Did I Mention I Love You?

  “Hollywood’s a good idea,” Rachael says. “I’m in the mood for some illegal trespassing.”

  I’m a little skeptical about the whole idea. “Illegal?”

  All three of them offer a small smirk, then Tiffani continues to speak, albeit mainly to Rachael at first. “We’re only going to take three cars to make it easier, so wherever we decide to go, Jake’s gonna pick me up and Dean said he’ll get you and Meg.” She tilts her head in my direction. “And you can go with Tyler, because you’re leaving from the same house, anyway.”

  I stare at her. In fact, a laugh almost escapes from my lips, but I somehow manage to suppress it. Sure, Tyler and I sharing a car may seem convenient, but putting the two of us in a confined space for longer than a minute is bound to get my blood heated.

  “How about a Perry’s round?” Meghan asks. She reaches for her purse.

  “Get me a caramel Frio,” Rachael says.

  Meghan shifts her eyes to me. “Eden?”

  “Um,” I say. I’m not quite sure what sort of store Perry’s is, and I’ve never heard of a Frio in my life. “What is there?”

  “Just get her the same as me,” Rachael cuts in as she leans back and props herself up on her elbows, tilting her face up to the sun. She leaves no room for argument.

  Meghan heads off with Tiffani by her side, leaving Rachael and I alone to bask in the sun while they get drinks for us all. At least I’m assuming it’s drinks. I have no idea. It could be ice cream. Either way, I’m not looking forward to it.

  Clearing my throat, I decide to distract myself. “Okay, I think I’ve got this right,” I say, crossing my legs and turning to face Rachael. She sits up to listen. “You guys are best friends, right?”

  “Right…” Rachael agrees, but her tone is cautious as she waits to see where I’m going with this.

  “And then Tyler and Dean and this Jake guy are best friends too?”

  She thinks about it, pursing her lips as she carefully considers her answer. “Kind of,” she says. “There’s a little tension between Tyler and Jake, but they ignore it most of the time.”

  “Why’s there tension?” I remember talking to Jake at the party, and despite his awful conversation skills, he seemed pretty friendly.

  “Because Tyler started dating Tiffani freshman year, and back then Jake had this huge crush on her and there were arguments and fights, but he got over it,” Rachael explains. She rolls her eyes. “Immature stuff. They still sort of hate each other though.”

  “This tension aside,” I continue, “you guys are all, like, one big group of friends? That’s what it seems like, so I just wanna know if I’ve picked this up right.”

  “You’re right,” Rachael says. “We’ve all been friends since—hell, I have no idea—seventh grade or something. We all went to middle school together. Now come on!” She throws her hands up in the air. “Let’s create some tan lines.”

  “I’m kinda fine just sitting here,” I say, and I smile as wide as I can to discourage her from saying anything more. But it doesn’t work.

  “Oh, shut up,” she jokes as she lies back down again. “You’re not gonna tan that great if you’re sitting there with half your skin covered up.”

  I glance down, tightening my grip on my kimono and holding it closer to me. “No, really, I’m fine.”

  “Got your Frios!” Tiffani announces as she creeps up behind us, and I’m thankful for her interruption. Leaning over my shoulder, she hands me a plastic cup with cream overflowing from the lid and then hands another to Rachael, tossing the straws at us afterward.

  I stare at the cup for a few seconds. It looks like the most fattening beverage to ever exist. The cream just makes me feel queasy, so it’s almost impossible to smile up at her. I must look so ungrateful, but I just can’t help frowning. I wait until they’re all looking at me, then I slip the straw into the drink and take a sip of the iced beverage, ensuring that they notice. Smile and nod, I think. So that’s exactly what I do. I pretend that it’s the best damn thing I’ve ever tasted in my entire life, then the second they look away, I lay it aside. Later, when it’s melted from the heat of the sun, I’ll dramatically act as though I completely forgot about it.

  “The creepy dude who always serves us gave us a discount,” Meghan says as she settles down onto her towel, crossing her legs. She scoops up some cream from her own drink with her index finger and slowly tastes it. “Only because Tiff flirted with him.”

