She laughs. “Does my mother know you’re here? Better question.”
I stare at her. Is she drunk? “Do you have a car?”
She jerks her chin and looks away. “Zoe drove. I’ve had my keys taken away for two weeks. Thanks for telling my mom about me borrowing your car the other morning.”
My eyes widen. “Borrowing? Interesting choice of words. And I didn’t say a word to your mother. I said I wouldn’t and I didn’t.”
“Bullshit. I don’t believe anything you say.”
I rake a hand through my hair. Why is she being so combative? What did I ever do to her to deserve this?
I struggle to maintain my composure. “We are leaving. Now. I’m taking you home.”
I motion her toward the exit, and she shakes her head. “I’m not leaving without talking to Zoe.”
I scan the room. I don’t see the girl anywhere.
“You can text her from the car,” I say firmly.
My eyes stare into hers, unblinking.
She breaks off first and starts rushing through the crowd. “Why do you have to always ruin everything?” she hisses over her shoulder.
I go out of the club and give my ticket to the valet.
Kaley whirls on me. “You don’t have any right to tell me where I can go or what I can do,” she exclaims in a voice that could puncture the sound barrier.
“That’s enough, Kaley. You’re embarrassing us both.”
She rolls her eyes. “Fuck, you are such an asshole. Don’t you get it? You just embarrassed me in there.”
“The only one to create a scene tonight was you, Kaley. And there is no way in hell I was going to leave you in a place like that alone. Do you even have a clue what could happen to you, drunk, in a place like that?”
She makes a face at me. “Place like what? Someplace you’d go? Zoe and I like to hit clubs. Dance. Even Mom wouldn’t freak out about that. We don’t do anything. You’re being ridiculous.”
“Then I’ll ask your mother when I get you home, and if I’m wrong, I will apologize.”
She crosses her arms, staring stonily ahead. “Don’t bother. You’ve already ruined my night enough.”
Just like I thought. Chrissie would not have approved. I’m feeling better about this, even as horrid as it’s been.
My car rolls to a stop in front of me. I go to the valet to take my key and watch him run around to the other side to open Kaley’s door. I wait until she climbs in.
I sink down onto the driver’s seat. I put the car into gear and pull away from the curb.
“I’ve always cared about you, Kaley. Don’t expect me to stop now. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. It’s not what I intended. I was concerned.”
The answering look in her eyes is pure venom. She turns to stare out the window. “I’m surprised you’re still in LA. You haven’t been around for days. I thought you’d split California.”
I tense, surprised she’s noticed that I haven’t been at Chrissie’s. And more surprised that it bothers her.
“I’m here for good. Moving back to Malibu.”
Nothing. No reaction.
It’s an asinine comment but maybe it will make her laugh or thaw a little.
“We’ll probably be running into each other out in the clubs more often.”
She rolls her eyes. “What’s happening with you and my mother?”
Oh, so that’s what’s got her all anxious and worried and angry. The possibility that I’m doing a fuck and run? Or is it the possibility of me in her universe? Christ, she used to love me. How did everything get so fucked up with her?
I shrug. “I don’t know. I’ll let you know when your mother tells me.”
I hear a sound like a croak. OK, girl not softening. Not budging an inch. She is her mother’s daughter at times.
Forty minutes later, I pull into Chrissie’s driveway. I park the car, remove the keys, and turn to look at Kaley.
“Before we go, is there anything you want to ask? Anything you want to say to me?”
Stoic, she climbs quickly from the car, but then turns back and leans in enough to stare into my face. Her brown eyes are leveling even in the darkness.
“Yeah. I have some things to say. Don’t do to my sister what you did to me. Don’t come around Khloe if you don’t plan to be here. Stay the fuck out of her life if you’re only going to walk once you get bored. Don’t fuck her up, the way you fucked up me.”
The car door slams in my face. My stomach knots. Oh shit. That she’s got the history wrong—it was Chrissie who walked out on me—doesn’t make that any less harsh to hear. Fuck, no wonder the girl hates me. She’s got everything wrong.
I look through the windshield.
Kaley is already inside the house.
But, fuck, Chrissie is standing on the stoop, looking worried and confused. When I reach her, she steps into me, her face against my chest, and I place my arms around her.
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?” she asks anxiously. “Kaley just ripped off my head when I asked how she ended up with you. How did you end up with Kaley? I thought you were out having dinner with Kenny.”
I place a light kiss on the top of Chrissie’s head. “It’s no big deal. I ran into her after dinner. She needed a ride. I brought her home.”
Chrissie steps back. She stares up at me. “Why is she crying?”
My insides knot. Crying? When did that start?
I shrug. “She wasn’t happy that I insisted she come home.”
Chrissie studies my face and I keep my expression deliberately blank.
“Well, thank you for bringing her home from wherever it was she wasn’t supposed to be that you won’t tell me about, Alan.”
I wrap an arm around her.
We walk into the house.
“We ran into each other at Velvet Jones.”
“Velvet Jones? My Kaley? She doesn’t go clubbing. She’s not into that sort of thing.”
“I was just cutting out as she got there with Zoe Kennedy. It was a fast crowd tonight. I didn’t think you’d want me to leave her there.”
She molds closer into my chest. Her body is shaking with her worry and concern over Kaley.
“I’ll stay a while if you want me to,” I whisper. “Make sure everything is all right with Kaley before I cut out.”
Chrissie nods. “I don’t know what’s happening to her lately. Every day it’s a new battle. And it’s getting worse.”
I remember Kaley’s comments in the car. She’s got a lot bottled up inside her.
I change the subject. “Thank you for sending the pictures of Khloe. It made my night.”
Chrissie flushes. “I didn’t even realize that I hadn’t given you any until you asked.”
I place a kiss on her lips. “Highlight of my night.”
Her smile grows larger.
“Do you think it would wake Khloe if I make a quick stop in her room?” I ask.
“No. Soundest sleeper in the house. Go on. I was about to pour myself a glass of wine. Do you want one, too?”
“Wine would be nice.”
I lean in and give her another light kiss, and then cross the tile toward the hallway with Chrissie’s bedroom and the nursery. A door slams at the far end of the house from the kids’ wing.
Chrissie jumps and her cheeks redden. “I’ll be right back. Meet me in the kitchen when you’re done.”
I frown. “Is everything OK?”
Chrissie’s eyes widen. “Kaley can be dramatic at times.”
Oh fuck. Was Kaley in the hallway listening to us? It seems a bizarre, immature reaction for a girl nearly eighteen to eavesdrop on her mother, and definitely to get upset over me staying for a glass of wine.
I step down the hallway to the nursery and peek over the rail of the crib. She’s wide awake. Our sound sleeper must have been startled by the slammed door.
I pick Khloe up. I’m glad she’s awake. Seeing her brings home how much I want to be here with her. It also brings home Kaley’s parting jibe to me at the car.
I adjust Khloe in my arms. She’s not crying. Probably not hungry. I lift her above me and then lower her face to mine. I kiss her and hold her against my chest. Nothing. No tears. She doesn’t want anything but to go back to sleep.