Piece By Piece (Book #2)

Chapter Twenty-Two

The next morning I heard someone clearing their throat. It wasn't Tyler.

My eyes shot open. My dad was standing over us, looking hungover.

"I thought you were spending the night over at Elle's?"

"We were done before she was so we just headed back here to watch movies." I elbowed Tyler to wake up.

He looked confused until he saw my dad, "Good morning, Mr. Harrison. How was the rest of the party? We wound up coming back early. I hope you don't mind. We just made popcorn and watched Halloween Town."

Tyler's ability to sound wholesome at the drop of a hat was uncanny. I watched my dad soften.

"Did you two have fun?"

I nodded, "Yes, Daddy. We did. Can I go over to Elle's now though?"

"Sure sweetie."

Tyler and I got up and and headed out the door in our sweats. He was still in his inmate costume. We circled back to his house first so he could change. We walked in his house and saw Mr. Mason nursing his own headache. Miri and Darcy sat at the kitchen table too. Miri gave me a small smile. I assumed Danny had told her about my little suggestion last night. Darcy looked annoyed seeing me.

Mrs. Mason popped her head around the corner, "Where'd you two end up last night?"

Darcy and Miri perked their ears up too.

Tyler shrugged, "We fell asleep on Alex's couch watching an old Disney movie."

I noticed that Tyler's words weren't verbatim what he told my dad. It would make it sound less rehearsed if the two happened to compare notes. I knew I was taking notes. This dude was an expert at causally explaining to parents that we were alone together all night. He made it sound so innocent.

I think the problem for me was I felt guilty. Like we were lying. Because we we're telling the whole truth. At the same time, I would be mortified if they knew the whole truth. What we had shared last night together had been private and intimate and I prayed that it stayed that way.

Mrs. Mason took in his explanation and accepted it as fact. Darcy rolled her eyes. She was the idiot who got caught in the act.

Twice.

The Kid needed to learn how to be more discreet. Tyler went upstairs to change, leaving me alone with the others.

Mrs. Mason offered me breakfast but I acted like I wasn't hungry. The truth was I was starving. However, I would have rather eaten my own arm over sitting down to breakfast with Darcy.

Tyler came downstairs in a pair of gray sweats and Maple Leafs hoodie.

Damn.

He hugged me and looked at his mom, "Is Aaron already at Elle's?"

"He spent the night in Ari's room so he should still be over there."

I mentally rolled my eyes. All of our parents were either ignorant to what teenagers did these days or trusted us enough not to get pregnant. We both nodded at Mrs. Mason and headed back out the door.

Once we were out of earshot I brought it up, "Do your parents know that your..."

"Sexually active?" Tyler laughed, "I mean they're not stupid. My dad will randomly leave a box of condoms in mine and Aaron's bathroom. He knows they get used or he wouldn't keep doing it."

I laughed at that too, "And you know it's your dad and not your mom?"

Tyler shuttered at that, "Ew. No. I don't want to think about that possibility."