Page 49 of Chaos Kills

THIRTEEN

bay

The sharp squealingof tires fills the air as Levi hands over another cold beer and sits next to me on the top of the hood of his classic Malibu.

With his leg propped on the front bumper, we take in the space together. Everyone from South Shore is out tonight in honor of Dad’s passing.

It’s overwhelming.

We didn’t need to buy food because everyone chipped in and insisted on doing so. I can tell Levi was relieved, one less thing to plan, because he barely let me do anything in the first place.

There’s a burnout contest happening on the dead-end street. People cheer the drivers on, and others dance by the DJ booth. Ellie and Mae are surrounded by every single mom in the vicinity, but they don’t seem to mind it.

One of Ellie’s friends is scooted up to her as they talk and eat. Ellie smiles at whatever she’s saying, which keeps my anxiety down a tad.

My sister isn’t going to want to leave her friends behind. Her whole life.

I’m going to have my hands full with breaking the news to her as well as her reaction.

No matter how perfect this get-together is and how much Dad would’ve loved it, it doesn’t hold the same vibe without him.

Not for me, anyway.

He always enjoyed block parties and conversing with everyone. He was part of this town. He had a deep fondness for South Shore.

And I can’t believe we’re about to leave it behind.

“You wanna talk?”

I don’t look over at Levi because what’s the damn point? The last thing I want to do is talk about Torin, how we’re going to tell the girls about our plan of action, or how I’m feeling.

The latter is a moot point.

Torin is a means to an end.

The girls are obviously the most important.

“About what?” I ask, cocking my beer back again and swallowing more than a quarter of its contents.

“Whatever you want.”

I shrug because he doesn’t have to do this for me. The only thing I require is that he’s here.

Everything else, I’ll sort out and work through in time.

“When do you wanna talk to Ellie and Mae?”

Levi flicks the filter of his cigarette to remove the ash from the end. I’ve rarely seen him smoke anything but weed, so I know how upset and concerned he is without having to say the words. “I don’t think there’s a good time. However, I think maybe we should sit on it until we’re ready.”

“Why?”

“Ellie might get ideas,” he vouches. “And we don’t need the extra stress.”

Truth.

“How much do we need?”

“Perfect world?” Levi takes a drag from his cig, then exhales the smoke while saying, “I’d love fifty grand. That’d last us a while.”

---