Page 34 of Don't Tell

I try again with my left hand. He swats it too. I place my hands on my hips and angle my body toward him so I don’t meet his gaze. “I said I didn’t want to look at you.”

"Fine. Don't look at me. Just let me drive you home."

He doesn’t even wait for me to answer. He’s already reaching for the door. I hear a set of footsteps behind us.

“You guys are leaving already?” Theo asks.

I turn to face Theo. “Your friend is an asshole.”

Theo comes to stand beside me. He leans in and whispers loud enough for Cade to hear, “Say the word, and I’ll punch him in the face.”

I grin. “That doesn’t sound so bad, actually.”

“Hey!” Cade throws his hands up. “A little help would be great.”

Theo pulls me into a side hug. “It was nice meeting you, Suzy. Don’t be a stranger.”

I don’t mind that he called me Suzy or that he hugged me without asking. Theo already feels like an old friend. “I won’t.”

“And you,” he says to Cade. “Don’t let me see your ugly face around here again.”

“Do you want me to kick you off my property?”

Theo waves a hand and disappears into the hallway to the kitchen. Cade and I stand there in awkward silence. He finally opens the door. We walk to his car, and soon enough, we’re back on the road.

I don’t look at him during the entire drive. I offer direction when necessary, with my face firmly planted against the glass. I try not to relive the moment his forehead was against mine, but then I find myself unable to resist replaying it endlessly.

I think about what he said.Not if we keep this a secret.I turn it over. I look at what I would have to agree to. There’ll be a lot of sneaking around, a lot of physical contact, and a lot of intimate touches in the dark.

That’s the problem.

I’ve spent my entire life being invisible. Is that still what I want to be?

But the thought of him, of this…of us…it’s thrilling. I don’t want to admit it, and it pains me to, but I want it.

I shake it off.

I’m almost home. I’ll deal with the Cade problem tonight, in my own bed, in my own apartment. I’ll not be a person who sleeps with rich men who ask her to keep secrets — at least not for tonight.

“Left,” I mumble.

He turns onto my street.

There are figures sitting on the front steps of my building, one male and one female. I squint in the darkness. Cade’s headlights land on them, and I see clearly.

I recognize my mother’s blonde pixie cut. The man beside her is Darryl, her boyfriend. He’s wearing a baseball cap with a cigar between his lips. My mother is wearing her signature leather jacket and boots. From the annoyed look on her face, I know she’s been waiting for a while.

That’s not good news for me.

My stomach flips violently. I suddenly feel sick at the thought of what is about to happen. It’s almost as if a train is coming our way, and we’re driving too fast to stop.

I glance at Cade for the first time. “Cade. Stop.”

“Is this your building?” He stops moving and gestures at the building right next to us.

We’re still a few meters away from my building. My mother hasn’t seen us yet. If he lets me out here, I can deal with her quietly and send her on her way.

“Yes, it is. Just stop. Thank you very much for the ride.”