Chapter 13
Gabriella
A few days pass by, and I throw myself into work, leaving early and coming home late.
Vic has given me a wide berth since it’s pretty damn obvious that I’m taking the more mature road of avoidance, because that totally helps things.
Tomorrow is Friday, we’re supposed to give our answer to Ty and Emma, and I’m still not completely sure what that answer is.
At the sound of my voice, two bodies roll out from under the car: Vic and Kerri.
“Hey, Mom,” Kerri says quietly with a small smile and faint marks of grease on her face.
I look at her with a sprinkling of shock on my face.
Kerri does not do dirt, grease, or lying on the garage floor.
She’s probably the most princess-level soccer player I’ve ever met.
“Hey, sweetie,” I can see her eyes are a bit puffy and red, “how was your day?” Concern overtakes my earlier tone of surprise.
“It was fine.” Liar. Kerri walks over to Vic as he stands next to the car, wiping grease from his hands.
“Thanks, Dad, for…everything.” As he shrugs his shoulders, Kerri reaches up around his neck and gives him the tightest hug I have ever seen her give a person.
My heart swells at the sight, but my breath rushes out of my body when I witness his response.
Vic’s face reveals a ghost of a smile while he wraps his arms around Kerri, squeezes her back, and says, “Anytime, baby girl. Sweet dreams. I love you.” He gives her a kiss on the top of her head and lets her go.
As she walks by me, she kisses my cheek, tells me goodnight, then she’s gone, leaving Vic and me alone in the garage, staring at each other like two long-lost friends.
Vic and I sit on the stairs by the garage door in silence, both with beer bottles dangling from our fingertips, both not knowing what to say.
Vic shifts, his right leg brushing my left, and a familiar tingle spreads from the contact.
I think this is the closest proximity that we’ve had with each other in months, aside from him having to carry me to bed the other night. Stupid tequila.
“What happened today with Kerri? Why did she look like she was crying? How did you get her out here to help you work on that old junker?” I keep a teasing tone on that last question, but sometimes I just don’t understand why he insists on fixing that thing.
I mean, he’s had it since high school; it’s probably time to let it go.
Vic takes a sip of his beer and looks down.
“So, I told Kerri I would tell you, but you have to promise to keep cool, G. I mean it, no going all mama bear or anything.” That gets my attention.
My eyes snap to his, and I remain very still at his next words.
“Kerri said that you knew she was seeing or talking to or hooking up with, or whatever the fuck they call it, with that Thompson kid.”
“Mhmm.” I remain very still.
“Okay, well, I guess she went to meet up with him at their usual spot by the bleachers, and he was there making out with another girl, Tonya Garrison? She said you would know who that was.”
“Mhmmm.” That came out more like a growl than I planned.
“Anyway, Kerri and Abby came home, and I made them dinner. Kerri was quieter than usual, so after dinner, I sent Abby to shower and head to bed, and asked Kerri to come out to the garage with me. When I asked her what was going on, she told me everything and burst into tears. I didn’t know what to do, so I just let her cry and listened to her.
After a while, she started asking questions about the Camino, so I was telling her stories about when we were in high school, and then we just ended up working on the car a bit.
” He shrugs like it’s no biggie, then waits for a reaction from me.
“Wow. Kerri had a hell of a day. I’m surprised she told you and didn’t think that you would freak out about a boy breaking your daughter’s heart so he could get some from the high school’s resident mean girl.”
Vic takes another swig of beer and lets out a quick chuckle. “Oh, I didn’t freak out. What I did do was text ‘Uncle’ Tyson. He and I are taking a ride up to the school tomorrow to pay the Thompson boy a visit.” Then he looks over and winks at me as a lazy grin stretches across his face.
All I can do is laugh. And man, do I laugh.
I laugh so hard that tears fill my eyes, and I bend in half trying to get my breathing under control.
When I compose myself, I see Vic’s eyes skating around my face with a look of wonder resting on his own.
It’s then that I realize my left hand has somehow ended up on his thigh.
Vic keeps eye contact with me while he reaches for my hand on his leg. I can feel the air humming like a tuning fork that was just smacked off a table. The heat of his hand is slowly closing in on my skin.
Just let him touch your hand, Gabbi.
What if I don’t like it?
What if you do?
Suddenly, I jump to my feet and step away from Vic before he can touch me.
What the fuck am I doing? He was just going to hold my hand.
What am I so goddamn scared of? Vic’s eyes drop to the floor, and he murmurs an apology.
I just stand there looking at him, thinking of what I witnessed between him and Kerri tonight, between him and me.
When he meets my eyes, I can’t help but utter the words I’ve been thinking about all week, “I’m in. ”
When Vic looks at me with confusion on his face, I take a step closer so he is looking up at me from where he sits on the steps.
His tongue darts out and licks the center of his bottom lip.
Warmth stirs in my belly, mingled with the humming of my nerves vibrating from what I’m about to say.
“The proposal. If you are open to Ty and Emma’s help, then I’m in. ”