Delilah tossed her silverware to her tray and wadded up her napkin. “I’m wearing my running shoes, and if stuff gets weird, I’m out of there. Dhaval’s mom said I looked sizzled around the edges, burned, and I’d like to stay as unsizzled as possible, thank you very much.”
Gavin stood as she did and followed her to the garbage cans. “Dhaval’s mom?” he asked.
He watched as she scraped her tray and placed it on the conveyor belt that led to the kitchen. “Yeah. I was a little freaked out last night. I mean, for obvious reasons, of course, but. . . I don’t know. . . My dad was all weird, sitting in the kitchen drinking and saying all this even weirder stuff. Like Scripture or something. I didn’t want to be alone, so when you didn’t answer, I texted Dhaval.”
Gavin felt himself frown. “Your dad doesn’t usually do those things?”
“Ha!” she said, looping her arm through his and leading them both out the double doors of the cafeteria. “My dad gets self-righteous when the neighbors bring over rum cake, for crying out loud. I’ve never seen him drink. He’s more a piece of furniture in the house than a human.”
“Maybe he had a rough day. Maybe it was that he saw you with me?”
Delilah was already shaking her head. “No. It was more than that, but. . . I can’t explain it. Like he was there but. . . not. Anyway, it was creepy as hell, and so I snuck out and went to Dhaval’s. Though he’s probably going to kill me for it today.”
“So what did his mom mean by saying you were sizzled? Like physically, or metaphorically?” Gavin thought back to what had happened and couldn’t remember any moment where House or the tree had actually burned her. Had it?
“Honestly, I don’t know. It was the middle of the night, and she wasn’t exactly a wealth of words. Maybe she meant I just had a weird vibe about me. After the park and my dad and the walk over there and my sweater—”
Gavin reached out, placing a hand on her arm to stop her. “What happened on the way over?” he asked, concerned. House had promised to be good, and he believed it. So why did it suddenly feel like he had a herd of horses galloping in his chest? “And your sweater?”
“Nothing. Well, it felt like something. But maybe that’s because I was already freaked out and it was late and dark and—”
“Delilah.”
“If felt like everything was watching me. The trees, the lampposts. Like at the park.”
Gavin nodded, heaviness settling deep into his stomach. “So his mom didn’t tell you anything else?”
“No. I went upstairs with Dhaval and talked his ear off. I’m sure he failed his math test this morning because of me.”
“Did you tell him what happened?” What happened. What a benign and completely inaccurate description of what was going on.
They stopped at her locker, and Delilah hesitated before she spun the lock and began putting in her combination. Gavin felt his brows rise, but he said nothing, waiting. “Not really. What I mean to say is, I told him what House is but. . . not everything.”
“You could have, you know. If you trust Dhaval, then so do I. I don’t want you to keep a secret from him because you think you’re protecting me.”
“It’s not just that. He wouldn’t understand. Besides, I think this is something we should probably keep to ourselves as much as possible. At least for now.”
Gavin nodded again, slow and stiff, like his neck was a heavy weight set on a rusty hinge. He knew she was right. House had disappointed him, and he felt an odd unease, as if he wasn’t entirely sure he could trust House where Delilah was concerned. But his chest ached, too, when he had these disloyal thoughts about his unlikely family. He wouldn’t do anything that might put it in jeopardy.
“But dinner could be awesome,” she said, clearly attempting to change the subject. “Impress me enough and I might let you kiss me again. I mean, I don’t want a piano dropped on me or anything.. . .”
“Ha-ha.”