Page 11 of Full Split

I chuckle. "That's fair."

He shifts in his seat so he's facing me. "So what do you call me when I'm being a good boy?"

I swallow. Hard. He watches me like he's waiting for something, but when I can't come up with a reasonable response, he grins evilly.

"Thought so."

"Don't start," I mutter, glancing at the rearview mirror.

"Too late."

A huff of air escapes me. "Niles…"

"Yes,Mr. Lincoln?"

"See, now you're being a smartass again."

"You prefer to be on the same level as me, then? Want me to call you by your name?Wyatt?"

Something about the way he says my name sends a jolt of awareness through me. "Watch it." It comes out more like a croak than a warning.

"Or maybe you'd like me to call you…Daddy?"

I choke on a quick intake of breath and cough. "Only if you want to give me a heart attack."

The smile that spreads across his face is dangerous.

Niles is good at this. Poking. Prodding. Flirting with the edge of things he doesn't fully understand. Or maybe he does, which is way worse. A quick glance in his direction tells me he absolutely knows what he's doing to me. And he's doing it anyway.

"Shouldn't you be napping or something?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

He shrugs. "Nah. Too keyed up. Full of jittery energy, you know?"

"Not really."

"You don't get nervous, ever?"

The way he asks, paired with the evil smirk, proves he knows the answer to that question. I'm determined to derail this line of conversation.

"Back in my day, I was too cocky to get nervous," I say, pretending I don't realize his game. "And now that I'm the coach, it's not the same. It's a lot different when you're the one holding the stopwatch. I feel a nervous excitement for you both. But alsoI’m still a bit cocky, because I know how awesome you both are, and I'm proud."

My proud dad moment does nothing to deter him.

"I bet you were a menace back in the day."

I snort. "That's one word for it."

"Cocky Wyatt would be something else. I can only imagine that you had all the boys and girls panting for you."

There's a lull while I focus on the road in front of us, the hum of tires on asphalt beneath us, the clouds casting shadows across the dashboard. Miles upon miles stretch. The silence between us is thick, not uncomfortable exactly but not calm either. It's a knowing silence. Like the silence itself is aware there's something heavy behind it, waiting to emerge.

Niles eventually breaks the silence. "I've been thinking."

"Dangerous," I say.

"Shut up. I'm serious."

I glance over again. He's staring at me now, lip between his teeth. Serious. Intense.