Kiss and Break Up (Magnolia Cove, #1)(7)

“What’s happening?”

“Hmm?” She didn’t remove her eyes from the screen.

I tapped my hands over my bare legs, trying to figure out a way to tell her about the party tomorrow night. I’d been to a few before, but they were more like small gatherings and never with alcohol.

Out with it, I told myself. Then I channeled Dash. Speak. “So, ah, there’s this party at Wade Eldin’s tomorrow night.”

That did it.

Her head snapped up, her lashes fluttering around gray-blue eyes so much like my own. “Wade Eldin?”

“Yep.”

“A party?”

I nodded. “Yeah, you know, those shindigs where people make out, take drugs, and get drunk?”

Her caramel hair fell over her shoulder as she laughed. “Well, sure. What time shall I take you? We can stop at the liquor store on the way.”

I laughed too but then sobered. “I’m sure it’s not that bad. I do want to go, and you trust me, right?”

She heaved out a breath and set her Kindle aside before hiking a leg up and curling toward me. “I trust you. It’s the other misfits who attend these things who I don’t trust.” Her eyes widened. “Not that long ago, I was young and attended these things.”

Moving my foot to the couch, I shoved my knee beneath my chin. “I’ll take one of the girls with me.”

“Willa? I feel like she’s less likely to get you into any trouble.”

I grinned. “Daphne isn’t some deviant.”

“No, but she’s certainly more used to that crowd than you are.”

“All the more reason to have her with me. She’ll know the score. What to do. What not to do.” I wasn’t sure if my argument would get me anything but a resounding no.

So I was shocked when she said, “I need to work Saturday morning. I can’t be up late picking you up. And you are not getting a ride home from some random person.”

“Okay.” I was about to suggest that Dash could pick me up, or that I could take her car and not drink, but she was already shaking her head.

“There’s no way Dash would go to a party and not smoke or drink something, and you’re not taking my car. I don’t want you driving that late.”

“Does some random person mean no Uber?” I sighed, feeling as if her reasons would be never ending. At that moment, I wished I was more rebellious. The type to sneak out windows and call an Uber, then sneak back in before anyone knew. I could’ve kicked myself. But Mom didn’t fall asleep until around ten most nights, and half the fun would be over by then.

Plus, we had the kind of relationship where I’d always felt I could go to her for anything. To talk about anything. I didn’t want to ruin that.

“Call your dad.” My entire body pulled upright. “If he agrees and is willing to send Alfie out to pick you up and bring you home.” She raised a finger when she saw the beginning of my smile. “Before eleven thirty. Then yes, you can go.”

I dived over the couch, wrapping my arms around her.

Laughing, she squeezed me. “Quit growing up.”

“Love you too.”

She pushed me back, then stood to leave the room. “Ugh, now you’ve scrunched my cashmere top.”

I laughed as I picked up her phone to call Dad. You could take the woman out of the castle, but you couldn’t take the princess out of the woman.

The phone rang twice before he picked up. “Hey, Daddy.”

“Peggy Sue. How’re those pearly whites looking?”

I smiled, feeling kind of bad that I hadn’t called him afterward or even gone over there to show him. “Good. I got a haircut too.”

“Yeah?” I heard him take a sip of something, likely brandy. “You’ll need to send me a photo.”

My ears and nose pricked as I heard Phil serving up dinner. “Have you worked out how to view the photos yet?”

“I run a multi-million-dollar business, Pegs. I can find my way around a damn phone.”

“Uh-huh.” He’d only just started texting and used to say it was for chumps who couldn’t be bothered to pick up the phone and give someone their proper attention. “How about I come over on Sunday? Will you be in town?”

“I’m here until next week, then I’m in Dubai for the better part of next month.”

Dubai was one of the countries that manufactured his medical equipment.

“I’ll come see you on Sunday, then. But I wanted to ask you something.”

“So,” he said, “ask.”

“I’m heading out tomorrow night with some friends. Do you think Alfie could pick me up?”

“Out? Like a party, out?”

I closed my eyes, then reopened them and said as firmly as possible, “Yeah, a party. Wade Eldin is hosting one. The big blue mansion a few streets from your place, closest to the bay.”

He whistled. “That family’s a bunch of idiots.” After a torturous thirty seconds, he sighed. “Okay, I’ll have him pick you up and take you home.”

“Thanks, Daddy.”

His tone firmed. “You should have Dashiell go with you.”

“Yeah,” I lied. “I think I will.”

There was no way I was letting Dash accompany me tomorrow night.