"Our parents died the year before you were born." Tara began, not giving a direct answer but Danny knew she was about to tell him something big.
"There were tenants living on Vikram's side at the time so Vik and I lived over here. He was twenty four, I was fourteen. Vik had just moved back home after he finished college and I was getting ready for high school. Once they died, Vik took charge of everything. He married Karen and kicked out the tenants. They moved in over there and left me over here so he could keep an eye on me. I was alone all the time. I remember one night I snuck out. I was looking to have some normal fun. I met up with some kids from school, did some things I wasn't ready for. Nine months later you were here." Tara was crying at this point, "I was so scared, fifteen, no parents, no one to help me. Vik said he'd take care of it. I begged him not to give you away. I told him our parents would have never done that. So, he kept you. Him and Karen. They made me promise to never tell you or they'd let you go. So I didn't, I didn't know any better and I did what they said just so I could see you. I used to baby sit you all the time when they would go to work. They let me do that until you were old enough to start remembering things and then they sent you to school instead. I would sing to you, we'd play games. I always knew you'd come by at some point and here you are." Tara sniffled and wiped her nose on her wrist, just like Danny always did.
"They hated me, Tara, they—they were horrible. You must have seen it, you left me with them." Danny was weirdly angry at her, tears welling up in his own eyes.
"I was a child too, I didn't know what to do."
"You should have let them give me away." Danny's voice cracked.
Lacey was surprised by his reaction. She was supportive of anything he felt he needed to say, she just worried that Tara may be too fragile to hear all the different stages of grief he was about to go through.
"I'm a fucking mess, Tara! They abused me my whole life! You let them keep me because you're selfish!"
"Hey, hey, it's okay—" Lacey rubbed his back and watched his face crumple from anger to sadness. A deep sadness that bordered on devastation. She looked over at Tara and her face did the same.
"I'm so sorry Danny. I was selfish, I was. It's all my fault."
Lacey worked to calm him down enough to ask the next question to pop into his head.
"Who's my father?"
"I don't know."
"Yes you do. You said you met up with kids from school, who was it?" Danny pressed on.
"I don't know."
Danny slammed his fists down and made them all jump.
"So all this—" Danny shot to his feet and stormed into the living room, "This was for me then?" Danny shoved a pile of toys that looked like they could be for a ten year old, "I didn't have anything! They put me in soccer because it kept me out of their hair for hours. It was all I had. All this was for what?!" He pushed over another pile, "In case they let me come back to you?! You didn't fight for me!" An involuntary sob came from Danny's throat as he let it all out in the middle of the living room.
Vikram came storming in after hearing his rant from the other side of the house, Karen not far behind.
"What is he doing here?!" Vikram's voice boomed over everyone.
"Just catching up with my mother, uncle Vikram." Danny snarled at him.
"Fine, you know the truth. So what? What does it matter? Tara was a child, she couldn't care for you!"
"Says who?! Look at all this!" Danny chucked a box at the only man he had known as his father, "She could have cared for me. She loved me. You took me away from her and then you two were the ones who didn't care for me!"
"Daniel—"
"And you!" Danny pointed at Karen, "You went along with pretending to be my MOTHER? Who does that?! Are you scared of him too?" Danny shook his head in disgust, he wasn't scared of these people at all anymore. He marched right up into Vikram's face, "Who is my father?!"
"I don't know."
"Fine. Don't tell me. Look at this place. She needs help, Vikram. Help her." Danny said, defeated.
Danny pulled a few frames off the wall and took some of the baby pictures inside. He grabbed the door frame piece that Lacey had liberated from the other side and they headed toward the door.
"Danny please, don't leave like this. I love you." Tara said through her own tears, "I've always loved you."
It felt so strange to hear those words from someone other than Lacey. He knew she meant it, but Tara's love wasn't the right kind. It was toxic. Danny turned around to face her.
"If you love me then do what you couldn't do when you were fifteen." Danny said firmly although his heart ached just as much as Tara's did, "Let me go."
Tara nodded, tears pouring out without any help at this point. The mother and son locked eyes as they said goodbye to each other without saying another word.
Danny stumbled out of his family's home for what he felt would be the last time. He was hurt, crushed. He had always known something wasn't right, but never expected it to be something like this. His feelings were valid, he needed space. He needed help unpacking all of this. Thank god for Lacey.
Danny spun around and looked for her, she was right beside him as they made their way back down the block in search of Lacey's car. They walked in silence as the whole visit replayed in Danny's head over and over. Lacey stuffed the long strip of wood into the back of the car and plopped into the driver's seat.
