Riding With Brighton(63)
“At least you won’t be getting anyone pregnant.”
“Okay. You have to stop. Now.”
He laughs. “I would like to meet him.”
“Ha. You don’t think I’m actually gonna bring him in this house, do you?”
“I would hope so.”
“No. I don’t want him to be murdered by Mom’s death glare or Ty’s knives or whatever his preferred method of killing is.”
“He’s got soccer this afternoon. I think I’ll let Mom take him. Brighton could come over for a few hours then.”
I smile at his excitement, but then it disappears when I realize I literally can’t have him here. Not with all the hate in this house. “What’s up with Ty? Is he doing any better with all of this?”
My dad shakes his head. “Can I be honest with you?”
“No, Dad, please lie to me.”
He smirks at me. “Hearing the hate and anger and stupidity coming out of his mouth last night… it broke my heart. He’s always been attached to Mom. She’s always been the one he’s willing to talk to, and I respect that. I usually let her take the reins with him, but now I wish I would have been more involved. The things he said… I’ve heard them all before.” He lets out a long breath and shakes his head. I hate that he’s feeling so much regret this morning. I wish I could fix everything for him.
“I would like to talk to him.”
“I think that’s a good idea. He’s grounded for the next two weeks, so it shouldn’t be hard to track him down.”
“Okay. I’m gonna get a shower, and then I’ll give it a go.” I clasp his shoulder and then stand.
He stands too and gives me a hug. “Don’t take what they say to you personally. It’s not about you. You get that, right?”
“Yeah, I get that now. Thanks for explaining it to me. And thanks for having my back.”
“Always. I love you, son.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
Chapter Eighteen
Brighton
JAY’S ONLY been gone for two hours, but it seems like it’s been days. Yeah, I miss the kid. It’s stupid. But I mean, how can I not?
Everything changed yesterday. Every component of my life and myself was altered to make room for him. I know I’m probably just in that phase of falling for someone where everything is new and exciting and you can’t think of anything else, but it feels like more than that. It feels way more serious than that.
I’m dying, sitting here waiting to hear from him, wondering how he’s doing and what’s going on with his family. The doubts I had yesterday that he was gonna have the moment are completely gone. That’s not happening. But I wonder what kind of hell he’s going through without me.
“You have to relax,” my dad tells me after I pick up my phone once again, just in case the ringer isn’t working. I’ve never given a shit about my phone, but now it feels like my damn lifeline. What’s taking him so long to call? Or shoot me a text? “No news is probably good news right now. If he had gone home and things were bad, they would have fought, and he would have gone up to his room, slammed his door, and called you to vent.”
“Wow, that’s a pretty specific scenario.” I laugh.
“I know I’m cool as a cucumber over here, but I’m worried about him too. I figure it’s taking him so long because he’s actually talking to his family. They’re working things out.”
Dad apparently knows Tom pretty well. He keeps assuring me he’s a good guy and that he loves Jay a lot and will accept him no matter what. Which is pretty much what Jay said about him. And from the phone call last night, it seemed like his dad was being cool, but his mom and brother… a totally different story.
“Hopefully,” I tell my dad, plugging another cable into our synth…. And then my phone rings.
“Is it him?” Dad asks.
I pick it up and see his name. “Yeah.” I answer it while heading toward my room. “Jay?”
“Hi,” he says, and just from that one word I can tell he’s okay.
“How’s it going?”
He laughs, another good sign. “Good, I guess. I mean, not all of it, but I have some crazy shit to tell you.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Actually, my dad was wondering if you wanted to come hang out for a little while. He really wants to meet you, and Mom and Ty are leaving for soccer in twenty minutes.”
“Oh, okay.” I totally wasn’t expecting that. “Should I be scared?”
“Naw. He’s beyond cool with the situation, but I mean, if you don’t escape before Mom and Ty get home, you might want to consider the fear option.”
I smile at that. His dad is beyond cool. I guess my dad was right. “I’ll risk it. For you. I miss you already.”
He lets out a breathy laugh. “Awesome, because I was starting to feel a little crazy like an obsessed stalker or something. I need to see you.”
“So, twenty minutes?”
“Probably more like nineteen now. If the minivan’s gone from the driveway, you’re good.”
“Text me your address. I’ll park down the street—just to be safe.”