I glare at her. “First of all, you both didn’t sleep together until you were legal.” I internally cringe at the thought of them doing anything other than holding hands. I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with Daisy Calloway. “And secondly, Ryke is going to bitch you out the minute you blame yourself. So rethink your first statement to him.”
Her chin quivers. “No, I blame my mom…more than anyone.”
I don’t add what she probably already knows. This goes beyond Samantha being pissed that Daisy quit modeling. She hates Ryke’s mother, so she wasn’t ecstatic upon learning that her daughter was dating the offspring of Sara Hale. I don’t even think Greg Calloway is all that excited about the idea. For the same reason I wasn’t: Ryke expresses himself in an aggressive way with very few words. I wouldn’t want that kind of guy dating my daughter. Not that I’ll ever have one.
Suddenly the cameras break from the Escalade in a wave, rushing towards the jail. Daisy slides closer to the door and grips the handle.
“Don’t leave the car,” I warn.
She inhales sharply and says, “He’s coming out!” Tears flood her eyes, overwhelmed and clearly in love with my brother. I can’t deny that fact.
I only have an awesome view of cameramen with gnarly beards.
I sigh heavily, wishing they’d hurry up. I almost stick my head through the middle of the seat, just to look, but my joints are welded together in agitation.
And then, the front door swings open. “Ryke, did you sleep with Daisy when you were on the reality show?! Are you going to trial?!” But Ryke doesn’t climb in.
My father takes the front seat next to Anderson. Before he slams the door, he shouts back, “There is no trial because he hasn’t been charged. Write that up in your goddamn papers.” He shuts them out, drowning the noise for point two seconds.
Because the backdoor, nearest Daisy, opens. The cameras go wild behind Ryke. Yelling so many things at once and trying to edge closer to catch a picture of Daisy. She kneels on the seat while Ryke stands right outside the car.
“Ryke, I’m so sor—”
He leans down and kisses her, with the door purposefully ajar so the cameras can capture the moment. No shame. Good for him. Though their embrace is a little much for me. I have to look away when it’s clear his tongue slips into her mouth.
My father is really quiet in the front seat. He keeps clearing his throat like he’s choked up. I frown, what happened in the jail?
After another second, Ryke slips in the car and slams the door closed. Daisy is about to slide in the middle seat between me and my brother, but Ryke pulls her onto his lap. He whispers in her ear, and then she nods and rests her head on his shoulder.
“You okay?” I ask Ryke as Anderson speeds off towards his apartment complex or maybe my dad’s house. One of the two. The paparazzi pile into their cars quickly, but we have distance on them.
“I’ll be fine,” he says, hugging Daisy closer to his chest.
I notice that one of his hands rubs her lower back in a circular motion. He finally looks at me. “Dad has something to tell you.”
My brows furrow, and I just wait for my father to speak.
He audibly coughs into his hand, definitely choked up now.
Ryke glowers at the headrest. “Dad,” he says through gritted teeth.
And then my father rotates in his seat to face me. His dark brown hair seems grayer by his temples, his face more severe and forehead more wrinkled.
In one breath, he says, “I’m going to get sober.”
My mouth slowly falls. I had to hear him wrong. “What was that?” My pulse kicks up a notch. What was that?
He rolls his eyes. “You’re really going to make me say it again?”
I freeze in shock. I contemplate what happened, how he refused to mumble the words aloud with this back turned to me. My dad isn’t a coward, but this is a proclamation so weighted that I can’t accept it fully.
“Yeah,” I snap. “Say it again.”
He sighs heavily. “I’m not going to drink anymore, son.”
I scrutinize him for a long moment. And come to one conclusion. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“You and me both,” he mutters but determination creases his brow.
Our father wouldn’t do this out of the kindness of his black fucking heart. So I look to Ryke. “What’d you do?” I ask.
Jonathan answers first. “He’s going to be a part of this family.” He turns back around and I hear him say under his breath, “Like he was always supposed to be.”