I sigh and look out the window, counting my days. After 15 minutes, we reach my house.
We get out of the car, and the sheriff rings the gate. Waiting for my dad feels like torture every second that passes. Finally, after a couple of minutes, there he is, still in his tuxedo, rubbing his face — surely he was sleeping on the couch waiting for me — and trying to make out the image in front of him. I grip the towel, not sure if I can look at him.
“Maddie, what- Are you okay?” He rushes to the gate and lays eyes on Jake. “Jake?”
“John, I’m sorry to disrupt your sleep, but I caught your daughter and Jake skinny dipping at the beach.”
I can see the moment the color drains from my dad’s face.
“We were in our underwear!” I blurt out. “Notnaked…” I flinch, waiting for the response.
“Toby, leave them here. I’ll call Jake’s parents.” I see something stormy inside my dad’s eyes when he mentions Jake.
“Sure thing. Goodnight.” He leaves us, and my dad waits until he’s gone, to, well-
“Are youout of your minds?!” He opens the gate, and I get in. “Andyou!Skinny dipping with my daughter? At night? I know you, Jake, you’re the same as your dad, and you better hope I’m wrong or things won’t turn out in yourfavor.”
For the first time in my life, I’m seeing my dad genuinely mad. He scolds Lindsey and me, but he never yells or that vein that’s popping in his neck?I didn’t know it was there.
“Dad-”
“You’re grounded.”
Yep, fair.
“And I’m going to call your mom, right now, just so I don’t rip your head off myself.” He points a finger at Jake and then turns towards the house.
I walk slowly behind him, and Jake catches up to me and pinches me in the stomach.
“Jake!” I whisper-yell, trying not to laugh. “Do you wannadie?” I smile up at him, and he smirks.
“Well, if dying is what it takes to touch you, then kill me now.” He kisses my cheek just before my dad turns around, and I try not to grin like a fool. I tried to be mad at him, I really did, but… As I’m looking at him, trying to keep his act together in front of my seething dad, and he winks at me, my heart skips a beat.
I never thought that would happen tome.
36
The Omen
“Dad.” I open my eyes, feeling tears down my cheeks.
The downside of sleeping pills? Very vivid dreams. Yeah, my dad died in this one, and I was visiting his grave, just absolutely lost.
Then the fact that I basically realized that I loved Jake last night didn’t help. He owns me in such a dangerous way.I’m terrified.
And all my hopes that this day could turn around went to shit when the first thing I saw this morning, in the middle of the town square, was Amanda hugging Jake, an evident complicity between them.
What was I thinking? They have been each other’s person since they were twelve. I hated him throughout our lives and only became his friend this summer. I must be the only one who doesn’t want to see that they belong together. A deal is a deal.
I’m stuck in the middle of the road, staring down into the distance at them.
I hear a honk in the distance, and only when the driver starts shouting at me do I get out of the road.
When I look up again, Jake is jogging towards me.
Suck it up.
“Hey, is everything okay?” He frowns, looking at my face, and I pretend to rub my nose with my arm. “Were you crying?”
