“You ready to go to L.A.?” I ask Noah as Juno takes our picture.
“I’ve been ready. You?” he challenges. “You ready to get the fuck out of this dump?”
I want to shoot him a look, but I don’t want to lose the shot.
“I don’t want him to be angry with you,” I tell Noah, referring to Kaleb.
If I leave with Noah, Kaleb will assume the wrong thing.
“If he wants to follow us and bring you back, then maybe that’s what he needs to do,” Noah retorts. “If not, I get you to myself. Win, win.”
I fluff my hair and adjust my stance. “You don’t want me. You want to race.”
“I’d love my family with me, though.”
Yeah.
I can do that.
“I’m not letting you go,” I tell him.
He smiles. But then he stops, remembering himself.
He glances off toward Kaleb and then back to me. “He’s five seconds from rearranging my face.”
I could care less if Kaleb is angry.
“Ugh, doesn’t that just take the cake?” someone says somewhere by the doors. “I love women in that position. All she’s gotta do is hold it like that.”
Someone chuckles, but I don’t know who. I ignore them.
“She’s carrying herself a little hotter than last fall,” the same guy says. “Wonder what changed?”
“I don’t know, but I’m wishing I was locked up here with her all season,” the other man adds.
There’s a shuffle, a gasp, and then all hell breaks loose as a table topples over and shouting ensues.
“Kaleb!” Jake shouts.
I shoot up, watching as Kaleb throws one of the racers down on the floor of the shop and Jake rushes in to haul his son back. Juno and the stylists rear back, out of the way, and the girls who came with the guys stumble out into the driveway.
I climb off the bike, seeing Noah rush over and keep Kaleb back as his dad picks up the guy off the ground.
“Motherfucker!” the guy growls at Kaleb.
But Jake pushes him and his friend out of the shop. “Hit the road,” he tells them. “Closed shoot, you little shits!”
Those must’ve been the jerks making remarks.
Kaleb goes after him again, but Jake is quick to catch him. “Stop!” he yells. “Stop it right now.”
He points in his son’s face, but Kaleb is seething. The racers take their girls, climb on their bikes, and speed off, everyone in the shop standing around, shaken.
Finally, Jake just waves them off. “Alright, that’s enough,” he bites out. “We’ve got what we need.”
Juno nods and turns off her camera, everyone hurrying to close up shop and gather their equipment.
Kaleb stalks toward me.
But Jake grabs him again. “No,” he says. “Get in the truck. Now.”
He glares at Kaleb, pushing him out of the shop.
Kaleb stumbles back, staring at me.
“Now!” Jake fires at him again.
I can see the vein in Kaleb’s neck bulging from here, and he hesitates, but… he leaves, heading into the driveway.
“You, too,” Jake orders Noah.
Noah grabs his T-shirt and follows his brother out to the truck.
Jake charges over to me. He stops close, keeping his voice down as much as he’s capable since there’s still people around. “I’m going to go deal with the sheriff, and I’m taking them to the fucking bar to sort some shit out.”
“A bar,” I grit out. “And I have to stay here?”
“Yes.” He glowers at me. “Don’t leave the house, or you’ll be sorry.”
“What did I do?” I fire back. “I don’t want to be stuck here all night while you’re all out, shopping for tail!”
“You’ll stay here, because Kaleb’s not going to leave you alone if I don’t get him away from you!” he barks, not caring who hears us now. “You haven’t been separated from him for more than two months, and everyone needs a few hours of space. I’m doing this for you. Take a shower. Calm down.”
I shake my head. He thinks a shower is going to solve this? I have every right to be upset. I won’t calm down.
He pauses, relaxing his shoulders and checking himself.
“I need to talk to him, Tiernan,” he says, softening his tone. “I need to make sure there isn’t a warrant out for him, and we need to talk to the Diggins girl. You need to stay here. We’ll be back later.”
And I watch as he leaves, fishing his keys out of his pocket.
I stand there, even after the photographer and stylists have left and I’m all alone in the house, knowing that Kaleb and I only have one problem, and the only thing that will solve it wasn’t on Jake’s agenda tonight.
It’s something his father can’t take care of for him. It has to come from Kaleb.
See you soon.
I stare at the text from Mirai that came in four hours ago as she was boarding a plane at LAX.
She can’t come here. Kaleb has no restraint. He won’t care about appearances, he’ll scare her, and she’ll try to drag me out of here.
Standing by my bed, I look down at my half-filled suitcase that I started packing when the text came in. At first, I threw in a few clothes to stay with her at the motel in town, just to keep her away from here.
Then, I started packing more than I needed, and I wasn’t sure why. Maybe Jake was right to take them out tonight, so we could all have space. Maybe space is exactly what everyone needs right now. I could go home for a bit. There’s texting, email, FaceTime… I’ll stay in touch. I could say I’m taking Noah to get him settled at my house while he meets with sponsors and just take the opportunity to get some air myself. Some perspective.
But I stopped packing when I realized I wouldn’t come back. Not unless Kaleb came for me himself.
Am I prepared to draw that line?
Tonight?