Unexpected

Helping The Enemy

My phone starts ringing in my pocket. Daniel doesn’t even question it as I pick it up.
“Hello?”
“Still coming to the party tonight?”
I sigh. What else would I be doing? Gavin doesn’t have me working tonight and I don’t want to upset Andy by visiting her. Sitting around the apartment doing nothing doesn’t sound pleasing either.
“I guess.”
Sonny doesn’t even try to hide his excitement.
“I’ll pick you up at eight, alright?”
“Yeah.”
“See you then beauty.”
“See you then, Sonny.”
I hang up and put my phone back in my pocket. I catch Daniel staring at me, a judgmental expression on his face.
“Did you say Sonny?”
“Yeah. Why does it matter?”
“As in, Gavin’s brother Sonny?”
The tone he’s using suggests he’s not too happy.
“Yeah. It is Gavin’s brother Sonny. Why the hell does it matter?”
He shakes his head, going right back to packing as if I didn’t ask him a question.
“I don’t understand why everybody cares who I talk to. Both you and Gavin are off about the whole Sonny thing. If you have a problem, just tell me because I’m not in the mood to deal with little children right now.”
The ‘little children’ comment makes him snap. He slams his fist against the box, glaring at me.
“Sonny is a bad guy and he’s hurt many people. If you want to get tangled up in his web of crap, go ahead, but don’t come crawling to me or Gavin when he hurts you.”
His words pack a punch but it only knocks me back for a second.
“I have to leave.”
Coward’s way out of an argument they can’t win. Why am I such a coward?
I exit Andy’s room, walking the path back to the front of the house. When I get to my truck, Peni is leaning against it, a suitcase standing next to her. She’s obviously been crying. As soon as she spots me, she uncrosses her arms.
“Is the baby really Hunter’s?”
I rub a hand over the obvious but still small enough bump.
“Sadly, yes.”
Peni lets out a weird laugh, wiping her eyes.
“Do you mind dropping me off at my parent’s house?”
“Can’t you take one of the cars from the garage?”
Even though I feel bad that Peni just had her whole world shaken by Hunter’s statement, I don’t want to help the girl that has made my life a living hell since the minute she got here.
“Hunter will be able to track it and claim I stole it or something. He still thinks he’s done nothing wrong.”
“Daniel is around back, why don’t you wait until he’s done?”                                                    
“He’s not speaking to me right now. I called his girl some mean names and he took offense.”
I don’t blame Daniel for being mad at his sister, but I don’t want the witch with a ‘b’ anywhere near me for longer than necessary.
“Please. I won’t bother you ever again.”
The baby inside of me toys with my emotions, bringing sympathy to the surface.
“Throw your suitcase in the back and hop in.”
She moves to give me a hug but I step back. She just nods, loading her suitcase into the bed of my truck as I walk over to the driver’s side door, opening it. I climb in, closing the door and starting the truck as Peni settles into the passenger seat.