"Take all the time you need with this D, but your life starts now. Think about it, you grew up with no parents, made some incredible friends. You graduated high school, worked through one single misstep and came out the other side. You are strong, smart, gorgeous and you have a perfect girlfriend." Lacey shrugged, "I'd say you're doing just fine in life and the rest of it starts right now." Lacey started up the car.
Danny smiled at her and wiped away the tears that had stained his cheeks, "You're right, I am gorgeous."
He laughed with her before pulling her into his arms without warning. He held her like that for a long time before pulling away and keeping her close.
"I've had nothing so always knew what to expect. I—I found joy in the little things I showed you today and now I realize they were just regular, ordinary things. I held them so close because I didn't have anything else. But now, I have you and you've already shown me more joy than I ever knew was possible. I am so lucky that I found you, and maybe, maybe all of this was necessary because I can't see any other way I ever would have met you if things hadn't gone the way they did when I was a kid."
Lacey wiped away her own tears and nodded in agreement.
"I don't want to live here. I shouldn't have even been from here, this isn't my hometown. I think Green Grove makes sense, I have family there. Take me back home tomorrow."
"Deal." Lacey gave him another squeeze before heading to the hotel Danny booked for them tonight.
Lacey and Danny had a classic moment in the parking lot of the gas station they stopped at en route to the hotel, bribing some twenty-somethings to buy them wine. Once they were loaded with alcohol and snacks they checked into the hotel and took a long hot bath together in the jetted tub.
"You better not pee in here." Lacey warned.
"Ew, never! Same goes for you, weirdo." Danny splashed her a little.
"Hey! Don't that start that shit—" Lacey splashed him back.
"We need this in our house someday." Danny said randomly.
"Need what?"
"Some big stupid tub so we can always take baths together." Danny dreamed a little as he grabbed one of Lacey's perfect feet to massage.
Lacey lifted the bottle of wine she had designated all for herself, "Cheers to that!" She said and took a big swig.
"I'm sorry you didn't get to see all of the drunk idiots out there dressed up for Halloween and stumbling to their parties. It truly is a sight to see—"
"There's always next year."
"Tara's my mother." He shook his head in disbelief as his mind went back there again.
"Ah—we're not thinking about that any more tonight." Lacey insisted and wormed her other foot between his hands.
Twenty minutes later they were starting to prune up and reluctantly got out to lather each other up with the lotion that Lacey had brought with her. Danny had never been treated so well in his whole life. Lacey's love was the type of love he had always wanted and was now discovering that he also needed and deserved. He was never going to let it go.
They were buzzed, bordering on drunk but thankfully not quite there yet. They had almost polished off an entire bottle of wine each and were definitely hovering around the puking stage if they went too much further. The goal tonight was to have a good time, not to get blackout level or spend hours worshipping the toilet.
They didn't bother to get redressed, instead they laughed together, played around for a bit. They talked more about what other ridiculous shit they wanted in a future home. Lacey decided on hiring a chef to cook for them after she realized neither of them really could. Danny pushed for the giant jetted tub and an ultra plush king sized bed.
Danny was the first one to pull her in for a kiss and Lacey accepted through flurries of giggles off and on.
"I am in love with you." He confessed, the look in his eyes leaving no room for any doubt.
"You're so drunk—" She smiled, her eyes telling him she felt the same way.
Their love was magic.
"I am not drunk."
"Now, what ever shall we do for the rest of the night?" Lacey joked and joined Danny to stand naked on their private balcony overlooking the city.
Danny nursed the last of his wine bottle and didn't really connect with Lacey the way she was hoping after that point.
"What's up, I thought you loved me." Lacey teased, trying to keep it light. Danny looked down at the lights and stayed quiet, "You're so far away."
"This weekend was a lot."
"Yeah, I know."
"Distractions are great I just—I can't seem to not go right back there."
"I'm sure the wine is not helping." Lacey smirked and knocked into his hip with her own, their beautiful skin sending out a satisfying slap into the night air.
Danny closed his eyes for a second and enjoyed the way it felt to just be standing out there free with her. Life with her was so good.
Lacey reached up and held the sides of his face, turning him toward her and rubbing his cheeks gently. She kissed him, sweet and soft. Danny got lost, absorbing all the good and releasing all the bad that happened today.
"Let me put you to bed." Lacey offered when they finally came up for air.
