“We’re all under a lot of stress, Dad.” She gave him a dark look. “I’m fine.”
He didn’t flinch from the look, but then again, he sat across a table from alleged murderers every other day. “I know what high school boys are like, Layne. I don’t want you getting hurt because you’re looking for an outlet.”
Her eyebrows went way up. “An outlet?”
“I know you know what I mean.”
Her cheeks were hot again. “Gabriel Merrick isn’t going to hurt me, Dad. He’s a dumb jock who can’t pass math. He’s not interested in me.” She rolled her eyes. “And I’m not looking for an outlet.”
“You sure? Because he’s the first boy you’ve ever brought home.” He gave her a very level look, his voice taking on the first shadow of anger. “And I find it interesting that you went for someone older, someone who acts like a future felon, not two weeks after—”
“To study,” she snapped. “He gave us a ride because we missed the late bus.”
“If he came over to study, I would have found you in the kitchen.”
She folded her arms across her chest, but before she could say anything else, he put a hand on her shoulder.
His voice was gentler. “Layne, I’m not accusing you of anything.”
“Sounds like it.”
“I just want you to be safe. I know you’ve been dealing with a lot.” He paused. “I’m sorry I haven’t been home much lately.”
She looked up at him, feeling a flash of guilt. “It’s not your fault. We all have to do our part.”
He took her face in his hands and kissed her on the forehead. “Thanks for taking on so much.”
She nodded.
He stood and moved toward the doorway. She slid back under the covers.
But then he stopped before closing the door. “Layne?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t bring him over here when I’m not home.”
Like there was much chance of that. But still. Anger made her sit straight up again. “You don’t trust me?”
He laughed like she’d said something truly funny. “Oh, Layne, I trust you plenty. Good night, sweetheart.”
Then he shut the door.
And all she could think about was Gabriel Merrick.
About how much she wanted to hit him. Really hard. Right where it would count.
But worse, about how much she’d liked, just for an instant, the way his arms felt when he’d caught her on the staircase.
CHAPTER 11
Following a fire truck was harder than he expected. Gabriel couldn’t blow through red lights, and people sure as hell weren’t pulling over to give him the right of way. Once, he thought he’d lost the truck, but then he heard the wail of a siren and caught a flash of lights through the trees. Two turns and he found them.
He parked half a mile down the road, part of a line of cars along the curb. He cracked the window and sat for a minute. He’d worried this might be a false alarm, like a sparking outlet or a cat in a tree or some crap like that.