“Dandelion, can you think of one person who doesn’t like you? One? I fuckin’ doubt it. You got a personality that people flock to. They can’t help themselves. Ceecee’s got that same draw, but she can also cut someone down in a few words like it’s nothing. People flock toward both of ya, but they stay with you.”
“Yet, we never hang out,” I said self-consciously.
“Yeah, cause you’re sixteen and don’t need to be hangin’ out with men six years older.” He scrubbed the top of my head, like a five year old. “Your pop would string me up by my nuts.”
“No, he wouldn’t.”
“Oh, hell yes, he would.” Leo laughed. “I’d do the same thing if I was him.”
“He knows you.”
“Exactly.”
“You’re a good guy,” I protested.
“Bein’ a good guy ain’t got nothing to do with it, Dandelion. Bein’ a good guy doesn’t make it right for a man to be hangin’ out with a teenage girl. Even if all they’re doin’ is hangin’ out.”
“Oh, whatever,” I huffed. “That’s stupid.”
“Come talk to me when you’ve got kids runnin’ around and tell me what you think about it then.”
“Cam is way older than Trix,” I pointed out.
“Trix was older when they got together.” He paused to take a drag off his cigarette. “She was in college. That changes shit.”
“I still think it’s ridiculous.”
“Course you do,” he teased. “So anxious to grow up.”
“Oh, shut the fuck up. You’re not that much older than me.”
“Fuck, the difference between me at sixteen and you at sixteen? Massive.”
I was getting irritated, but I wasn’t sure why. Was it because he was acting like I was a kid, or was it because I knew with a sinking feeling in my stomach that it was his super kind way of telling me that whatever crush I was still harboring would never amount to anything?
God, he was so sweet to me. He’d always been so sweet to me. Even when he was a dick to everyone else, he still went out of his way to be nice to me. It fucked with my head.
“I better get home,” I finally mumbled, getting to my feet.
“What? You poutin’?” he asked as he stood up, too.
“I’m not pouting,” I ground out, frustrated that I couldn’t even walk away from him without falling on my face. “But you’re right, my dad would flip if I stayed out late with you.”
Leo huffed in irritation, but still gently led me back to his bike, handed me his helmet, and helped me sit. Always sweet, always helpful, even when I knew I was being a jerk.
He must have driven around for a bit on our way to the river, because the ride home took a lot less time. It still took long enough that by the time we rolled to a stop and the bike went silent, I felt like a complete ass. He’d been so cool, and he’d completely taken my mind off of being stood up, which I was sure was his intention.
“Looks like your parents are home now,” he said as he got off the bike.
“I’m sorry,” I said as soon as I had two feet on the ground again and started taking off my helmet. “I’m being an asshole.”
“Nah, you’re fine,” he said carelessly. “Been a shit night for you. I get it.”
“Yeah, and you made it a hundred times better. Thanks for the ride.”
Just as I handed him the helmet, my dad called out from the front porch, making me cringe in embarrassment.
“The fuck? Givin’ you a ride?”
“On his motorcycle!” I yelled back, my face on fire.
“Jesus,” Leo mumbled quietly. “Point made, yeah?”
I snorted and laughed. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Chin up, Dandelion,” Leo said, as I heard my dad’s footsteps come close. “That kid ain’t got no idea what he missed out on.”
“Why aren’t you at the dance?” my dad asked. “And why the fuck are you on this joker’s bike?”
“My date never picked me up,” I replied with a shrug as my dad’s familiar scent wrapped around me.
“That little fucker.”
“Gave her a ride home from Tommy’s,” Leo said. “Came back here, but no one was home and I didn’t want to leave her here alone, so we went for a ride.”
“She’s sixteen,” my dad replied flatly.
“I’m aware.”
“Thanks, Leo,” I said, cutting off the conversation that had suddenly become tense. “Come on, Dad, I want to go inside.”
I heard Leo’s bike fire up as we made our way onto the porch. Smiling a little, I braced myself. My mother was going to lose her shit the minute she knew what happened.
“Why are you home already?” Mom said as we walked into the kitchen. “Where’s Rose?”
“Her goddamn date never showed and she spent all night with Leo,” my dad growled.
“What?”
“It wasn’t all night! And, yeah, my date never showed,” I replied, sitting down in one of the stools at the counter. “He never even texted to say he wasn’t coming.”