The booming door-pound comes again and I lurch to my own feet, knowing instinctively who’s at the door. Reyn must too, because his eyes are sharp and full of dread as they dart around the room.
“Fuck, fuck, where’s my shirt?” He’s pulling at the cushions, face wild.
“It’s okay,” I say, trying to calm him, even though my own heart is pounding almost as loudly as the door. “It’s okay. I’ll explain.”
Reyn doesn’t answer. He’s fixed on his task of finding the shirt, and his movements are growing jerky and panicked, so I help. I find it on the floor behind the couch, all balled up into a sad lump, and he catches it easily when I throw it to him.
He doesn’t look any less scared. “Maybe you can sneak out the back,” he says, wild eyes holding mine.
I shake my head, though. “I’ll take care of this. Don’t worry.”
But when I get to the door, Reyn hovering halfway between following me and bolting up the stairs, I’m secretly not feeling so confident.
Especially when the pounding comes again. “Reyn!” Emory calls. “Open up.”
Reyn spits out a low curse, and when I look back at him, his fingers are running agitated circuits through his hair.
“Just let me talk.” I take a calming breath, trying to remember the stillness of the lake, and open the door.
Emory and my mom are both on the porch.
“Oh thank god,” my mother exhales, then lunges forward to pull me into a hug. “We were so worried.”
“We were looking everywhere!” Emory growls, but the spark of terror in his wide eyes belies the anger of his voice. “What the hell, V?!”
“It was my fault.” Reyn’s voice is still thick with sleep as he steps up behind me. “Or I guess, technically Dennis Rodman’s.”
“No,” I state quickly. “It was no one’s fault. It was just a mi—” I start to say mistake, but that excuse isn’t going to work here, not without dredging up a lot of bad memories. “I had extra food from dinner, and I thought maybe Reyn and Mr. McAllister would like some. Reyn was alone when I got here, and we fell asleep on the couch, watching TV. I’m sorry.” I’m relieved to know that Reyn and I both look the part, eyes heavy and squinting against the porch light. He even has a sleep line pressed into his cheek.
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Mom says, stroking my hair. Her hands feel needy and possessive. “I got home, and you weren’t in your room and Emory hadn’t seen you. I panicked, but your brother remembered the phone tracker app and it said you were here.”
I try to hide my embarrassed recoil at being lo-jacked. “I didn’t mean to worry you.” I keep my eyes off of Reyn. “I didn’t mean to stay, really. I think it was just a testament to how tired I was.”
My mom frowns. “Are you not getting enough sleep? Should I make an appointment with Doctor Cordell? Maybe he can prescribe you something.”
Emory replies with a sharp, “No!” at the same time I warn, “Mom.” This is exactly why I tell her nothing.
My mother doesn’t catch the censure in Em’s voice, but I do. I’m sure it’s not lost on Reyn, either. “Okay, okay. Let’s get you into bed, then.”
“Wait,” Reyn pipes in, suddenly disappearing. When he returns, he’s holding the empty plate, looking rueful as he extends it to my mom. “Sorry, Mrs. Hall.”
We’re at the driveway when I look back and see Emory having a low conversation with Reyn. This is why I tell him nothing, either.
Once we’re in our yard, Mom says, “That was very generous of you to take the McAllisters dinner. I know things have been strained between the two of you. Understandably.”
“Reyn and I are fine,” I say, adding quickly, “you know, for the limited amount of time we’ve seen one another. It was no big deal. I had a lot of extra lasagna and I know with Mrs. McAllister gone, there have been a lot of delivery cars coming in and out every night.”
“Well, considering everything, I think it’s very generous of you to look out for them like that.” She squeezes my shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”
The thing about my parents is that they’d initially rallied for Reyn to be charged. I’m not sure how they went from wanting him locked in juvenile detention to this strange sort of pity they feel toward him now, but I know that it happened after his