Chapter 14

Having him appear like that has made me nervous about leaving it open now. I never heard him coming up the tree, so I would not hear anyone else doing it either, and that makes me scared as I mentally put a tick note to never leave it open at night again. It didn’t set off the house alarm or the floodlights, so he must have cut through the tees from the left.

“I’m not that dumb. My bike is safe with a friend. I’ll get it tomorrow. We got a cab home.” He stumbles past me, steps labored, and zigzags to my bed before slumping down on the end and looking ready to fall back. Kicking at his boots as though he intends to take them off and manages to set his laces loose on the left one.

“Get up… don’t you dare pass out in here. Go to bed, Dane. My mom is downstairs on the warpath, and your dad’s in his room, so be quiet.” As much as I would love for them to catch him like this, wasted and walking in at this time, I don’t want the fallout after an already strained evening. My mom is