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My body was on fire.
Even as I drove back to the house, my heart thundered with the memory of the race, as if I was still in the car, the sound of the wind howling in the air and the excitement of winning, of not losing, of burning a trail of fire on the road.
Despite the persistence of the euphoria that had gripped me and shaken me, I was distracted by the current problem.
My dad was supposed to be home by now.
I didn't dawdle in the garage as usual, but as I pushed open the door and stepped outside, I heard the click of the door being unlocked.
Well fuck.
In the deathly silence of the night, when not even crickets chirped, the noise was deafening. Hands trembling, I tiptoed to the door connecting the garage and the house, and pushed it open just a crack, so that the interior was slightly visible.
The tall stature of my father's physique was visible through the door, merely a silhouette against the dull orange light of the lamp. As I watched with slightly wide eyes, his nimble fingers loosened the tie that gripped his neck like a noose, and pulled it off in a single, sharp movement.
The lines on his worn and weather-beaten face seemed to deepen as he breathed in, deep and long. His lips parted—
"Y/N?"
I pulled back quickly, aware that he had not seen me, but my pulse raced again. The last thing I wanted was to get caught.
"Y/N!"
Of course I couldn't answer. I shut my eyes and prayed that he would assume that I was asleep, and at least clean up before he came to my room.
A moment of long silence, and I peeked out once again, heart bouncing against my ribcage. The room was empty.
Please, please, please, the monosyllabic plea was incessant, just hovering above the subconsciousness of my mind. Please be in the bathroom.
I approached the stairs on the balls of my feet, arms close to my sides like a bird ready to take flight.
I practically ran up the stairs, taking pains not to let even the smallest of sounds escape the wood under the pressure of my feet. As my foot came down on the last step, the light switched on.
The step creaked.
My breath caught, and my heartbeat sped up even more, if it were possible. Shit!
