Page 93 of At The End Of The Day

“Vinny, man, now wait up. Hang on.” His palms were pumping in the air, his chest heaving. “I’m still busted up here. Don’t do nothing—”

Lunging forward, I pinned him against the refrigerator, my shoulder pressing against the center of his chest. Widening my stance, I wiggled my fingers across his sides, near his ribs, and he burst out laughing, trying to wiggle away.

“Oh, shit, oh, my god, stop. Oh, my god, stop, Vinny. Shit, stop!” he rumbled, playfully swatting at me.

“Looks like you’re ticklish, Dash.”

“Oh, shit, oh, shit. Stop. Stop, please,” he continued to laugh, writhing around.

“You gotta ask nicer than that.”

“Ah, shit!” he chortled, twisting the other way and curling into himself.

My chest meshed with his back, my arms wrapped around him to tickle his stomach while being mindful of the injuries. Throwing his head back, his laughter bounced off the ceiling, his cheek against mine, tears streaking his skin.

“Oh, my god, I gotta pee. Stop, stop, stop.”

“Ahem.”

We both instantly froze, our hearts plummeting in unison. His skin turning clammy, he was on the brink of hyperventilating as we craned our necks to peer toward the living room.

Janelle was standing between the end of the counter and the laundry room, her weight to one leg, hands propped on her hips. A brow lifted, her expression was scathing disapproval, her lips taut. My focus lowered to Piera standing beside her, confused, a full-blown pout pulling her bottom lip low.

“Oh, shit,” I croaked.

We both abruptly broke away, hissing that it caused tinges of pain for our wounds. Pulling at his nape, he was clearing his throat repeatedly, his attention bouncing back and forth between them. “Uh, h-hey. Wh-What are you…d-doing here?”

“Half-day at school.”

He coughed and straightened his stance, inching further away from me. “That was today?”

“First Friday of every month,” she snipped, crossing her arms, a foot tapping the floor.

He flashed a fake smile and held his arms out, still anxious. “Hey, acorn. H-How are you?”

Piera let him pick her up and prop him on his side, but she was still frowning, her lashes thinning. “Fine.”

He jutted his chin at Janelle but didn’t make eye contact. “Uh, thanks. Um, I…I’ll be taking her in the morning, though, okay?”

“What’s going on here, Dash?”

“Nothing,” he barked back, anger contorting his features. “Mind your fucking business.”

A sneer shot my way, her cheeks red. Opening her mouth to say something, I bristled and crossed my arms, as well. “Remember who the fuck I am before you say whatever you’re about to say.”

Her jaw clamped, she spun on her heels, and stamped out of the house, slamming the door.

Dash tugged at the front of her shirt, faking another smile. “How was school today?”

She cast me a wayward glare, her lips all but disappearing. Cringing, I bowed my chin and coughed, feeling about two inches tall under her stern glare. Wow, I did not like that little girl angry with me. Holy, shit, the power she was going to have over my emotions as she grew older. I was screwed.

“Fine.”

“What’s wrong, acorn? Why are you so mad?”

“You were having a tickle fight without me.”

My attention snapped to hers, my heart thumping hard and then pausing. Wait…she wasn’t upset to see me and her dad like that? She was just feeling left out?