Page 25 of Always Love You More

His smile turns smug. “You like her.”

“I just met her.”

“But you like her. Don’t you?” He shakes his head. “You don’t like anyone.” He pauses, looking over at me with a smirk. “Well, except for me, obviously.”

“Obviously,” I snort.

The humor leaves his voice. “Seriously, though.”

My shoulders drop. Billy is the only person in my life I talk to. I meanactuallytalk to.

“There’s something about her. I don’t know …”

“I’m excited to meet her.”

I scowl at him, and he laughs.

“Not like that.” Elbowing me, he adds. “You’ve clearly already called dibs.”

We round the corner that the garage is on, hearing music pour out into the street. The doors are open, and the lot is full.

Another one of my old man’s parties.

Billy slows next to me. “You good?”

I lock myself away, becoming what I need to be, and jerk my head in a nod.

“I hate what he makes you into,” Billy says so quietly I barely hear him over the music.

I push his words down, burying them, and walk forward.

My father isn’t hard to find. He’s always at the center of these things.

I step inside and see him sprawled out on the couch, my mother draped over him. She’s wearing what I guess you could call a dress. The tight red fabric looks like a second skin, and it’s so short all you can see are bare legs. My father’s hand covers her thigh, like he wants to remind everyone she’s his.

She sees me coming up to them and turns toward me, dazed. I spot the drink in her hand, knowing she’s already drunk.

I wish I could bring her home. Get her away from here.

She leans into my father, and I quickly take in the people lounging by the couch, recognizing a few guys who always hang around, along with Luke, Marcus, and Sam’s brother, Johnny.

Before I can think better of it, a flash of excitement runs through me, thinking Sam might be here, too. I look around the room for her, coming up empty.

Good. She shouldn’t be here. It’s selfish of me to want her to be.

“There he is,” my father booms. “Fucking finally.”

Everyone turns to me, only Luke’s eyes finding Billy behind me. He gets up, and we trade places, putting me next to my father and him standing in front of Billy.

“Get my boy a drink,” my father says to some young guy I don’t know.

A minute later, a Solo cup is being pushed into my hand.

I throw it back before setting the cup down on the table in front of me.

My father watches me, eyes bright. “How’re you doing? You doing good?”

I force myself to keep my attention on him and not let it drift to my mother. “Good. Yeah, I’m good.”