Danny smiled against her mouth, she made him feel like he was the center of the world sometimes and it made his heart skip. He simply nodded and took over the kisses, ready for whatever she wanted to give.
As soon as Lacey got Danny back into a better headspace, they heard frantic knocking at their door.
"What now?" Lacey sighed and the two of them dragged themselves back inside, somehow knowing whatever was waiting for them would not bring about more peace, "Let's not answer it." She suggested.
Danny checked the peephole while Lacey threw on one of the hotel robes hanging in the closet.
"Shit—" Danny grabbed the other robe and pulled it on quickly before he opened the door, "Hey, Whit—you okay?"
Whitney pushed her way inside their room, she had clearly been crying and was maybe a little tipsy herself.
"Archie got arrested for fighting the bouncer at this place we went to." Whitney sniffled and flopped down on their bed.
Danny knew that Archie was headed for disaster tonight.
"Have you talked to him?"
"No, and they won't release him on bail either. He's in the drunk tank for the night."
"Mrs. Yates—"
"She doesn't know yet. He's over eighteen now so maybe she won't find out."
"She's gonna find out. She's expecting him home tonight, you gotta call her."
"I promised her I'd take care of him." Whitney was bursting with guilt.
"It's not your job. Call her." Danny insisted.
"FINE!" She fake protested and pulled her phone out. As the phone was ringing she finally acknowledged that they were both only wearing robes, "Shit, did I interrupt somethin—HI, it's Whitney. Good, good, yeah so Archie is at the county jail. I know, I know. Yep. He is unfortunately. No, no bail. Okay. Okay, goodni—yeah she hung up on me." Whitney sighed.
"You did the right thing." Danny walked over to the door and put his hand on the doorknob, ready to see her and her drama right back out of there, "Now get out, I'm still mad at you."
"You're trying to get rid of me?" Whitney pouted a little.
"Yep."
"What about you Lacey, you want me out too?"
Lacey ignored the two exes bickering and turned her music on, trying her best to keep her buzz going in the direction she wanted, which was straight into bed with Danny for a workout before some much needed sleep.
"I love this song!" Whitney squealed and jumped up to dance.
Lacey danced around too, taking Whitney by the hand and dancing shamelessly with her while they sang the lyrics together. Danny loved happy Lacey and carefree Whitney. They were his favorite versions of these two people that he cared about so much. He couldn't help but smile as he watched them have fun together.
Whitney caught him smiling, "I knew you couldn't stay mad at me—"
Just as quickly as Whitney and Lacey had started dancing, they started kissing. Danny froze and watched them, definitely shocked. They hadn't agreed to this, they weren't playing any games, this was spontaneous and Danny was terrified.
Danny watched as Whitney's bold hands went for the tie on Lacey's robe and loosened it just enough to heighten Lacey's awareness of how close to losing themselves they were. The jolt of excitement made her nipples shrink into tight nubs that were now visible through the silky material. Danny had to control his body's immediate urge to do something about that.
"What is happening right now?" Danny tried, finally getting his brain to work his mouth.
"I'm pretty sure you can see what's happening." Whitney said between kisses.
"Lacey—"
"Okay, okay." Lacey pulled her face back a little, "You should go?" She said as a question.
"You want me to go?" Whitney's mouth hovered just in front of Lacey's.
Lacey shook her head no and Whitney crashed their lips back together again.
"Lace." Danny was so uncomfortable.
Lacey pulled away for real that time and went to try and salve her amazing, drunk and emotionally fragile boyfriend.
"Give is a minute?" Lacey pulled Whitney across their room and over onto the couch in the far corner, "He's had the worst day—so much shit has happened, you don't even know the half."
"Let's make him feel better." Whitney said point blank.
"Seriously?"
Whitney bit her lip, "You already know I want you—"
"You want Danny there?"
"Danny's good for a few things, I wouldn't mind. Would you?"
"He's going to need some coaxing."
"Lacey, I'm asking if you'd freak if we all fuck. If you can handle seeing that then get him on board. Just know it'll mean we're all in—"
Lacey walked Danny over to the end of the bed and pushed him to sit down. She nestled herself between his legs and stood before him looking as fierce as ever. She started her explanation by giving him a slow, sexy kiss, the type she knew would turn him on in a hurry.
"What are you doing to me?"
"You in?" She asked gently.
"In?"
Lacey glanced in Whitney's direction as if pointing to her with her eyes and then looked back at Danny hopefully.
"The three of us?"
"Yeah."
