Misfits Like Us (Like Us #11)(38)

“Mmhmm.” He’s stuffing his mouth with tacos.

The rest of the drive to my childhood house, it’s hard to think of anything else but Donnelly. When my mom parks in the driveway, Kinney quickly hops out and bangs the door shut.

“No slamming doors!” Dad calls out to her.

She hugs her arms around her tiny body while trudging up the steps to the front door, and Dad seems to regret being harsh.

Xander leaves next with a hefty bag of signed books, collectibles, and D&D dice. Plus, he has three poster tubes tucked under his arm. “Thanks for the merch, Mom.” She braved the busy vendor halls for him. “You’re the shit!”

My mom told me that she called Easton Mulligan, so he could tell her what Xander would like best. It was a cute surprise, and Xander turned into a little kid at Christmas.

He disappears inside the house.

She beams. “Did you hear that, Lo? I’m the shit.”

Dad makes a face. “Am I stuck on replay or does he keep saying that?”

“Not to anyone else but me.”

“Of course not. Only to you, love.”

I’m left, and I take my time unbunching my Pixie costume. There we go. Much better. My mom shuts off the SUV and looks at me in the back. “Do you want to spend the night, Luna?”

They haven’t changed my bedroom since I moved out. Even with the closet and drawers emptied, everything else is still how it was, and it makes me feel good knowing they want me home whenever I want to be there.

If anything, my parents make me feel like I do fit among them, even if I don’t fit anywhere else.

“I didn’t bring any clothes,” I tell my mom.

“You can borrow mine.”

“Okay, yeah.” We share a smile, and as I linger in the car, I have a feeling she understands I want to talk to Dad. My mom can be very perceptive. I’m pretty positive she doesn’t have a problem with Donnelly like my dad does, but I’d very much like both my parents not to vilify him.

She gives me an encouraging nod before climbing out and shutting the driver’s side door.

I shift forward and climb over the middle console. Sliding into the driver’s seat, I turn towards my dad.

He’s crumpling taco wrappers into a Taco Bell bag. “You have a good time at the panels?”

“Uh-huh.” I’m not going to mention how I asked a guy in Gandalf Cosplay on a date. It’s not something I want my dad to think is so important to me that he needs to worry or do deep-dive background checks. I’m sure security will be doing that anyway.

For the most part, my dad tries not to be too strict on my dating life. I’m an adult, and I think he fears pushing me away if he bubble wraps me too much. I know he’s seen the paparazzi photos of me at clubs, kissing some guys. I know he’s read the headlines. But he doesn’t ever lecture me about it, and there’s this silent understanding between us to not bring it up. Because if I do unearth the conversation, he will voice his opinion. And I know it will be in favor of drop-kicking every hookup I’ve ever had.

The leather messenger bag on the floormat beside his legs catches my eye. “Any new comics?”

“Oh, you’ll love this.” He trades the Taco Bell trash for the messenger bag. Lifting it on his lap, he thumbs through and pulls out a manuscript. “I’ve been wanting you to read this one. Only if you have the time,” he says that part quickly. “Don’t think you have to—”

“I want to, Dad,” I say into a smile, enjoying reading published work from Halway Comics. In the past couple of years, I’ve been asking him if I can read the drafts, and he’s been more than happy to let me give reader feedback.

Nowadays, he usually has things for me before I even ask, but I can tell he doesn’t want to push his work onto me.

But I don’t see it like that.

“What’s this one about?” I take the manuscript.

“It’s a draft for The Fourth Degree: Implosion crossover event. No art yet. The writers just sent it to me for approval. It’s all about multi-universes.”

Outside of space operas, those are my favorite. And with the success of The Fourth Degree at the box office, the franchise is in leagues with Marvel’s Avengers and DC’s Justice League. “This isn’t the only draft, is it?”

“It is,” he says. “Top secret. For your eyes only.” He’s handing me a vault of Geek Gold.

“I’ll just read it here. I don’t want to lose it.”

“No, take it home. I trust you—”

“No,” I cut him off with a head shake, glitter still fluttering out of my pink wig. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing something so important of my dad’s and then it being leaked online. I’d ruin an entire franchise’s big moment. As well as hurting all the creators behind the scenes and their hard work. “I can’t wait to read it, really.” I have to stop myself from flipping through the pages right now. I have a feeling I’m gonna be up all night with my nose stuck in the manuscript. “Thanks, Dad.”

He tries to smile, but lines crease between his ruffled brows. “I know you want to ask me something, and it’s not about comics, is it?”

I shrug. “I guess not.” I slide off my pink wig and shake out my brown hair, my pulse on an ascent. “When you look at Donnelly, do you see a villain worth redeeming?”