“Wait, you're going?” Alta piped up, surprised and horrified. She was out of her chair before I even let my dad go. The chorus of my other siblings disagreeing with my departure followed.
I glared. And with a damning finger, I pointed to each and every one of them, chanting, “Cabróna, cabrón, cabróna, cabrón…” when I got to Clementine I paused, ignoring my family’s wide-eyed surprise. To Ferg, I circled her chair and gave her a swift one arm hug, whispering a quick, “Thanks.”
It wasn’t for anything in particular. Just for being there for me in whatever way she knew how. Her cool hands circled my forearm and squeezed in response. No further explanations needed. In her pretty, sweet voice she said, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I huffed a little laugh as I dislodged from her and headed toward the door. As I left I heard the apologetic calls from my siblings behind me saying things like, “You're really leaving?” “Ceci, don't be like that!” And my favorite, “Ceci, we can watch your favorite movie!”
Yeah, right.
Those assholes could fuck off.
Chapter Ten
CONNOR
I gave her three minutes just like I promised. But I didn’t go too far too fast because one, the Fernandez’s lived about twenty-five minutes away from my house. If we raced that entire time, we’d die. And two, it was more fun when we started in the same place.
Instead of speeding ahead I coasted just fast enough to get us down the highway and onto the exit for the four-lane parkway that paralleled the beach. Five miles out is when I finally let her speed up to me, her blue SUV coming mirror to mirror with mine. I chanced a glance over at her and through the window I got a glimpse of a Ceci I loved.
Her windows were down, even though it was damn cold at night by the beach. But I swear she did it just so that her hair could whip around her in those long, unruly tendrils.
She wore a leather jacket. An old thing I think she’d found at a thrift store or something. It definitely used to be a man’s because when she stood up, it came down past her butt, almost reaching mid-thigh. She wore that thing from Fall to Spring, only giving it up when the hot stickiness of summer forced her to. It was hanging off her shoulders now as she wore this overly big band T-shirt underneath.
Hair whipping, I could see the twinkle of her earrings in the radio light, her right hand decorated with six or seven little rings that she wore every day. They were always in a different formation, sometimes on her left hand, sometimes on the right, sometimes spread across both and sometimes they were even on a chain around her neck. Always changing, always fluid.
So Ceci.
It made me wonder what I’d missed in this week of not hearing from her. If she was alright. If dinner was any indication, it seemed like she wasn’t much herself lately. And for the first time since the day after her birthday, it was like I was looking at the real Ceci again. The one I knew, if only for a glimpse through the car window.
Just then a call came through on my radio.
“Eyes on the road, Ferguson,” she said, and I could hear the smile on her voice.
“Just checking to see if you’re ready for another ass whooping.”
She laughed out loud, the sound filling me up. She didn’t laugh once at dinner. “In your fucking dreams, Con.”
“I didn’t know you still did that.”
“Did what?”
“Dreamt about me.”
“Shut the fuck up!” she cackled, her voice being overtaken with laughter.
I couldn’t not grin. “But seriously, you haven’t beaten me once, Ceci.”
“And there’s a first time for everything.” She barely finished her statement before her car jerked forward in a burst of speed, passing me by an entire car length.
“You fucking cheat,” I grumbled as I matched her pace and she burst out laughing again.
Slowing at the same time I caught up, she spoke through her obvious shit-eating grin. “I was just kidding. I won’t cheat,promise.”
“Funny how I don’t believe you.”
“Con, come on!We’ll be home before we even get to race at this rate,” she whined. I couldn’t keep watching her through the window, but I could just imagine her bouncing in her seat over there. Itching to passGo.
“Alright, alright. Calm down,” I said. “Are you ready?”