  “I did not flirt with him!” Tiffani objects with a sharp gasp.

  It’s then that I rummage around in my bag for my earphones, untangling them and then finding a decent playlist. I lay down and stare up at the sky. Earphones in, music loud, shades on, drink to the side, pretty girl chitchat out.

  * * *

  We spend around five hours at the beach and decide against a small trip onto the pier, so by the time Rachael and I get back to Deidre Avenue, I’m starting to get hungry. Thankfully, Ella has dinner under control.

  “Your dad’s going to be a little longer tonight, so we’re having it later,” she tells me when I get home. “Did you have a nice day at the beach?”

  “Yeah,” I say, and that’s as far as our conversation goes. I also leave a trail of sand behind me as I dart upstairs to shower again and get ready for Venice, LA, or Hollywood. Tonight’s itinerary has yet to be decided.

  So now I’m fully showered and dressed and ready to go. When I’m double-checking my winged eyeliner in my mirror, I hear my dad’s voice from somewhere downstairs. He’s home, which means dinner should be ready right about now. I make my way downstairs, and as I get closer to the kitchen, I realize that Dad’s voice is raised.

  “Do you want to know what I just witnessed?” Dad asks, and his voice is so gruff that it’s obvious he’s super mad.

  I edge toward the kitchen arch, hanging back behind the wall and peering into the room. Ella’s standing by the oven, Dad opposite her, with Tyler right bang in the middle of them.

  “So here I am,” Dad yells, “heading down to Appian Way to drop off some paperwork on my way home, and guess who I happen to spot at the beach?”

  Ella throws Tyler a glance. “I told you not to leave.”

  “So I think, ‘Hey, he’s grounded,’ and I head over there to ask him what he’s playing at,” Dad continues, “and he’s sitting around some table with these guys who looked ten years older than him, and I stood there and watched him toss ten-, twenty-, fifty-dollar bills onto this table.”

  Ella’s eyes narrow. “Tyler.”

  Tyler only shakes his head, smirking in disbelief. “This is bullshit.”

  “Shut the hell up,” Dad snaps, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt and loosening his tie. “So I’m standing right there watching him gamble and throw away cash, and guess what happened when he lost the bet?” Dad pauses for a moment. “He started swinging.”

  “That asshole was cheating,” Tyler mutters, gripping the countertop and leaning back against it. His eyes are dark. “I wasn’t gonna let him get away with it.”

  “Do you want to get arrested for assault?” Dad steps forward to fix him with a glare. “Spend your life in juvenile hall? Is that what you want?”

  “Tyler, you have to stop all of this,” Ella says quietly, pressing a hand to her forehead and heaving a sigh. She looks more upset than angry. “I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

  “This isn’t Las Vegas,” Dad cuts in. He steps even closer into Tyler’s personal space, his cheeks flushed red. He’s furious enough for the both of them. “What the hell were you doing?”

  Tyler presses his lips into a firm line. “Live a little.”

  “I’m done with you,” Dad states, shaking his head. He throws his hands up in defeat as he turns around and heads outside through the patio doors, perhaps to get a breath of fresh air.

  Ella opens her mouth to speak, but Tyler chuckles before she can say anything and then makes for the hall. I step back into the corner as he storms past, hoping that he
doesn’t notice me. But, of course, he does.

  He spins around, halting as he studies me. “I’ve gotta give you a ride, right?”

  I’m not sure getting a ride from someone with behavioral issues like him is a good idea. He’s most likely a reckless driver, ignoring speed limits and running over the occasional child. “I think so.”

  “I’m leaving right now,” he says, his tone still harsh from the argument, “so either come or stay here.” With his eyes still narrowed, he exhales and makes his way to the front door. Ella calls after him, warning him not to leave, but he ignores her and heads outside.

  I glance back into the kitchen. Ella appears on the verge of tears and Dad is pacing the backyard. The two of them don’t seem like very good company for the evening, so there’s no chance of me choosing to stay here. Sighing, I briskly jog over to the front door and catch Tyler’s attention just before he reaches his car. “Wait up!”

  The dinner’s ruined by now, anyway.

