“Your friend and Kendall seem to like each other.”

“Yeah, they seem to be hitting things off.”

He nodded a few times, his eyes slanted, remaining on me as he shifted so he was level with the hood of the car. “So, what about you?” I’m sure I looked surprised by his question because he continued. “What are you planning to do now that you’re back home?”

“I don’t know.” I didn’t. We ended up renting a house from my uncle in San Diego. He had made it big with real estate, and leased the place to us for less than what we could rent an apartment for, and we had quite a bit of money still saved from fishing that we never had touched, living off what we made in construction in Alaska.

“That’s good. Life’s too short to always be working. As long as you keep your goals in mind, it’s important to relax. Enjoy being young while you can.” That was your dad’s first subtle piece of advice that he finalized by whistling, Let it Be.

“So, what did you do?”

“What do you mean?”

Kyle’s eyes found me over his shoulder. “Ace. You obviously pissed her off. What’s the deal with you two? You guys keep hanging out, yet you’re both dating other people. Is this some sort of love triangle? Or are you guys just hanging out until school starts, or what? It’s been nearly a week since I’ve seen you over.”

Your dad stopped moving. I knew he was listening for my answer as well, which only served to make things even more difficult because I was still trying to figure things out myself. He was right, I hadn’t seen you in six long days, not since Dante’s party. I didn’t leave my house during that time. My mind was playing so many games with me while I impatiently waited for you to figure your shit out.

“We’re just friends. She has Eric.”

You know how you always know what Kyle’s thinking? His face is like an open book, every emotion is so easy to distinguish. When his eyes shifted to me, there was a warning that said if he knew me better, or not at all, he’d have considered punching me. “She’s wasting her time with Eric.”

The intense stare he was giving me, beckoning a response was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. If it hadn’t been Mindi, I really think he would have waited until I told him what in the hell was going on with us.

“I don’t normally meddle in the girls’ relationships. They do enough of that with each other.” Your dad had shared countless stories about all of you girls while we worked on Clementine, but he had never imparted any advice prior to this. “I think you scare her.” The way his eyes were slit, like he was apologizing for the fact made ice run through me. My first thought was of Dante’s and the fight, and then to Felicia, and that stupid call from Megan.

Your dad must have been able to read my fear because he smiled warmly, leaning against Clementine. “It’s the same fear you have for her. The one that’s making having a relationship with another girl sound like a good idea.

“You’re going to have to take your time with her. Ace likes to make decisions based on logic. She fabricates these ludicrous algorithms in her mind that only seem to ever fully make sense to her.

“Eric had fit her requirements. He isn’t around much, allowing her to do what she wants, and at the same time is motivated, has goals, works hard. He looks great on paper.” I remember his dark brown eyes, that are so similar to yours, focusing on me. “You don’t fit her mold because you care more about her than you do about who she might be, could be. And you’ve already been accepted by the family. She doesn’t want to like you because I think she cares more about you than she wants to. I know how amazing my daughter is, and I think you’re quickly learning how amazing she is, but I’ll let you in on a couple of secrets. She’s terrified of letting people down to an unhealthy degree, and she hides from awkward situations. She isn’t like her sisters; they talk, and scream, and cry their way through their feelings. Ace locks herself up and picks every little detail apart. That’s what she’s been doing these last few days. That’s why Kyle asked what happened.”

For whatever reason, I started explaining things to him, “I don’t want to be the reason she breaks up with Eric. I want her to make that decision on her own so she doesn’t have any regrets about it.”

“You won’t be the reason, Max. She’s already got a truckload of reasons. You’ll be her motivation.”

His words seemed to clear every concern and excuse that I’d been holding on to those last few weeks, and he smiled, obviously reading it on my face.

“She’s inside,” he told me, nodding toward the house, and dropping his gaze. He knew I was going to go, he didn’t have to watch. God, if I told you this now it would probably break your heart. Your dad helped me see things in a different, simpler light. I should have gone to him after our fight.

“If you smell bleach, you’re in trouble.” I remember the confusion of Kyle’s warning making my eyebrows knit. He jerked his head toward the house. “Bleach means she’s pissed and she’s doing heavy-lifting thinking; it also means you’re up shit creek. So I hope for your sake that it doesn’t smell like bleach.”

I was still questioning if he was just being a smartass, and closing the last few feet to the house when the soft echo of his run made me stop and turn.

“Don’t jerk her around. I like you. You’re not nearly as big of a playboy as I’d thought, but that’s my sister, so if your dick’s not sure, don’t go in there.”

“I’m sure.”

A small grin replaced the look of question before he turned to go and then hesitated, turning back to face me. “If she won’t talk about things, don’t force her. She’ll come around.”

You mom greeted me with a smile as I entered the back patio door. I’d been over to your house enough I probably shouldn’t have felt half as nervous as I did, but realizing everyone was aware of what was happening between us just intensified my nerves.

“You know, that park off of Grand shows movies in the park every Sunday this summer. A lot of them are older movies that you kids probably don’t have a lot of interest in, but I saw Pretty in Pink is playing tomorrow.” I had no idea what she was talking about. Hearing the title, I was instantly picturing little girls in a beauty pageant or something else equally ridiculous. “You know, the one with Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, and Andrew McCarthy?” she offered, looking hopeful. “Duckie?”

I tried to place any of those names, but she read my confusion, smiling before she continued. “You probably wouldn’t have seen it. Ace used to love watching it with Mindi. The two of them have seen that movie so many times they probably know it by heart. Ace really is too young to be a Rat Pack fan, so’s Mindi for that matter, but most girls that watch Molly Ringwald in those movies seem to relate on some level.”

At that point, I had lost track of the purpose of the conversation because I was mentally trying to retain the name Molly Ringwald so I could Google it when I left.

“It’s supposed to be really nice out tomorrow …” She gave me a look to make sure I understood her subtle suggestion, and for some reason, knowing your mom was on my side gave me a resounding confidence. I knew she hated Eric, my mom had told me so. Looking back, I feel like a shithead for how many hints everyone dropped our way. I’m just glad to know it wasn’t just me receiving them.

Her smile grew, sensing my resolve. “She’s upstairs, packing.”

“Muriel, would you and David be okay if I took her to the movie on my bike?”

“Bike being motorcycle?” The mere idea made her eyes tighten at the edges.

“Only to the park?” I nodded once. “And you have an extra helmet?” I quickly assured her with another nod. A quiet sigh confirmed she was going to give me the green light, but her bright red nails drummed across the counter with thought.