“I’m fine.” I toss the rag I’m holding onto the shelf behind me while discreetly checking out Ella as she leans over to examine the engine.
Her tight cutoff shorts hug her perfect ass, her combat boots are laced up to her knees, and she has her favorite leather jacket on that makes her look sexy as hell. But what really causes my heart to beat like a fucking jackhammer is those big green eyes of hers.
Those gorgeous eyes that are swallowing me up whole right now.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Ella asks, self-consciously touching a strand of her hair. “Is there something in my hair?”
I shake my head, unable to take my eyes off her. “Nope, you look perfect as always.”
She narrows her eyes at me as her head falls to the side. “Nice try. I look like crap right now.”
“You’re welcome for the compliment.” I smirk at her, glad I can veer toward joking territory because it’s all I can take anymore. Things used to be less complicated when something as simple as her scent didn’t send my senses off into a mad frenzy. Now, I’m pretty much holding my breath every time I’m near her. And I’m near her a lot, so things are constantly intense.
Some of her tension alleviates, her shoulders unwinding. “Sorry. I’m being kind of a bitch, aren’t I?”
“A little. But I’m sure you have your reasons.” I pause, knowing it’ll do no good, but I have to ask—have to try. “Want to talk about whatever’s bothering you?”
She swiftly shakes her head then moves up to me and loops her arms around the back of my neck. “I just want to have fun. Can we do that?”
My breath catches in my throat from her nearness. I’m seriously about to pour my heart out to her right here in my garage. But I detect the slightest scent of alcohol on her breath and stop myself from doing the irreversible.
I frown. “You’re drunk.”
“Yeah, so?” She stares up at me with a challenge in her eyes. “You get drunk all the time.”
“Yeah, but you only get drunk when something’s bothering you.” I glance at her house next door. The lights are off except for the porch light, and her dad’s Firebird is parked in the driveway. “Was it your mom or dad this time?”
“It’s nothing. No one did anything.”
“Ella May,” I warn, “I know when you’re lying.”
She sighs as she steps away from me with her shoulders hunched. “My dad went out for alcohol over an hour ago and left me in charge of my mom. He was only supposed to be gone for like five minutes, but you know how that goes.”
I rest my palm against her cheek, fighting a smile when she embraces my touch, knowing it’d be an inappropriate reaction right now. “I’ll stay home with you tonight, okay? We’ll just chill at your house and keep an eye on your mother.”
“No. I’m not going to let you do that … give up any more fun for me.”
“You and I are in this together, remember? It’s you and me against the world. Besides, whether we go out or stay in doesn’t matter. As long as I’m with you.” I know how cheesy I sound, and she’s more than likely going to give me shit for it. I can’t help it, though. Stuff like that just falls out of my mouth whenever I’m around her.
Her lips quirk, but then her expression plunges and laces with apprehension. She moves her face away from my hand. “Micha, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Okay.” I’m becoming nervous myself, wondering what the hell could be causing her to look so anxious.
“It’s about our future plans.” She summons a deep breath. “I know we were supposed to hit the road soon, but I …” She trails off, her gaze wandering to her house where her dad is stumbling up the driveway, cursing under his breath.
He has a brown paper bag in his hand, and he keeps stopping to take swings from it. I’m honestly surprised he can walk with how out of it he looks.
“Just let him go,” I tell Ella. With as drunk as her father is, he’s more than likely going to upset her more tonight.
“I have to see if he’s okay.” Ella rounds the back of my car and exits the garage. “Dad, where have you been?” Ella calls out as she walks up to the fence dividing our properties.
He blinks around until he finally spots her then staggers to a sloppy halt. “What? Who are you …? Oh, Ella, is that you?”
“Yeah, um …” She glances back at me. I already know what’s coming before she even says it. “Micha, I think I need to stay home tonight to take care of my mom and dad. You just go, okay?”
I move up beside her. “I already told you I’m not going out without you.”
“What the hell is your problem?” Her dad shouts over me, tripping backwards until his back hits the side of the house. “Why aren’t you in the house?”
Ella clutches the top of the fence until her knuckles turn white. “Dad, you aren’t—”
“Shut up!” he screams so loudly the neighbor’s dog starts howling. “You stupid little bitch!”
My blood boils. I swear to God, I want to punch the asshole in the face. Every fucking time he gets this drunk, this shit happens. And Ella always looks like a wounded dog, ready to curl up in a ball. The girl can fight like no other with everyone else, but put her in front of her verbally abusive dad, and she shuts down.
It fucking hurts to watch her die inside.
“Fuck off, Mr. Daniels!” I snap, enraged. “You’re drunk, and you need to go inside before you say anything else you’ll regret.” Like the fucking douche ever regrets anything. He’s never sober long enough to feel regret.
“All I regret is having this family,” he slurs, flinging his arm at us as he stumbles for the back stairs and lands on his ass. “You and your little shit brother ruined my life.”
I hold my breath and stab my nails into my palms until he gets to his feet and stumbles back down the driveway, probably heading to the bar again, a typical Saturday night for him.
“I’ll be back in a bit!” he shouts as he zigzags across the front lawn.
Once he’s vanished down the sidewalk, I let out a deafening breath. Then, with one more inhale, I face Ella. She hasn’t spoken a word since her father yelled at her, and her eyes are glued to the ground.
“Are you okay?” I ask, daring to place my hand on the small of her back.