  Chapter 8

  Tyler’s car is parked diagonally across the sidewalk and parking strip, and I can’t help but wonder what sort of rage he was in when he pulled up like that. Perhaps it was similar to the mood he’s in right now. He throws open the door and then pauses to look at me. He just stares.

  “What?” I ask as I near both him and the car.

  “Well?” he prompts. Raising his eyebrows, he gives the vehicle a nod. I run my eyes over the white bodywork for anything significant, but there’s nothing of interest. “Do you even know what car this is?” He looks at me as though I’m stupid, like I don’t know what an airbag is or something, and to prove a point I walk around to the back of the vehicle and study its logo. Four interlinked metal circles.

  “An Audi?” I guess.

  “An Audi R8,” he finishes with an obnoxious smirk, his expression smug.

  “Okay,” I say. “Do you want me to applaud you or something?”

  He laughs as he places a hand on the top of his door. “Girls are clueless. You’d probably pass out if you saw the price tag on this thing.”

  “Get over yourself,” I murmur, shaking my head and reaching for the door. I carelessly slide inside to discover that there are only two seats, and everything is leather and metallic, and perhaps he is right about this car being expensive, and so I keep my mouth shut.

  “Call Tiffani,” he says as he joins me inside, slamming the door behind him. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he tosses his phone onto my lap and starts the engine.

  “You mean your girlfriend who you like to either be all over or completely ignore?”

  The corner of his lips pull up into a smirk, and my stomach churns in disgust. I have never in my entire life met someone with this many flaws, who thinks that everything is a joke.

  “You’re an ass,” I mutter, gripping his phone in my hand and angling my body away from him. I stare out the window as he over-revs the engine and sends us flying down the avenue.

  “Call her,” he says again. “I have no idea where we’re going.”

  I heave a sigh and sit up, turning the device around in my hands and staring at the screen for a while. “Pass code?”

  “Four, three, five, five.”

  Quickly I type in the digits and unlock his phone. I pull up his contacts. “Is that your favorite number or does it stand for a word or—”

  “It spells out hell,” he bluntly answers. But despite his monotone, he keeps his eyes on the road and tightens his grip on the wheel. “Call her.”

  Obeying his request, which is more like a demand, I scroll through his list of contacts until I find Tiffani’s number. I take notice of the unbelievable amount of numbers he has saved, the majority of which are girls’. And then I call his girlfriend.

  “Baby, what’s up?” Tiffani says once she picks up, and I scrunch up my nose at the use of the pet name.

  “It’s Eden,” I tell her. “Tyler’s driving. Where are we all going tonight? Has it been decided yet?”

  She speaks back within a heartbeat. “Hollywood Sign. We all agreed that we have to show you it. It’s amazing.” I bite down on my lower lip as excitement radiates through my body. I’ve always wanted to visit it, and although Venice sounds great too, I’m glad they’ve chosen the sign. “Have you guys left already?”

  “Yeah.” My voice hitches when the car jerks roughly to one side, Tyler’s steering skills proving to be absolutely pathetic. I wonder how he even got his license to begin with.

  “I’ll text everyone and see if they’re ready and we’ll all just meet you out there,” she says sharply. “Put me on speaker for a sec.” I move the phone away from my ear, doing as she asks, and then hold the device by Tyler.

  “Yeah?” he says. He glances down at the screen for only a moment before slamming on the brakes when we approach a stop sign that he obviously hadn’t noticed.

  “I haven’t spoken to you all day!” Tiffani’s voice loudly echoes through the speakers. I catch Tyler roll his eyes in complete disrespect. “Did your mom let you out of the house?”

  He wrenches up the parking brake and fixes me with a firm glare, slowly shaking his head before saying, “No, I was stuck inside all day.”

  “That sucks,” Tiffani says. Poor, poor girl. She’s totally oblivious. “I can’t wait to see you! We won’t be too long. Just wait for us by the Sunset Ranch.”

  “Sure.”

  “Love you.”

  “Yeah,” he says, and then takes the phone from my hand to hang up the call. Yawning, he leans back in his seat and runs a hand through his hair.

