His gaze skates to me, his expression guarded. “Okay …?”
I finish off my coffee then set the empty cup in the cupholder. “You saw him at the gas station, didn’t you?”
He reluctantly nods. “I saw him drive away.”
“Do you know why he was there?”
“No.”
I can’t read him; can’t tell if he’s lying. “Was he there for his job?”
He shakes his head, sweeping strands of his blond hair out of his eyes. “Probably not.”
“How do you know for sure? I mean, what does he even do for your dad?”
“All sorts of things. And I know for sure he wasn’t working earlier because he only works nights.”
“Nights? But sometimes I see him around the house at night.”
“Late at night,” he clarifies. “I think it’s the eleven o’clock to five o’clock shift.”
None of this makes sense, and with how much Blaise is squirming in his seat, I wonder if he knows more than he’s letting on. But why? Because my dad told him not to tell me? Again, why?
Why? Why? Why?
“But he acts as if he’s going to work during the day,” I point out, observing his reaction closely. “He even packs a lunch.”
Blaise thrums his fingers against the wheel, contemplating something. “Maybe he has two jobs?”
I snort a laugh. “Yeah, and unicorns are real.”
He gives me a curious glance. “I’m guessing he’s not the sort of guy who would have two jobs?”
“Hell no. He’s not the type to even have one job. Honestly, until you said he was working for your dad, I thought he was just going to the bar with his”—I make air quotes—“ ‘lunchbox.’ ”
He nods understandingly. “I had one of those parents, too. Or, well, I should say stepparent.” He downshifts as we near the turn off to our neighborhood. “Rhyland and Alex’s mom … she’s a real piece of work. And that’s putting it mildly.”
I seize the opportunity to ask, “Was she the reason you got guardianship of your brothers?”
“Partly.” A tightness clenches his tone. “My father was the other reason.” He flips on his blinker as he slows down to make a turn. “He was really pissed off at me at first. Or, well, pissed off is an understatement. But yeah, anyway, he was really pissed off until I made a valid point that, with the way things were going, we were probably going to get taken away from him anyway. Well, Alex, Jaxon, and Rhyland were. I was eighteen by then.”
I realize something doesn’t add up. “Wait. How long ago was this? I thought Rhyland said six months ago.”
“I started the process about nine months ago. It took three months to get it done and probably would’ve taken longer if my dad hadn’t decided to be cooperative.” He presses his lips together, pausing. “I’m guessing by that confused look on your face that you’re doing the math and realizing I’m almost nineteen yet still a senior in high school. That has nothing to do with me getting guardianship … Back in sixth grade, I had to miss a year of school.”
I almost ask what for, but he looks on the verge of being sick, his skin pale, his breathing increasing.
“So, your dad just gave you guardianship then?” I ask instead.
“After a bit of a fight, he did.”
“Do you guys see him at all?”
“Occasionally, but we try to avoid it at all costs. Well, except for Alex … but he doesn’t always think clearly.” His eyes travel to the rearview mirror. “I wish he would. The last thing I want is for him to get more mixed up in my dad’s world … It’ll destroy him.”
I recall how I overheard Blaise and Alex arguing last night, how Alex declared he was torturing my sisters and me because someone fucked him over.
“Why did Alex go after my sisters and me?” I ask cautiously. “Was it just because of what I said to you the first time we met? Or is there more to it than that?”