Rayston Point Road || Editing

Chapter Five

I stopped at the end of Leighton's driveway, staring up at the warm light coming from the lamp on the porch and through the sheer curtains over the front window. The buzz had slowly started to wear off after my nearly two-mile walk, and my feet ached as I shifted on them, trying to decide through the lingering haze in my mind whose wrath would be worse to face right now, Dan or Leighton's.

After considering the possibilities for sneaking into the house, none of which would have produced success in my state, and attempting to prepare an explanation for either family member inside, I slowly dragged my feet up the driveway, onto the porch, and through the front door. I stepped inside as carefully and silently as possible, not wanting to awaken anyone else in the house, and stood in the foyer with my back against the door, waiting for a moment. The lack of immediate visibility told me that it wasn't Leighton who waited up for me, because if he had been, she would have been standing in front of me the moment she heard the front door slowly start to squeak open. That left Dan, and as I began to creep towards the stairs, wondering if I could possible avoid him if he had fallen asleep on the couch waiting, I saw him round the corner and start moving down the hallway.

I stopped only on the second step, following Dan with my eyes as he neared me, stopping across from me at the railing, tall enough that he was eyelevel with me, even when I stood two steps up. He crossed his arms over his broad chest, his shoulders squared back as he looked at me with tired, concerned eyes. His look of disappointment was almost bad as Leighton's, but not quite. I had known Dan long enough, almost 6 years since Leighton brought him home her junior year of college, to know that as well-built, tough, and physically intimidating as he was as a police officer, he had a certain soft spot for the Lancaster women, and I knew I could play that to my advantage.

"Hey, Dan," I said quietly, holding on to the railing with both hands to keep myself from swaying under the influence of the alcohol that had not completely worn off on my walk home, and the incoming exhaustion I felt.

"Where have you been?" His voice was quiet and calm, but still wrought with the attempt of paternal sternness and discipline I had not experienced growing up, that Dan was still perfecting as his sons grew through infancy.

"Does she know I've been gone?" I ignored his question, wondering if Leighton had realized I had snuck out, or if Dan was just feigning lack of ability to sleep to check up on me without her realizing.

"Yes," Dan sighed. "She wanted to check up on you one more time before she went to bed. I forced her to go to sleep under the pretense that I would not be merciful on you when you came home." I leaned forward, shifting so one of my elbows was propped up on the bannister and I could rest my forehead in my hand, suddenly feeling nauseous. My appearance must have played to my favor, because as I leaned forward and peered up at Dan through half-closed eyes, his expression had softened.

"Please don't tell her I was drinking." My words were barely a whisper, and I knew I was in no danger of revealing my current intoxicated state to Dan. There was no way he hadn't realized the moment he set eyes on me.

"I won't, Loren, but you know she'll find out anyways."

"I know," I exhaled, putting my forehead in both my hands for a moment before I ran them back through my hair and then straightened up, looking back at Dan. "I was with Isaac, at the pier," I admitted. "It wasn't on purpose, I didn't go seeking him out just to spite what Leighton said. I was just taking a walk, and there he was. But, you know, he's not all good and innocent. I don't know why she's so concerned about him." I tried to shift on my feet, but the haze made me overestimate how much space was between my foot and the edge of the stair, and I stumbled slightly as my foot slipped off the edge and I fell to the side, catching myself at the same time Dan's harms shot through the railings to try to catch me. I couldn't help giggling as I steadied myself, my mind spinning, only earning a more disapproving gaze from Dan.