“We’ll talk about this later,” Zephyr whispered.
I stepped back, and he shut the door.
“You’re darn right we will,” I snapped. Who was he to tell me that I shouldn’t be the one to help Steph? Helping people was my damn job.
“I’m not the one you should be mad at right now, Lynn,” he drawled.
Well, he was right, but whatever. If I wanted to be mad at him, I could. I stuck my tongue out at him and flounced back to my chair.
“Must not have been too thirsty,” Dad snickered.
I heard Zephyr open the fridge again, and then he set a bottle of water in front of me. A beer or the bottle of wine I thought of buying would have been much better right now, but I didn’t get the wine and beer was a no-go at Dad’s. Steph took a huge bite of her eggroll and chewed on it like a cow with a hunk of grass in its mouth.
“You look different,” she drawled. Her eyes were on me, and she looked me up and down.
When Steph had walked in the door, my appetite had wavered, but now, watching her chew with her mouth full, it was completely gone. “Not really.”
Steph shrugged. “Must be those fifteen pounds you gained since I last saw you.”
“Steph,” Dad scolded. “What in the hell is wrong with you?”
Zephyr laid his hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently.
I tipped my head to the side and felt myself break just a little bit. “Not my fault I buy steak instead of meth, Steph.”
Zephyr struggled not to laugh, and Dad’s jaw dropped.
“You are such a bitch, Lynn,” Steph growled.
I shrugged and leaned back in my chair. Maybe Zephyr was right. I wasn’t the right person to handle Steph. All I wanted to do was slap her fucking face off and never see her again.
When Dad was using drugs, I felt hopeless. Watching Steph do the same thing was just infuriating.
“And you’re an addict,” I snapped. “Are you really for real right now walking through the door high off your ass, and we’re just supposed to act like nothing is happening?”
“Lynn,” Dad interrupted.
My eyes darted to him. “What, Dad? What in the hell do you have to say to me right now? You’re a recovering drug addict, and your daughter has the nerve to walk in her acting like a junkie, and you’re going to yell at me?”
“Just calm down,” Dad said.
My eyes connected with his, and it hit me. He knew. He knew Steph was using drugs. “You knew about this?”
His eyes dropped to the table.
“You knew Steph was using drugs, and you haven’t done anything?” What in the ever-living hell was going on?
“He didn’t know,” Steph drawled. “And I’m not using drugs.”
I rolled my eyes. “You seem to forget I spend my day with addicts, Steph. I know when someone is using.”
“Holier than thou, Lynn.” Steph waved her hands in the air. “Knows fucking everything and is better than everyone.”
Zephyr moved to my side.
“Knock it off, Steph,” I warned.
“Or what, Lynn? What are you going to do if I don’t knock it off?” Steph pushed off the table and stood up. “What in the hell are you going to do!” she screamed.
Zephyr grabbed my chair, scooted me back, and put himself between Steph and me.
“Steph, stop doing this,” Dad pleaded.
“Do what?” Steph shouted. “Why can Lynn say and do whatever she wants, and I have to keep my mouth shut?”
I stood and tried to step around Zephyr.
He stuck his arm out and held me behind him. “I never did anything to you, Steph. I did everything I could to make sure you had a good life, and you have the nerve to stand here and talk to me like this.”
Steph rolled her eyes. “You think you have all of the answers, Lynn, but you don’t know jack shit about me. None of you do.”
“Maybe if you came around more, we would know you,” I retorted. How was Steph going to try to make me look like the bad person in all of this?
“I think maybe it’s time for us to leave,” Zephyr interrupted.
“Bullshit,” Steph spat. “You have your boyfriend fighting your battles for you now, Lynn?”
I tried again to step around Zephyr, but he held me behind him. “Let’s go, darlin’.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I insisted. “Not while Steph is here. My dad can’t be around someone like her.”
“Someone like his daughter, you mean?” Steph shouted. “I’m his daughter, too, Lynn.”
“You’re high, Steph. You shouldn’t be here.” What the hell was Steph thinking?
Zephyr pulled out his phone and pressed a few buttons.
“I’ll leave when you leave,” Steph growled.
“And just how are you going to leave when you got dropped off?” Jesus. Steph was being ridiculous.
“I’ll take Daddy’s car.”
I cringed at her calling him daddy. “And then how are you going to get his car back to him, Steph? You aren’t freaking thinking.”
“Yo,” Zephyr muttered into his phone. “I need some help.” He rattled off Dad’s address. Someone on the other end of the phone grunted, “Be there in ten,” and the call ended.
Zephyr shoved his phone back in his pocket. “Finish your dinner. Your ride will be here in ten minutes.” He pointed to Steph. “They’ll take you home.”
“What?” Steph and I shouted in unison.
Dad stayed seated at the table; his head bounced back and forth between the three of us.
“We’re leaving, and Steph is leaving, too,” Zephyr ordered. “Quinn, one of the guys, will be here in ten,” he repeated.
I rolled my eyes. “Why did you involve the club in this?”
“Because God knows I can’t handle the two of you on my own,” Zephyr mumbled.
Dad grabbed his glass of water and raised it to Zephyr. “Cheers to that. These two are a handful.”
“You don’t need to handle me,” I growled.
“Me, either!” Steph added.
Zephyr pointed at Steph. “Sit your ass down and eat. You now have eight minutes.”
Steph plopped down in the chair and folded her arms over her chest. “Whatever.” She grabbed her fork and shoveled a mound of rice into her mouth.
Zephyr turned to face me. “You wanna wait here or by my bike?”
I pursed my lips. “I’m not leaving my dad with Steph. Not when she is like this.”
“Not like this is the first time,” she mumbled around a mouthful of food.
Zephyr took a deep breath. “Seven minutes, darlin’, and then, we’re out of here.”
He was taking control of the situation, and I had to admit that I was okay with it. For once, I didn’t have to be the one trying to fix shit.
“You’re stupid, Steph,” I retorted. That might have been a little too much.
“Darlin’,” Zephyr chuckled.
“And we’re taking eggrolls home with us.” And now I was stepping into petty territory.
By the time I had five eggrolls in a baggie and had glared at Steph for a solid two minutes, a knock sounded on the door. Zephyr opened it, and I was thankful it was one of the guys and not one of Steph’s stoner friends. The last time the door had opened, my night had gone from good to bad.