“Where’s Audrey?” I ask, my voice sounding tinny and faraway.
“She’s right here on my shoulder.” Lily sounds calm, but her father’s driving like something out ofThe Cannonball Run.
“Can you slow down?” I ask, feeling like I might throw up. “Dude, I need you to pull over.”
He takes the turn like a damned stunt driver and pulls up between two stately Tarrytown homes. I take off my belt, open the door, lean out, and empty my guts into the perfectly placed drainage duct.
He quietly hands me a napkin, then his water bottle. The stainless steel on my lips settles my stomach, and I swish out my mouth, more liquid down the drain. I upend the canteen, ignoring the rawness of my throat.
“Slow it down, Roly.” His voice is calm and measured, and I pull the canteen away, nodding my head.
I turn around and halfway climb between the front seats to scan Lily for injuries. I can’t believe they went after her like that. Putting their hands on her, calling her names, and the one enormous guy looked like he was about to… I don’t know, hit her? God, who knows how much I missed while I was getting my heart stomped on by her father. Again.
“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” I grab her arms to make her meet my eyes.
Lily cocks her head. “Are you serious right now?”
I nod. “Yeah, they were going after you. Did. They. Hurt. You?”
“No, Roly,” she says, a giggle springing from her lips before she can stop it. “But they just got their asses handed to them by someone barely taller than me. I can’t wait for people to know that they were both taken down by a shrimp with a badass shiner. I just wish I’d recorded it. That moment when Todd pulled Matt down with him would’ve gone viral.”
“Ha. Ha.”
Heath looks over at me. “This is serious, you two. I had to get Roly out of there before the cops came.”
I look down at my hands. “I almost hit someone.” The words sound wooden. “I don’t know that I’ve ever done that before. I probably… I probably need to call Benning.”
Heath jerks his head in my direction. “Benning? Stephen Benning?”
“Yeah, we’re in group together. We, you know, check in on each other.”
“Okay, yeah, that makes sense. But… can you talk to me?”
Yeah, becausetalkinghas been going so well for us.
“You? Why do I need to talk to you?”
He shrugs, but his face isn’t quite so nonchalant. It’s weird to see he’s concerned for me, not angry. Not exactly sure what to do with that information. “Because I’m your f… friend.”
“Yeah, you can’t even say it without stuttering.” Though… I am feeling pretty shaky and, just bein’ honest here, I don’t remember everything that happened. Maybe it’d be a good idea to talk to him a little.
He lets out a sigh that sounds like it came from the saddest part of him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hesitate. Iamyour friend, and you just stood up to my daughter’s bullies without hesitation.This?Is poorly articulated gratitude, which, if you think about it, is the perfect follow-up to my poorly articulated support back at the walking trail.Anyway, I don’t know if this has triggered anything, so I wanna make sure that you’re all right. ’Cause that’s what friends do.”
Say what?“Wait… That shit—sorry, Lily—that stuff you said back at the trail was supposed to besupport?”
His pained little grimace is kinda cute. “I—ugh. I’m usually better at that kind of thing.”
“Are you sure? Because that was pretty f—awful.”
“I think I just got a little…flustered. Seeing you. Unexpectedly.” He just whispered theflustered, y’all.
“Mmmm.” This is all really adorable, and I’m super tempted to let him off the hook, but maybe not just yet.
Heath continues. “Right. So… I’ll ask you what I ask my kids. What’s the biggest thing you’re feeling right now?”
Wait. Dammit. That’s actually a really good question with a really vulnerable answer. Do I dare chance it?
I guess if I’m serious…
