“It’s just odd. You haven’t seen Whitney in three years and I’d know if you guys had kept in touch.”

“Would you have? I didn’t realize I needed to run all my conversations by you.”

“This isn’t conversations with just anyone. It’s Whitney and she never mentioned talking to you either. It’s just strange. She’s comfortable enough with you to show up here after she broke up with her fiancé after not talking to you for years.” He leans forward and shakes his head. “Never mind.” He looks me up and down quickly before turning toward the window and then back to the television that he turned on but I can tell he’s not actually paying attention to what’s on the screen.

I know what exactly that never mind is about and part of me wants to press it. Reassure him that it’s not what he’s thinking. I don’t because it’s exactly what he’s thinking and I can’t lie right to his face. I think if I were anyone else in the world, he’d ask. He’d ask the words that floated through his brain when he looked at me. But I’m me and I wouldn’t.

Fuck.

I think he’s going to speak up again when Whitney walks into the room. She’s wearing sweatpants and one of her hoodies, and I’m grateful that she didn’t put on any of my clothes.

“Dad.” She nods as she sits next to him on the couch and leans her head on his shoulder.

“Daughter.” He chuckles. “You going to tell me what’s going on? Why you’re here?”

She lifts her head and her eyes dart to her left, finding mine before moving around the room as if she’s not sure where to look when I know she just wants to look at me. “I wasn’t happy.”

He frowns. “Since when?”

“This is exactly why I didn’t come home, Dad. I made a decision, give me a second to sit with it before you start asking a million questions!” I can feel her agitation flowing off of her and I wish I could pull her into my arms and hold her.

He opens his mouth to respond when my doorbell rings and then Chloe is coming through it with Trey right behind her.