grounded.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Can’t we work something else out? I’ll do the dishes all week. And the laundry.” Of course, I already did most of the clothes, anyway, because he kind of sucked at sorting.

      “Did Bren and Val really go for that?” Anger edged his voice now. I was nearing some kind of boundary, and I really had no desire to cross it. My dad was actually pretty laid-back for the most part, and I didn’t want to trigger whatever auto-lockdown mechanism most parents have hardwired into their brains. Even recently returned itinerant parents.

      “No.” They’d rarely actually grounded me; Sophie was usually the one in trouble. Though, I couldn’t remember them actually grounding her, either, come to think of it. … “But I have something important to do this week.”

      “What?”

      My entire body felt heavy with guilt. “I can’t tell you.”

      “Like you can’t tell me where you were tonight?”

      “Kind of.” I exhaled heavily and met his gaze. “Dad, I need you to trust me. This is really important.”

      He held out one hand, palm up. “Give me your phone.”

      My hand snuck into my pocket, curling protectively around my cell. “Seriously?” He couldn’t mean that.

      “Yes. One week, no phone.”

      “No!” Spikes of righteous anger shot up my spine, tingling all the way into my fingers. I was trying to help someone! If he’d been around long enough to get to know me, he’d know that, even without the details. “It’s not safe to run around without a phone!” Especially for someone so deep in hellion business she’d have to look up to wave to the devil.

      “Well, that won’t be a problem, because you’re not going anywhere. Give me your keys. You can take the bus to school tomorrow.”

      “This is ridiculous!” I shouted, reluctantly digging my phone from one pocket, my keys from the other. “And completely unwarranted. It’s not like I was out drinking and sleeping around.”

      My dad rubbed his forehead and sank back into the armchair, looking as weary as I’d ever seen him. “Kaylee, I don’t know what you were doing, because you won’t tell me!”

      “Fine.” I slapped my phone into his waiting palm. “But my reasons for not telling you everything now are just as important as your reasons for not telling me anything over the past thirteen years. And it’s completely messed up that you expect me to trust you when you’re not willing to return the favor.”

      My jab found its mark and my father flinched again. “I’m tired, Kaylee, and I don’t have the energy for this.” He set my phone on an end table and rubbed his face with both hands. “Give me your keys and go to bed. Please.”

      And what was I supposed to say to Addy and Regan? Sorry, I can’t save your immortal souls, because I’m grounded?

      I dropped my keys on the kitchen counter, then plodded down the hall to my room, sorting through possible ways around this new complication. How were we supposed to find the hellion without a car? Walk all over the Metroplex?

      With my bedroom door open, I sank cross-legged onto my bed and listened as my father locked up, then plodded down the hall to his own room. Fifteen minutes later, his snores echoed in the hall and a bolt of irritation lanced me. Our first real fight hadn’t interrupted his sleep in the least.

      Still irritated, I crossed the hall to use the bathroom and brush my teeth, then changed into a halter top and baggy pajama pants before collapsing onto my bed again. I had chemistry homework to do, and I was too mad to sleep, but I’d left my books in my car and couldn’t get to them without my keys.

      “You okay?” Tod asked from the wing chair by my headboard, and I almost jumped off the bed in surprise. “Sorry.” He grabbed my arm to steady me.

      I was tempted

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