Page 97 of Left In The Dark

I end the call and send over the information he needs. The bedroom door snicks open and Blake peeks his head out.

“It’s fine for you to come out now, piglet.”

“You think he’ll be back?”

“Maybe. He might be getting his second DWUI, though, so maybe not.”

He steps closer, pressing a hand to his hip. “So we have to think of something fast, just in case.”

“You mean something other than you staying hidden forever?”

He rubs down to the center of his leg, wincing. “It sounded good at the time, but now I’m not so sure.”

“We said we’d figure it out and we will.” I close the distance between us, following his rubbing fingers with my eyes. “Is your leg bothering you? Should I call Reese?”

“It’s just aching from the cold. I’m fine.”

“You sure? How about you sit down and I get the heating pad?”

“I told you I’m okay.”

I cast my eyes down at him in warning and he laughs. “Okay, okay. I’m going. But don’t worry, I’ll be fine in an hour or so. I always am.”

“It doesn’t hurt to try to make you feel better quicker than that, does it?”

“No, and it doesn’t hurt me to do nothing while you take care of me either.”

I kiss his cheek, helping him lower himself to the couch. “And as long as that’s true, I’ll keep doing it.”

“And the only way you can is if we find a way for you to keep staying with me.”

He’s right, and I can’t do either if I’m in jail. We’ll figure it out. We didn’t come this far not to.

My dad’s been pulled over for driving drunk again after swerving into the wrong lane and almost running someone off the highway. Hector calls me an hour after taking him to the station, and I hold Blake tighter as he pushes back against me, burying his face in his pillow with his eyes closed.

“Thanks for letting me know,” I say quietly into the phone.

“Sure thing, man. He’s calling somoene to bail him out he says but this could mean more jail time served later down the road and he’ll probably land back here a third time before his court date too.”

“Good. Let’s hope so.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you and your mom could use a long break from the asshole and I hope this means he’ll be leaving you alone for a while since It’ll only look worse on him if he keeps going against the restraining order.”

“Yeah. All his shit is starting to catch up to him and I think it’s finally making him back off some.” Restraining orders can only do so much, but I can always count on good ol’ dad to fuck up in other ways. He’s giving me more to work with right now than Hayden is, and based on the shit he’s been saying around town lately, Hayden’s about to become an even bigger problem.

He probably won’t like that my dad won’t have extra money to support his lavish lifestyle anymore either. Not when it’s all going to DWI charges. His own father cut his ass off after his uncle fired him for drinking on the job, and he now wants absolutely nothing to do with him after seeing pictures of Hayden kissing my dad plastered all over his store window. He blames me for it, and I wish I could say it was me but I’m not the only person he’s pissed off around town.

He keeps starting fights with my friends at bars, and tried to spread false allegations about Jimmy because he was mad Jimmy was promoted after he was fired. He’s about to be more insufferable. I just know it.

“Good. My mom was in the same position once, so I know what a shitshow it can be.”

“Yeah, thanks again for keeping me updated.”

“Sure, man. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Later.” I hang up the phone and Blake startles awake when I sit up in bed.

“Going somewhere?” He rubs his eyes, lifting himself up on his elbows.