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“Have you hit those speeds?” He swats his hand at Beth as if she’s a fly, earning my respect. Most guys would be terrified of having their balls ripped off and handed to them for dismissing Beth like that.
“Not driving my car, I haven’t,” I answer honestly. But I hope to with Rachel’s car, and with mine, after a few modifications. “Speed can be bought. Just depends on how much you want to spend. ”
Logan offers his hand. “I’m Logan. ”
“Isaiah,” I say as we shake.
“Shit,” mumbles Beth.
Chapter 28
Rachel
MY ROOM IS PURPLE. THE walls, the throw rug over the white carpet, my comforter, my pillows, the floor-to-ceiling curtains—purple. Lavender really, but that’s just another way to say the word purple. I hate purple, but Mom doesn’t like green.
I sit in the middle of my four-poster bed and recount the money. Five hundred dollars. That’s what I have. Several pieces of jewelry rest on the pillow beside me. Those four pieces are the only ones I don’t think Mom would notice missing.
If my gowns weren’t in Mom’s closet, I could try selling those. While my mother can’t scrape up the ability to see who I am on the inside, she watches the outside like a hawk.
Someone knocks. I flip the pillow over to hide the jewelry and wad the cash. The door opens and Ethan catches sight of the money right as I slam it into my jewelry box. He strides into my room and plops on the bed. The pillow shifts and I glance over to confirm the jewelry is still hidden.
“Whatcha doing?” he asks as he stares at the box full of cash.
“Nothing. ”
“Buying a new part for your car?” Because in Ethan’s mind, it’s the only thing I would need cash for. After a lecture from my dad, Ethan knows I won’t put my car parts on the credit card.
No. I’m paying off a psychopath. “Maybe. ”
Me and my brothers, we’re spoiled. Each of us has a credit card so we can buy whatever we desire, but that financial freedom also carries a burden. Dad meets with us each month and reviews our spending. Two years ago, when I’d spent too much on parts for my car, I wondered if the women tried in Salem for witchcraft sweated as much as I had. This afternoon, for a brief thirty seconds, I considered a cash advance on the card, but West had done that once and Dad was on his case within twenty-four hours. Turns out, Dad set certain alerts.
“I need amnesty,” Ethan says.
Of course he does. “Tonight?”
“Yes. ”
A burst of air rushes out of my mouth and moves my hair. “What if I have plans? It is Saturday night. ” He and West always assume the social worst of me.
Ethan’s face pales. “Do you? And if so, with who?”
“Maybe I want to drive my car. ”
He rolls his eyes. “You can drive whenever you want. ”
“Fine. ”
Ethan swings his feet off my bed. “You’re the best. ” He pauses at the door frame. “By the way, what would you think of extending twin amnesty?”
I pick at the lint on my bed. “To how many?”
My brother bobs his head as if he hasn’t already chosen a number. “Limitless. ”
Dread weighs on my chest. Ethan and West sometimes can be out all night and I’m not always that creative in the lies I spin to cover for them. “I don’t know. ”
“Sleep on it. And Rach. ” The way he focuses on his sneakers makes the silence uncomfortable. Something that rarely happens between us. “I’m glad you’re helping Mom. ”
I rub the skin between my eyebrows, fighting any thoughts that could lead to anxiety. On the corner of my dresser, taunting me, is a speech I have to memorize by next week.
