“My birthday is in April too,” I tell her. “I’ll be eighteen. Are you going to have a party?”
Her gaze falls to her lap and she shrugs. Silence cloaks the room, and for the first time ever, I don’t welcome it. When I was her age, Mom and Dad always had elaborate birthday parties for us. Tons of kids were invited. Cool cakes and themed decorations. Presents galore. She seems as though she doesn’t know what a real party would be like.
“Where’s your mother?” Terrence demands.
I punch his leg. “Stop talking.”
He shoots me a furious glare, but I ignore him.
Marilyn storms around the corner, her face red and her phone in her grip. “What did you say your name was again? Was it Phoebe?” Her tone is shrill and it makes me break out into an uncomfortable sweat. “Mr. Henderson said the new sitter wouldn’t be by until tomorrow.”
Crap.
Busted.
“Sorry to impose,” I say quickly. “We’ll leave. We don’t want you to get into trouble.”
We rise from our seats. I snatch Terrence’s hand, dragging him away from the girl. He seems to be stalling, which is super annoying considering how big he is.
“See you soon, Zella,” I assure her.
Her eyes lift once more, but they’re watery with tears. I don’t like this. Nothing about her situation feels right. Leaving seems like a mistake, but based on the furious vibes Marilyn is putting off, I think it’s best we leave before she calls the police.
Zella manages a small wave before she dips her head again. I tug Terrence out of the house. His body thrums with anger. It ripples off him, intense and out of control. I manage to get him over to the Jeep and we climb inside. Once I peel out, I take in a calming breath.
“That’s my kid, Penny,” Terrence croaks out. “What the fuck do we do?”
I don’t know what to do.
Dad will know.
“We’re going to get help,” I assure him.
He buries his face in his palms. I can feel his frustration pulsating through the air. The urge to comfort him is overwhelming. I don’t know why I feel differently around Terrence. It’s bothersome, but not always in a bad way. Just noticeable. Constant. Penetrating. I can’t ignore it.
We drive back to Dad’s loft. I’d never tell Mom, but I prefer it over Aunt Karen’s house. Aunt Karen’s place squeaks and groans like ghosts roam. At Dad’s, it’s more insulated or something. It just feels quieter. That is, when Jace, my prison pet, isn’t running his mouth.
After I park in the underground garage, Terrence follows me into the elevator. I sneak a peek at him. He’s scowling, his jaw clenching over and over. It makes me wonder if I placed a palm on his cheek, would he relax. Fisting my hand so I don’t do anything dumb like touch his face, I look away. The elevator dings for Dad’s floor. I walk a little too quickly to escape the prickly awareness that seems to poke at me whenever Terrence is near and enter our loft.
Jace is sitting in a chair with some redhead on his lap, sucking his face.
Gross.
“Ew, dogs aren’t allowed on the furniture,” I tell him. “I’m gonna tell Dad.”
Jace’s rumbling laugh has his girl pulling away in irritation. “Happy to see you too, squirt.”
“I brought company.” I nod toward Terrence. “We have family business to discuss. Tell your Tinder skank it’s time to leave.”
The woman scoffs, climbing out of his lap to glower at me. “I don’t know who you think you are, little girl, but you need to respect your elders.”
“Brittany, just go,” Jace says.
“Tiffany,” she snaps. “And I was here first.”
“We had this threesome pre-scheduled,” I say with a shrug. “Take your saggy vagina lips to someone else’s apartment. Jace is ours.”
He starts laughing and Terrence shakes his head beside me.
“You’re a kid!” she screeches.
“Seventeen. They’re so fucking kinky,” I taunt. “Jace is desperate for another prison sentence.” I pretend to whisper to her. “He prefers boys, so he’s trying to get back to OHP where the boys are plentiful. Looks like fucking a teenager might be his fast-track ticket back.”
She gasps, her eyes darting over to Jace. “You’re a pervert?”
He shrugs. “It would appear that I am.”
“Bye, Brittany!” I call out. “He’ll write from prison! Hope you like gay porn stories!”
The door slams shut, a sound I don’t mind considering it means she’s gone.
“Why you gotta be so gross, pet?” I ask, dropping into the chair next to him. “Now our house smells like hoes. Where’s Dad?”
“He ran out. Should be back soon. Thanks for cockblocking,” Jace says, amusement in his tone.
“I did you a favor. Now you can remain STD-free. You’re welcome.” I flash him a bitchy smile. “Terrence found his kid. We’re gonna steal her.”
Jace’s amber eyes widen. “Slow down, brat. Rewind.”
“He’s old,” I whisper to Terrence, who sits down on the sofa. “We have to talk slow for him.”
Jace smacks my arm. “Stop being a bitch and get to explaining.”
“Don’t touch me,” I grind out, hissing at him. “I honestly don’t want to have to say it twice. I’ll wait for Dad.”
The room falls blissfully silent. I close my eyes, reveling in the absence of sound. Seconds later, the quiet is interrupted when Dad enters the loft, a sack in his hand.
“Hey, princess,” Dad calls out as he heads into the kitchen. “Hey, Terrence.”
After he drops his bag off, he comes into the living room. His eyes dart around to the three of us, waiting for someone to speak.
“Jace almost got crabs, but I rescued him,” I reveal. “Seriously, stop bringing skanks here or I’m moving in with Cal.”
Dad snorts. “It’s bad enough one of my girls lives with Cal Hutton. Two is out of the question.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “What’s going on? Be serious.”
“We went to his house,” Terrence mutters. “She’s mine. Zella is mine. The dates add up, man.”
Dad glowers at me. “What the hell did you do, Penny?”
“I peeked at her file and found her address.” I shrug. “Smash and I went to pay her a visit—”
“You can’t do shit like that,” Dad barks out, throwing his hands in the air. “I don’t even have to tell you the laws you violated that could put my practice in jeopardy.”
“But he wants to name them all,” Jace taunts. “I can see him reciting them in his head. Come on, Gary, tell us all about the penal codes—”
“You’re a fucking idiot,” Dad growls at his best friend, shooting him the bird. “Besides that very important fact, you could have endangered yourself, Penny!”
I curl my lip up, edgy from the decibel of Dad’s voice. “I had a bodyguard. Terrence had my back.”
Dad shoots Terrence a murderous glare. “It was stupid.”
“Anyway,” I grind out, annoyed he won’t let me finish without flipping a gasket. “I looked this dude up on social media. He’s a total fuddy-duddy old man with a beer belly. We were fine. Now focus on the main part of the story.”