“Fucking A.” Ryke’s voice freezes me over. I have to strain my neck to see past his headrest. The girls aren’t hiding anymore.
In the center lawn, illuminated by floodlights, stand Rose, Daisy and Lily in their pajamas, each holding their feather headbands like they’re ski-masks or something. A middle-aged woman in a white bathrobe jabs her finger in Rose’s volatile face, a volcano about to erupt.
I just hope they haven’t called the cops yet.
Connor parks the car, and he jumps out quickly with Ryke. I open my door, shoving it wide so I can have a clear view and hear the fight. But I hang back with the babies.
“You’re a grown adult,” the mother says coldly. “Act like it.”
“It’s toilet paper. We didn’t set your lawn on fire,” Rose combats. “And you’re so lucky I didn’t. I was this close.” She pinches her fingers together.
“Are you making a threat against me?” the mother sneers. Her husband walks down the porch steps with his cellphone to his ear. Jesus Christ.
“I used the past tense,” Rose snaps. “So no, I wasn’t threatening you.”
“We’re really sorry,” Daisy pipes in.
“No we aren’t,” Rose retorts. “Do you even know what your child has been doing to us?”
The mother looks disinterested in that story. It pisses me off, and I realize my hands are vibrating. Goddammit. I don’t want to drink. Even if somewhere deep, I do.
Ryke and Connor make the short trek up the lawn. I’d join but the babies—and Lily looks fine. She wavers beside her sisters with beady eyes, like a deer caught in headlights. I can tell she’d like to run away from this argument.
I shake my hands out and then cup them to my mouth. “Lily!” I try to shout in a whisper.
She whips around and relaxes at the sight of me.
“You both just had babies,” the mother suddenly snarls. No. Lily freezes cold, and Rose’s eyes flash murderously. Of course these people know about our kids. It’s everywhere.
“Don’t you dare,” Rose starts.
“You shouldn’t be here, vandalizing our property,” the woman continues. “It’s irresponsible. If you cared at all about your newborns, you’d be at home with them.”
Rose steps forward, fire in her gaze. “Who are you to say that to us—”
Connor wraps his arms around Rose’s waist, pulling her a safe distance away from the woman.
“Richard!” Rose screams, tears pricking her eyes.
“It’s okay, Rose,” Connor says in a soothing voice.
I shake out my hand for the second time and lick my lips. “Lily Calloway!” I call.
She spins around again like I startled her. This time she slowly retreats from the fight, aiming for me.
“It’s not okay,” Rose snaps. “Her son has been harassing us but she wants to file a report about toilet paper.” She sets her glassy, heated gaze on the woman. “Toilet. Paper.”
The husband interjects, “If that’s what you want to tell the police…” He still has the phone to his ear, avoiding Connor, who stands a good five or six inches taller than him.
I want to yell something. My throat aches to intervene—but from past experience, I know I’d just make the whole thing worse. I stay glued to the curb. I recognize what keeps me here, more than anything. My eyes flicker into the dark backseat, where Maximoff sleeps, his lips parted as he breathes.
I whisper, “Thanks, little guy.” You’re saving me from myself tonight.
“It won’t happen again,” Connor says, using his fake damage-control voice. “We’re sorry for waking you. If you could not press charges, we’d be extremely grateful.”
Rose is fuming. But this is what has to happen. They’re not going to jail over this. It’s dumb. Ryke is whispering to Daisy a few feet away from the woman. And Daisy suddenly spins out of his arms and says to them, “I’ll clean it up tomorrow. Just let my sisters off the hook for this.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Rose tells Daisy. “They should clean it up for be—”
Connor covers Rose’s mouth with his hand and whispers in her ear.
“Are they here? Are they okay? Lo…” Lily practically catapults over me to peer inside the car. I grab her tightly by the hips.
“They’re fine, Lil.” I hold her face between my two hands. And her big, round green eyes meet mine.
Fear spikes her voice. “I worried about him this whole time. I didn’t forget—”