“He must’ve hired a cleaning team,” I deduce.
“It’s eight in the morning,” he counters.
I shrug. “Guess the rich don’t care about the rules.”
Silence descends over the car as Jesse continues his careful analyzing of Finn’s front lawn.
“Anyway, thank you for… you know, everything. I should be all right from here.” I reach for the car handle, but before I open the door, Jesse extends his arm to stop me.
“Dia, wait.”
I lock gazes with my brother and see worry gleaming in his almond eyes.
He’s scared for me.
Genuinely scared.
Or… is he scared for himself?
Scared that I’ll find out something I shouldn’t if I stay?
“You asked me here for a reason last night. Don’t forget that.”
He’s right.
I called him because I was emotional and angry and heartbroken about losing my birth mom’s shirt, but none of that matters as much as Lexie’s safety. I will not abandon her. Even if it means living with a monster for a little while longer.
“I won’t, I promise,” I reassure him. “Thanks, again.”
With that said, I climb out of his car, swing Lexie’s door open, and book it to the house to assess the damage inside. I can’t see much of the house through the glass door due to the sunrays reflecting off it.
What’s waiting on the other side?
Drunk people on the floor?
Broken bottles everywhere?
Ruined furniture?
There’s only one way to find out.
“Here goes nothing.” I push the door open.
The first thing I notice is the silence.
The house is dead quiet, sounding almost deserted. I step into the entryway that was paved with glass and booze just last night and swallow a gasp.
It’s clean.
Just like the driveway.
Just like the front yard.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d wonder if there was even a party at all. I unhook Lexie’s leash and smile as she takes off running down the hallway.
I trail after her, venturing farther into the house and examining the kitchen. There isn’t a single red cup in sight and not even one cheerleader passed out in her own vomit.
The hardwood floors look like they were mopped. In fact, the whole house is spotless. Did Finn hire an overnight cleaning crew? Lexie barking in the living room catches my attention.