She yelps, tearing the shower curtain off a couple rings as my spine hits the porcelain and her head bangs back into my chin.
I grunt.
“Oh, my God,” she cries, spitting water as the shower drenches her clothes and hair and she tries to sit up. “You’re insane. What the hell?”
But I clamp a hand over her mouth and pull her back. “I need you to stay.”
The water sprays down as steam billows in the air, and I train my ears, listening for the people I’m hiding from as my stomach knots because I’m obviously a fucking girl.
“Noah!” Dad bellows again.
I drop my head back, letting out a sigh. “Why won’t he just fucking shut up?”
I take my hand away from her mouth, but when she tries to bolt, I grab the back of her collar and pull her back to me again.
“They’ll go away if we’re really quiet,” I tell her.
“Have you seen your father?” she spits back. “He’s bigger than the door, Noah. All he has to do is push really hard with his hand, and if he breaks in here, he’ll make me do more chores, and I already did my morning stuff!”
“Shhh!” I cover her mouth with my hand again. “They’ll shut up if we’re really, really quiet.”
She mumbles behind my hand, something sounding like, “You’re an idiot.”
I smile. It kind of feels like being a kid, hiding from our parents. Like hide and seek. I never had much of that. Kaleb stopped talking when I was three—too young to remember, so I can’t ever recall him as playful.
There were a few times with my father, though. Some good memories before he got older and angrier.
I look down at Tiernan.
I was angry with her yesterday.
But then I wasn’t.
They don’t talk to me. No one talks to me.
I wanted to wring her neck one minute, but then the next, I wanted to hold her.
I got it. I knew what was wrong.
She sucks in quick, sudden breaths, and I pinch her nose before she can sneeze.
It cuts loose anyway as she spits on my hand, and I snort at the little whimper she lets out. I rinse off my hand and wrap my arm around her again.
“What was it like in L.A.?” I ask her. “Tell me something about your life.”
Anything. I want to go somewhere, even if we can’t leave the tub.
But she remains silent.
I lean my head back again, staring up at the ceiling.
“You ever feel like you’re in a box?” I mumble. “And all you see are your four walls no matter what you do? No matter how far you walk, the view never changes?”
“You can’t ask me what to do to be happy,” she says. “I came to Colorado.”
Yeah, that won’t work for me.
But for her…？
“Did it work?” I ask, tugging her braid gently when she stays quiet. “Cuz?”
She jerks her head away, throwing me a scowl, but I see the smile peek out. “I like my view a little better, yeah.”
But then she does a double-take. “Your nose is bleeding.”
I wipe it, pulling my hand back and seeing blood on my fingers. I rinse it off with water a few times, clearing the blood away.
“You don’t need to be so violent,” I say as I jab her in the side for head-butting me.
She squirms. “No, stop,” she argues as I jab some more. “I’m not a fan of tickling.”
I laugh and continue to dig my fingers into her sides. She squeals, trying to get away, but there’s nowhere to go.
“Noah?” A pound lands on the door. “You comin’ out? I have to leave.”
Tiernan looks at me, and I jab her once more.
“Noah’s not here,” I tell her what to say.
She slaps my hand away. “No.”
“Say it.”
“No!” she whisper-yells.
I jab her again, and she recoils. “Say it.”
“It’s mean,” she replies through tight lips. “No!”
I grab her arm. “I’ll snake bite you.”
She slaps me as another knock lands on the door.
I go for it. Fisting her forearm with both hands, I see her eyes go wide with fear, and I twist, watching her go kicking and screaming.
“Ow!”
We tussle, water flying everywhere, and she kicks and hits, her elbow almost landing right in my crotch.
“Stop it,” she sputters, but she breaks out in uncontrollable giggles, and I release her finally.
“You’re laughing,” I tell her.
“I’m not.” She sits up, righting herself.