Page 43 of Bliss: Part 1
And more than that...it’s what shedeserved.
Thirteen
Bliss
The drive home was quiet, peaceful even, and I found myself comforted by the weight of Tripp’s hand resting on my thigh. His touch was gentle, not demanding, but there was a certain intention in it. A silent reassurance that he still wanted to be close to me. I had told him earlier that I needed time, and I’d meant it. But now, sitting beside him in the darkened car, I felt that same pull. The urge to let him in, to stop holding him at a distance, settled firmly in my chest. I didn’t want to keep pushing him away. Not anymore. I decided then that I wanted to let him close. To let him in the way he’d been waiting for.
As we pulled into the driveway, I noticed the house was mostly dark. The lights were off, but the soft flicker of the TV glowed through the living room windows. Now thatThe Oldwas closed and they didn’t have to wake up early to go to work, Dad and Odin stayed up much later.
Tripp parked, and the three of us climbed out and made our way up the porch steps and into the house. Dad looked up from the couch as we entered, lifting one brow in mild curiosity.
“Party over already?” he asked.
“Uh, no,” Dash answered, his tone casual. “We just didn’t feel like sticking around.”
Dad nodded slightly, then asked, “What about Rhys and Ash?”
“They’re still there,” Tripp replied. “I’m planning to go back and pick them up later.”
“Later?” Dad raised an eyebrow. “You think you’ll be up for that?”
Tripp gave a small shrug. “I told them I would. They won’t get home otherwise. They’re drinking.”
“I’ll go get them,” Dad offered.
“I really don’t mind, Dad,” Tripp said, clearly meaning it. But Dad wasn’t budging.
“I’ll go,” he repeated, more firmly this time.
There was no arguing after that. Tripp simply nodded in surrender. “Fine.”
I knew the real reason Dad wanted to be the one to go pick them up. It wasn’t just about being helpful. He wanted to check in, to make sure the boys were behaving themselves. Honestly, he would’ve ended up showing up at the party one way or another. We were just lucky we’d slipped out before he had the chance. Not that he’d have caught me doing anything reckless. I’d kept my head on straight. But Rhys and Ashby? That was another story. They’d been drinking heavily, and now that we were gone, I could only imagine how much worse it had gotten.
God, I didn’t even want to think about what they might be up to now. Both of them were naturally flirty, and there had been no shortage of girls hanging around, eager for attention. I just hoped those girls understood exactly what kind of boys they were dealing with, and that Ashby and Rhys weren’t the type to offer anything real or lasting. They weren’t looking for love. They never were.
Still, the thought of them with other girls stirred something sharp in me. Something uncomfortable and jealous. I didn’t want to feel that way, but I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want them touching other girls. Didn’t want them kissing them or smiling at them like that. I wanted them here with me. With us, where things felt safe and familiar, even if they were complicated.
But deep down, I knew that if they were here, it would probably be too much for me. Too much to want and not be able to have.
As for what might happen with Dash and Tripp later tonight, I wasn’t sure. Everything felt uncertain. But one thing I did know: I wasn’t going to bed alone.
I could feel Dad’s eyes on me then. “Can we talk to you for a second?” he asked. “Just you.”
That made me pause. My heart gave a single, slow thump. But I nodded. “Okay.”
Dash and Tripp watched me before they left the living room to head upstairs. I didn’t look back at them and kept my eyes on Dad.
“Are you doing okay, sweetheart? We’ve noticed you’ve been quiet lately,” Dad started. “Not just tonight.”
I blinked, unsure what to say to that.
“More distant,” Uncle Odin added. “You seem…far away. Somewhere else in your head.”
I swallowed. “I’m fine.”
“Are you?” Dad tilted his head slightly, eyes steady. “It’s okay if you’re not.”
I looked down at my hands. “I’m just tired. That’s all.”
