My heart was saddened by seeing his car in the garage. I’d fallen asleep last night while in the embrace of his black Mustang. I’d squandered the time I could have spent appreciating the sleek lines and rumble of the engine. He opened the door for me and threw my bag in the backseat. He must have sensed I was going to argue, because he held up his hand, stopping me before I could get a word out.
“Don’t bother. I'm taking you to school today, and I'll take you home after your classes. Let this be another birthday present—your own personal chauffer.” He unleashed a full smile, stunning me for a second.
You’d never work together, my head screamed.You're broken and he's perfection. His smile sagged when I didn’t respond to him right away. I kissed his cheek before sliding into the passenger seat. Kill stood there for a moment with a stunned look on his face as a small thrill shot through me. Catching Kill off guard, even for a minute, gave me a heady power trip.
I watched Kill out of the corner of my eye as he drove me onto campus. I sighed when he pulled into the parking lot closest to my first class, not wanting to face the outside world. Wishing I could just stay in the car with Kill, shrouded from reality. Why couldn't life work like that?
Kill reached behind me and snagged my bag. Our eyes met, and for a second his wall had cracks in it. I could see emotion pouring out of them. He spackled the holes quickly so nothing else could escape before I had a chance to figure out what I’d just had a glimpse of.
Class droned on slowly, and by the end my head was pounding. I stumbled to my next class with my sunglasses firmly glued to my face, assuming they would be a permanent fixture the rest of the day.
I almost wept when we were released from the professor's clutches. I realized Kill and I didn’t plan out where we were going to meet. I fumbled in my bag for my phone. If I had to wait for him, given my current condition, it was going to be hell. Before I could retrieve my phone, my bag was being lifted from my shoulder. I had to bite back the sob wanting to tear itself from my throat when I saw Kill standing there.
“Hey, Slick, rough day?”
I nodded and leaned into him when he slipped his arm over my shoulder fitting me in next to him.
“Hey, what's wrong?” he asked as I slumped against him.
The concern in his voice made it impossible to keep the tears at bay, and two slid out before I could staunch the flow. “Long day,” I replied.
My voice was harsh from the amount of work it took to keep from sobbing. I hated this feeling. I’d never been much of a drinker, and now I had confirmation as to why I shouldn’t become a professional drinker anytime soon.
School had always been my escape when my mom had taken off, and then when I lived with Jason. Being in class today and staring at the clock on the wall, willing time to move faster, made me feel like I failed myself.
“Are you sure?” Kill asked, still unmoving.
I didn’t want him to look at me. Even with my glasses on, I was sure I looked awful, and I didn't have my emotions in check just yet.
“Yeah, it was just a rough day. I don’t normally drink as much as I did last night, and being in class just exacerbated my hangover.”
Trent suddenly appeared, his face tight with worry. “Faith, are you alright? You don’t look so good.”
Kill held me tighter, which should have been impossible, given our proximity. I once again underestimated Kill, something I should’ve learned by now not to do.
“I’m fine, just too much partying last night,” I answered weakly.
My skin felt clammy, and the boulder was doing pirouettes in my stomach. I closed my eyes behind my sunglasses, wanting nothing more than to crawl into a ball and fall into oblivion.
“You went out drinking last night?”
I heard the judgment in Trent’s voice, and it pissed me off. A friend wouldn’t lecture me, especially at a time when I felt as though I might pass out.
“It was her birthday, and all her friends wanted to make it special for her,” Kill answered for me. His voice was menacing, and its intensity made me shiver. Kill took my movement as a sign that he needed to get me out of there, thankfully.
“Happy birthday,” Trent said lamely, but Kill was already leading me toward the car. At least that was what I assumed was happening, being that my eyes were still closed.
Trent mumbled under his breath that I needed new friends. I was grateful Kill didn't hear him as he herded me toward the car. Once there, he practically picked me up and placed me in the passenger seat. By now, my head was pounding, and I had to swallow the bile trying to escape. Kill cranked the A/C, helping my clammy skin come back to a normal state.
“Did you not look in your bag?”
I leaned my head on the glass, letting the vents blow cool air over my face assisting in helping me control my urge to puke. I didn’t answer him because I really didn't understand what he was asking, and my head hurt too much to try to decipher it. He moved around, and shuffled through my bag.
“Shit.” He placed a bottle of water and a granola bar on my lap. “I put these in your bag so you could snack and drink while you were in class so you wouldn’t feel so bad.”
I opened my eyes a crack. Kill's jaw was clenched, his dimple flashing on and off. I took a small bite of the granola bar, but the bile rushed back, so I sipped the water to wash it down, refusing to let Kill see me get sick again.
The water rolled around in my stomach, and I felt the boulder slosh around it, like they were circling each other looking for weaknesses. After a minute they decided they could coexist together for the time being and settled down.
