Page 4 of Keeping Kyler
“What are you doing here?” he asks in a clipped, suspicious tone of voice.
“Kal!” I hiss, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “You’re being rude.”
His eyes blink excessively as he stares at me in bewilderment. “He’s parked outside our house like a creeper andI’mbeing rude?”
Okay, he’s got a point, but still. “He. Saved. Me.”
“And I’m very grateful to you for that,” Kal says, focusing his attention on Mark who has since climbed out of his car. “But it doesn’t explain what you’re doing outside our house in the pitch dark.”
“Nor why you two are going somewhere in the dead of night,” Mark throws back.
Kal and I trade glances. “Don’t try to deflect,” Kal replies. “Answer me or I’m calling my dad.” He takes his phone out, his finger hovering over the keypad.
Mark rubs the side of his face, looking conflicted.
“Mark?” My eyes pin him in place, asking an unspoken question.
His eyes shutter momentarily. He takes a step toward me, but Kal holds up a hand to halt him. “Stay right there, buddy.”
“I didn’t want to do it like this. I wasn’t expecting you to come out and see me. I …” He trails off, looking away.
“He’s a freak,” Kal mouths at me, and I scowl, shaking my head, denying it. No one who wades in to help a stranger fight off an attacker is a freak.
A freaking saint more like.
Mark lifts his head up, and I’m shocked to see the gleam of unshed tears in his eyes. There is something so familiar about the look that it raises all the tiny hairs on the back of my neck. I lean in, studying his face, examining his wide blue eyes as if I’m properly seeing them for the first time. He runs a shaky hand through his thick, dark hair, and all the puzzle pieces slot into place. A manic fluttery feeling starts building in my chest, and I sway on my feet a little.
“My name isn’t Mark,” he admits, not taking his eyes off my face. “It’s—”
“Adam!” I blurt out, mentally kicking myself for not figuring it out sooner.
His eyes fill with tears, and I grab a handful of Kal’s shirt, clinging to him for dear life.
“Yes,” he says, nodding as he takes a step closer. “I’m Adam. I’m your father.”
Chapter Two
Faye
Blood thrums through my veins as I stare at Mark—Adam.
My dad.
My chest inflates and deflates in perfect sequence, and I can scarcely breathe over the messy lump of emotion in my throat. I can’t find any words, and even if I could, I doubt I could articulate them. I can only stare, dumbfounded, at the man I thought was snooping around because he was a reporter. But he was asking for me, taking my picture, because he is my father. Kal is tugging on my arm, whispering frantically in my ear, but the words don’t penetrate. I think I’ve gone into shock or something.
Adam’s face softens as he closes the small gap between us. “Faye.” His voice is full of concern. “Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?”
“I …” I don’t know what to say. What to think.
“I didn’t want to just spring this on you. I’ll go if you think it’s best.”
“No!” The word flies out of my mouth with urgency as the gate opens behind us. A wide beam of luminous light throws us into focus, and we squint as one. A car door opens and closes with a heavy thud. Then James appears in front of us, advancing in long strides with a look of thunder on his face.
“Fuckitty fuck,” Kal murmurs.
“What the hell is going on here?” James roars, glaring at Adam. “You two”—he jabs his finger at Kal and me—“get in the house now. I’ll deal with this.”
“No.” I cross my arms over my chest. “I want to speak to my …” I peek up at Adam, and his tender gaze almost undoes me. “I want to speak to Adam,” I add quietly.
