Is this the final stop? (Toni Shalifoe)

Chapter 12

Toni's breath hitches. She's alone with Dave Goodkind. Almost facing off with him in the kitchen, all by herself, when she hears him say, "I don't like sinners."

The sounds of those words bounce around in her head, echoing loud.

He knew. Of course he fucking knew, she yells in her head. And he doesn't need to keep up the faithful man-of-the-house illusion that he masks in public.

No. He doesn't have an audience. He just has Toni. And seeing this liberated version of Dave is not something Toni ever wants to see again.

"I don't accept lying, Toni." His voice is hardened, curt, unforgiving.

Toni clears her throat, mustering any kind of strength that she most certainly does not have at this moment. He's towering over her.

He steps up to her, hitting the point home. She immediately takes a step back and he says, "You understand me? No more of that here. Especially in front of my son."

Son, she thinks. Toni looks up at him, confused. But then, she makes the connection from the conversation at the dinner table. She lied at the dinner table. For Spencer. To make him think that she and Dave made this track idea plan together.

Toni's shoulder relaxes. He doesn't know, she thinks. Toni is relieved, feeling like she just dodged a bullet. She looks up at him.

"We never spoke about his wantin' to join a track team," Dave continues. "I didn't even know that about him."

With a new sense of confidence Toni shrugs, "I'm sure it would've come up if you just spent more time with him," she says, feeling brave. "He's a good kid—"

"I know that, he's my kid."

"Hm," Toni says. "You didn't know about the track team? Didn't know that he pulls the trampoline over to the hoop outside near the kitchen just hoping you'd see his moves? I'm just saying there seems to be some things that surprise you about your own family."

Dave clenches his jaw tight.

"And just because I live under this roof doesn't mean you'll know everything about me, either." Toni bites.

This is the first time anyone under this roof has stood up to Dave.

He swallows hard and replies, "I know you've never had a real family before..."

She winces slightly. He takes a step towards her. She takes another step back.

"...So, you don't know what these relationships are like, but we do things a certain way here. And I expect you to abide by them."

He takes another step towards her. "Never entwine me in a lie of yours again."

And with that, Toni's confidence goes down the drain. She doesn't move away from him this time. He tilts his head down lower so that it's right by her ear and growls, "Understood?"

She shakes her head hard, looking down at her feet, not feeling enough courage to look him in the eyes. Her voice caught in her throat.

"Great!" He says, and gives her a hard pat on the shoulder. She flinches from the touch. "Let's give these dishes a good scrub."

She's still looking down, he moves his head down to meet her eyes, which makes him kind of squat which, for anyone else, would be lame and look uncomfortable. But with Dave Goodkind? It was just threatening. Just by his presence, he forces her to look at him.

Gathering enough strength, Toni slightly raises her head. Her eyes meet his, but she can't offer him a smile.

"I won't be doin' this all by my lonesome, will I?" He grins, expectant again.