  I snort, widening my eyes in disbelief. Every day, every hour he gives me more and more reasons to detest him. “You’re unbelievable. Stuck inside all day?”

  With a soft grunt, he releases the brake and lets the car roll across the intersection. “That’s what I’m going with.”

  “You’re really going to lie to her like that?” I try to meet his eyes as he glances at me, but I’m also keeping my attention on the road, since he doesn’t seem to be doing it. “You were at the beach gambling and fighting and you’re just going to act like you were inside all day? I feel so bad for her.”

  He laughs, his voice so deep that it gives me a momentary chill. “Yeah, you’re definitely Dave’s daughter. You gotta learn to mind your own business, kid.”

  “Stop calling me kid,” I warn. “You’re only a year older than me, and you’ve got fewer brain cells.”

  “Alright, kid,” he says, but he’s smirking. “Your dad’s an asshole.”

  “At least that’s one thing we can agree on.” I sigh heavily, filling the silence. There was once a time when I could tolerate my dad. Back when I was younger, I thought he was great. But then I guess he got bored of Mom and bored of me and bored of his life with the two of us, and so he walked out and never came back. And now he’s just some loser with a temper and wrinkles and graying hair. “I don’t even know what his problem is. I get that you must be super annoying to live with, but it’s like he looks for reasons to yell at you.”

  Tyler taps the steering wheel impatiently. “Tell me about it.”

  “My mom’s better off without him,” I muse, and then instantly backpedal. “Not that it’s unfortunate for your mom or anything like that. What about you? Where’s your dad?”

  Out of nowhere, he slams on the brakes. “What the fuck?”

  I blink, stunned by his aggressive reaction and unable to muster up a reply. I try to babble an apology, but my words only come out ragged and uneven. “Sorry—I—”

  Clenching his jaw and revving up the engine, he steps on the gas and the car accelerates so fast that my body is thrown back against the seat. “Don’t talk,” he spits.

  “I didn’t mean to offend you—” I try, my pulse racing as guilt consumes me. Maybe his dad has passed away, I think. And I’ve just reminded him of it.

  “Shut the hell up,” he growls through gritted teeth, and I decide then that I’m not going to say anything more. I fear that if I do, h
e’ll just continue to speed up.

  Folding my arms and keeping my eyes away from him, I pay attention to the Los Angeles scenery as we leave Santa Monica on the freeway. I don’t mind not talking. Every time I do, he either gives me a cocky answer, a sarcastic reply, or an unnecessary insult. He increases the volume of the music, a selection of R&B songs from his phone, and leaves it blaring loudly for the entire journey, profanities drilling into my ears. The silent tension between us is so awkward, like we should be talking but can’t bring ourselves to do so. We’re stepsiblings yet it feels as though we’re archenemies, and I know it shouldn’t be this way.

  “We’re almost there,” he mutters an hour of reckless driving later. The lengthy silence is so unbearable by now that I can’t even look at him. I focus my thoughts instead on how pretty our surroundings are.

  We pull onto a long street named North Beachwood Drive, and before me the Hollywood Sign stands tall on the mountains, overlooking the city in the evening sun. I bite my lip and close the sun visor to get a better look, and I feel almost nervous as I stare at the global icon that I have only ever seen in movies. Seeing it in real life is a completely different experience.

  Continuing straight ahead, the road changes from a residential street to a narrow canyon road running along the bottom of the mountain. We pass a sign for the Sunset Ranch that Tiffani mentioned, and shortly after, we pull into a small parking area by the side of the road. Everyone’s already there, and I have no idea how they beat us.

  “You took the freeway, didn’t you?” Meghan asks when we get out of the car, and Tiffani immediately prances over to throw her arms around Tyler.

  With his attention being fought for, he somehow manages to reply, “Yeah, did you guys go through Beverly Hills?” Tiffani’s pressing her body to his and drawing his lips to hers, but Tyler doesn’t seem that interested. Not quite smiling, he leans down and kisses her for the briefest of moments before drawing away and stepping back. I think I’m the only one who’s paying attention to them, and when he notices me watching, he lowers his head and stares at the ground.