Page 103 of Under the Influence

“No,” I quip. “It made me look smart. I didn’t feel like lying to the police for you.”

“Of course not,” he huffs.

Since I have no intention of speaking to him for the ride home, I turn the radio up, allowing the music to fill the speakers. I wonder where Cori is? Did she go home after school, is she upset with Nash?

I also think about Avery. I hope she is doing okay. I haven’t been able to text her because she doesn’t have her phone, and since we had the Tennessee visit last weekend, I haven’t even had the time to write to her. I just have to trust that she is alright, or ask Madden if he’s heard from her, but I don’t plan on doing that.

My arms are actually sore from how tight I am gripping the steering wheel of my truck. I am so pissed at Nash I can hardly think straight at all. I want to yell at him, fight with him, hell anything to show him how mad I am, but I don’t feel like getting into it with him tonight.

He just stares out the window, continuing to drown in his own puddle of denial. He refuses to let anyone new into his life because it is nothing but disappointment waiting to happen in his eyes. Half of the time, I think about what my life would be like without him, and it makes me feel guilty.

I pull up outside my house, shutting the engine off.

“What are you doing?” he asks, turning his stormy eyes toward me.

“What?” I shrug. “You really wanna go home and sleep in the room next to Drayton after you almost had him killed tonight?”

Nash blows out a ragged breath, “No.”

CHAPTER

THIRTY-ONE

LAINEY

I roll into Drayton, "What are we going to do if your mom comes up here?"

He laughs, "I don't know. I guess we pretend we lost our memory and have no idea how we ended up in bed together."

"Are you sure you're okay?" I ask, remembering how traumatizing last night was.

"You are here, and that makes everything more than okay."

I feel my stomach flip, but the little devil on my shoulder bats the butterflies away. I can't help but feel like it's all too good to be true. It must be evident to everyone else that we don't fit.

It's obvious to me.

I back away, thinking of all the girls at Legacy that would fit better with him. All the blonde cheerleaders who would make more sense.

"Where'd you go?" he asks, pushing my hair behind my shoulder, the tips of his fingers tracing the edge of my tank top strap.

"I'm right here."

Physically, anyway.

My phone dances on the nightstand and Dray hands it to me, messages flooding in from everyone.

Madden

I hope you aren't with Drayton. If you are, you better hide. Nash is on a warpath.

Did you see the video?

Cori

What happened last night?

I lay my phone down. Of course I saw the video.