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“Sorry for the tight space, Sydney. If I’d known I was picking up an extra passenger, I would’ve driven Ian’s ride,” Mr. Rhett comments.
“It’s okay. You have a car?” I ask Ian.
He shrugs. “It’s nothing special, but it does have a backseat.” He grins and I laugh softly. Then, I blush because my mind turns dirty, thinking of things that can happen in a backseat.
The ride is relatively quiet for the rest of the way. Ian’s knee brushes mine every so often. I’m not sure if it’s on purpose or pure coincidence because the road is bumpy at times. Either way, my skin tingles where his skin touches mine.
“Thank you so much,” I say as Mr. Rhett pulls into the driveway.
“No problem.”
“Hey, hand me your phone,” Ian tells me. When I hesitate, he smiles and adds, “Please?” I hand it to him and he enters his number into my contacts. “If you need anything while you’re here, text me.”
“Thanks.” When he gives it back, I see that he also sent a text to himself, so he’d have my number, too. I hop out of the truck, wave goodbye, and head inside. There’s a lot of cars here, including my dad’s. I knock on the door. This isn’t my home and I’ve never felt comfortable here. I don’t want to waltz inside.
Dad answers, his eyes widening the moment he sees me. “Shit. How’d you get here?”
I shake my head. He’s not even going to apologize for forgetting me? “I found a way, no thanks to you. Are you going to let me in?” He steps aside. People are everywhere. I don’t recognize most of them. “Can I lie down for a while?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll come get you when it’s time to eat. I’m glad you’re here, Sydney.”
Instead of answering him, I respond to the latest text from Logan and let him know that I’m safe and sound with Dad. Oddly, I wish I was back with Ian and Mr. Rhett. At least they seemed to want me around. Dad doesn’t even hug me. This is going to be such a long trip.
“What are you doing, son?” Dad asks from the doorway of my room.
“I feel like I need to go to the funeral.”
“Sydney’s grandmother’s funeral?”
“Yeah. We were texting last night, and she said her dad didn’t apologize to her. She took a nap, he didn’t wake her for dinner, so she ate alone, and she’s had to watch her three-year-old half-sister, who she’s only been around a handful of times. She said being here has made her miss her grandma even more, and she feels alone. I should go and support her.” I glance over to find him frowning.
“You don’t know this girl, Ian.”
“Yet we gave her a ride home.”
“Because you pushed us into that and we sort of know her father. What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing. We talked the entire time; I got to know her.”
Dad watches me as I tie my tie and I know he’s thinking. I’m already in a suit, so it’ll be hard to change my mind after I’ve gone through the effort of getting dressed nicely. It’s hard to change my mind after I make a decision, regardless. He takes a deep breath. “Want me to go with you?”
“No, that’s okay.”
He nods as if he was expecting that answer. “Don’t get too attached, son. She doesn’t live here.”
“Attached?” I scoff. “Who said anything about that?”
He raises an eyebrow at me. Right. I’m going to the funeral of a woman I don’t know for a girl I met yesterday in an airport. I’m attached already...in a friendly manner.
“Maybe I’ll hang out with her afterward if she wants. That okay?”
“You aren’t hanging with Bruce?”
“Nah, I already canceled.” Bruce is my buddy I texted yesterday in the airport; we were supposed to hang out today, but now, I have other plans.
“Okay. Keep me posted and maybe I’ll cook dinner around the time you’ll be home.”
“Deal.” I grab my keys, slap him on the shoulder as I’m about to pass him, but Dad stops me.
