“Said I would.” If I said I was going to do something, I did it.
“You can still back out of this. I won’t hold it against you.”
I shook my head and grabbed a helmet off the seat of my bike. “Not wanting to back out. I don’t offer to do something if I don’t want to do it.”
She grabbed the helmet and sighed. “I don’t think you actually know what you agreed to do.” She laughed softly and looked up at me. “If Steph shows up, you’re going to have a front-row seat to the circus.”
I grabbed the helmet from her and plopped it on her head. “Nice try, but you’re not going to talk me out of taking you to your dad’s, Lynn.” I grabbed the straps and clipped them together. “Get your ass on the bike, and let’s go.”
She shook her head but moved to the bike. “If you’re driving, I’m totally going to buy a bottle of wine when I pick up Dad’s prescription.”
I chuckled and swung my leg over the bike. “Whatever you want, darlin’. You worked hard today, so that means you get to play hard.”
She slipped on behind me and rested her hands on my waist. “I’m not going to argue with that logic, Zephyr.”
I started up the bike and glanced over my shoulder at her. “You’re in a pretty good mood for working so late.”
She smiled wide. “It probably has something to with the fact I love being on the back of a motorcycle. It takes me back to another time.”
“You used to ride?”. When I had given Lynn a ride home, I could tell that she was comfortable being on the back of the bike.
She nodded. “Had my own bike for a few years.”
“What happened?”
She laughed. “Damn thing was thirty years old, and it was breaking down on me every other day. It was cheaper for me to get a car instead of fixing the bike.”
That sucked.
I would have to be dead to never ride again. I would spend my last penny to keep my bike on the road. “What pharmacy?” I asked.
“The one on Birch.”
I turned forward, knocked up the kickstand, and glanced over my shoulder for traffic. I pulled onto the road, and Lynn wrapped her arms around my waist.
Lynn on the back of my bike felt good. It felt so good that by the time we had picked up the prescription for her dad and then pulled up to his apartment, I wanted to just toss the pills to him and keep riding.
Lynn slid off the bike and looked up at the apartment.
Something told me Lynn wouldn’t have argued with me doing that for one second.
Things weren’t as great as she said they were, and I was going to figure out just what the hell was going on.
*
Chapter Seven
Surprise…
Lynn
“Lynn.”
I bit my lip and dropped my eyes to the ground.
“Darlin’,” Zephyr whispered.
“Maybe we can just throw the pills at him and get back on the road?” Being on the back of Zephyr’s motorcycle was way better than spending the evening with Dad.
Zephyr chuckled and shook his head. “As much as I would like that, I think we actually need to go in.”
I sighed and looked up at him.
How had I gotten here? How on earth did I wind up standing in front of Dad’s apartment with Zephyr standing next to me?
“He’s gonna wonder what you’re doing here.” Same as I was.
Zephyr shrugged. “Just helping you out, darlin’.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m very much capable of bringing my dad his pills and eating dinner with him.”
“You’re capable of doing it, but there’s no reason why you have to do it by yourself.”
I tipped my head to the side. “Stop shrinking me, Zephyr.” I was the one who was supposed to have words of encouragement and be the wise one.
“It just seems like common sense to me. If there is someone who is willing to help you, let them.”
“So you’re saying I should just shut up and get my ass in the apartment?”
He chuckled low. “Yeah.”
I turned on my heel and stomped up the steps to the apartment complex. “For the record, I would like to state that this was your chance to run.”
I reached for the door, but Zephyr’s hand was there before mine. “You’re kind of stuck to me like glue.”
He pulled open the door and motioned for me to go in. “Just helping you.”
I huffed and walked in. Typically, I was the one who was always helping. It was weird as hell to have someone there to help me. Especially when I didn’t need it. Or at least, I didn’t think I needed it.
Zephyr followed behind me as I climbed two flights of stairs. I tried not to think about the fact that my ass was basically in his face the whole time. I was a member of the big-butt club thanks to my addiction to pistachio ice cream and those oatmeal cream pie thingies.
“What floor is he on?” Zephyr asked.
“Second,” I mumbled. “I wanted him to get a place on the first floor, but they were all taken. I get my cardio in whenever I come here since they don’t have an elevator.” Low-income housing for the elderly wasn’t quite up to having an elevator. At least, not the places in Whitmore.
“You helped him get his place?” Zephyr asked.
I managed to climb the last few stairs without panting heavily. “Yeah. When he got…” I cleared my throat. “When he needed a new place, I helped him.”
He also had nothing left in his life after getting out of rehab for the fifth time, and I had to beg and plead with the landlord of this place to get him an apartment. And also put my name on the lease.
“Must have missed that trophy you have for being the best daughter,” Zephyr drawled.
“Hardly,” I muttered. It was a good thing no one could read my mind because they would find out a hell of a lot of things they would have never thought about me. “If you want to leave anytime, just go ahead. I can always steal Dad’s car to get home.”
I stopped in front of Dad’s door and raised my hand to knock.
Zephyr grabbed my hand and turned me to face him. “I don’t know what you think about me, but it sure isn’t a lot if you think I’m just going to split on you at the drop of a hat.”
He dropped my hand and sighed. Zephyr looked defeated, and I was the reason he felt that way.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
His eyes connected with mine. “Then what the hell did you mean? You’re giving me every chance to leave, and I keep telling you no. I’m not leaving, Lynn.”
“I just mean things are weird with my dad right now, and I would totally understand if you want to leave. I don’t want you to have to go through this mess. You don’t need to go through this mess.” ‘Cause God knew things were a mess right now. Mainly in my head.
“How about you let me decide what I want to go through, yeah?”
I shook my head. “It’s your possible awkward evening.” I shrugged and turned back to the door. I raised my hand, but the door swung open before my knuckles even hit the door.
“Lynn,” Dad called. “You’re here.” He held open the door wide, and his eyes moved to Zephyr. “And you brought your boyfriend with you.”