Chapter 31
DANNY
I have a stupid grin on my face when I walk through the door. Andy is in the kitchen baking something. Jane is sitting at the dining room table, typing away on her laptop, and Lorenzo is nowhere to be seen. My guess, he’s in his bedroom.
Andy looks up and notices my happy expression, which prompts him to raise an eyebrow in question.
“What’s with the I-just-got-my-dick-sucked face?” he asks.
Jane whips her head toward Andy, frowning. “I thought we talked about those comments. You’re giving Lorenzo a bad example.”
“He’s not around, sweet cheeks.” He winks at her, making her blush.
“This is not my post-BJ face,” I reply good-naturedly.
“Something happened though. You were looking gloomy when you left for your mom’s.”
“Yeah. The conversation with her wasn’t pleasant, but then I decided to go for a run, and I feel much better.”
I wonder how long I’ll be able to evade Andy’s probing questions. I don’t want to hide from him that I’m dating Sadie, but not telling him right away will surely drive him mad. I can’t pass up the opportunity to yank his chain.
“What did she want to tell you?” Jane asks.
“Guess who decided to show up after nineteen years wanting to meet me?”
Andy stops whisking his mixture and stares bug-eyed. “Shut up. Your father?”
I nod, crossing my arms and leaning against the kitchen counter. “Yep. He’s dying, and he wants to make peace with his shitty conscience or whatever.”
“That’s horrible. I mean, that he’s dying,” Jane says.
“Sure, maybe to the people he didn’t abandon. I couldn’t care less.”
“So you’re not going to meet him?” Andy asks, watching me intently.
“Nope.”
“Danny, are you sure? This might be your only chance to get to know him,” Jane replies kindly, but her words fuel the guilt I’m already feeling.
I like Sadie’s reaction much better, and that’s why I’m in love with her.
I stand straighter as the realization solidifies in my head. I suspected it, but after today, I know.
“So what if Danny never gets to know the douche? You can’t miss what you never had,” Andy retorts.
He’s wrong about that. I can miss something I’ve never had. I realize it’s not a real person I’m missing though but the idealization of a father figure.
“It doesn’t matter. I told my mother I don’t want to meet him, and that’s that.”
I turn around and head for my room.
“You still haven’t told us why you looked like you were on cloud nine when you came in,” Andy pipes up.
“Ah yeah. I was making out with Sadie in her car. Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Wait, what?” he shouts. “You can’t simply tell us that and leave.”
Not stopping or looking back, I say, “Watch me.”
Like the pest he is, Andy follows me. “Dude, you’re with Sadie now? For real?”
I fall back in my bed and lace my fingers behind my head. “Yep. I bumped into her during my run, we talked, and, well… we decided to give dating a try.”
“Do you think that’s a smart idea considering what happened a month ago?”
I frown. “Why are you playing devil’s advocate now? I thought you were Team Sadie.”
“I’m Team Danny. I just want to make sure you’re not jumping into a relationship because of the deal with your dad.”
I’m torn between feeling moved by Andy’s concern and annoyed that he’d think I’d use Sadie to forget my problems.
“That’s not what this is about.” I sit up, no longer relaxed.
Andy stares at me for a few seconds without saying a word. Then he grins a little. “I get it now. Well, welcome to the club, buddy.”