"If you two want to have some fun together—"
"I want you involved." Lacey smiled down at him.
"No." Danny swallowed hard.
"Really?"
"I'm not touching her—" Danny's voice rose.
"Danny—"
"I don't want this!"
"Okay, I'll—I'll tell her to go."
Lacey wasn't sure what she had expected his reaction to be, but it wasn't this.
"Mmhm."
Lacey left him to tell Whitney to leave and did a double take when he appeared suddenly behind them.
"Don't worry butt head I'm leaving." Whitney said as she slid off the couch.
"Did you plan this?" He asked Lacey, his voice tinged with anger.
"Plan what?" Whitney automatically defended her, very confused.
"I wasn't talking to you." Danny basically growled at Whitney before he snapped his head toward Lacey, "Did you plan this part too?"
"No?" Lacey answered, trying to figure out what the problem was.
"No?" Danny struggled not to start screaming at her, "This was a test." He nodded and stormed over to his suitcase, "You wanted to see if I'd still fuck her—" He pointed to Whitney, "Get the fuck out of here, Whitney! How many invitations do you need to leave?!"
"I'm not leaving her with you like this, don't be such an asshole!" Whitney yelled back, giving no fucks as usual.
Danny shucked his robe off in front of them like they weren't even there and began pulling out clothes to dress in.
"Whoa, what are you doing? Are you leaving?" Lacey had no idea he'd be so triggered by her threesome suggestion.
"How much did he have to drink?" Whitney wondered out loud, still not leaving until she knew Lacey wasn't about to get clocked.
"You're not helping." Lacey said flatly under her breath, "Danny, please talk to me?" Lacey asked softly, not afraid to sidle up close to him, picking up the robe from the floor and covering his naked ass back up.
Danny sighed in frustration and threw the clothes he had pulled out back into the suitcase. Where would he even go?
"Sit." Lacey instructed, still not scared in the least.
Danny turned around and sat down again, looking up at Lacey with giant, twinkling remorseful eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"You better be." Lacey made the boundaries clear, "I know you've had a shitty day, but If you have a question or a problem with me we'll discuss it. I'm not venturing down this path, not again."
Danny realized this must have been how Charlie treated her sometimes.
"I'm not like him."
"Fyi, that was exactly like him. All I did was ask you if you were interested, I'm not trying to trick you. I know she's your ex, I am down with it and if you're not that's fine. It's why I asked."
Danny brought his hands up to rest on Lacey's waist, the robe now hanging open and revealing a slice of her incredible body that only Danny could see from where he sat.
Lacey looked down at his curious hands and then back at him.
"You think it's okay to touch me right now?" She tried to scare him a little bit.
Danny moved his hands off of her, his heart aching. He held onto the front of her open robe and tugged her closer to him. Lacey took a step forward and crossed her arms around her chest.
"Hey." Lacey said and waited for him to look back up, "For what it's worth, if this was a test, you passed." She smiled at him and gave him the hope he felt was lost at that point.
Danny let his head fall forward, his face planted into her soft, bare middle. This night was horrific, he was so tired.
"Yes or no?" Lacey asked again.
"I already answered."
"Mm, yeah, but that was before your meltdown. Now that you know it's a real offer, yes or no?"
"You want this, don't you." Danny realized.
"We're here, we're feeling good—well I was, kinda. Yes, I want to do this. I honestly didn't think it would be this hard to convince you. It's not like it's going to be a regular thing."
"You sure about that?" Danny smirked, his voice dripping with his New York accent, nothing turned her on more.
"How about this, I know you want to and you're too fucking sweet to say otherwise. Opportunities, Danny. Let's have some fun!"
Danny looked past Lacey and over at Whitney who was back to dancing around to the music while she scrolled through her phone.
"Okay." Danny tested the word almost too quietly.
Lacey pushed him backward onto the bed excitedly and climbed up into his lap. His robe fell open and she straddled his waist, just above his junk.
"Okay?" Lacey giggled into his neck and kissed him there.
"I need a condom if this happens."
"I have one." Lacey rubbed his chest.
"You do?"
"I always do, I've just never needed it before—"
He pulled her down and kissed her this time. His lips were harried, edged with worry. Lacey pulled back and sat him up with her. She pushed the robe down his arms and got her fingers through his hair before kissing him again.
"This is really happening?" He huffed out as Lacey's relentless mouth continued kissing his neck.
"Let go." Lacey panted, rolling her hips a little.
"Okay." Danny nodded and closed his eyes as she dove back in.