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I reach out and grab her hand, pulling her toward the exit. “I’ll get you home on time, I promise.” Her hand is like silk and fits into mine perfectly. In fact, I’m thinking everything about this girl is perfect…and I really don’t like her mama.
TOMMY
God, she’s cute…everything about her is so damn innocent. I walk her out of FreshMart like the gentleman I am with my hand on her back, but not before slipping Mrs. Holly more money to keep her damn mouth shut in case Didi’s mama comes knocking.
I can’t wait to have her in my front seat, turn up my music, and watch her reaction as she experiences the power of the engine beneath her.
We walk up, and her eyes widen when she sees my Camaro. “Are we…am I? Is that your car?”
“Yeah, I just got it this year.” I open the door for her and a puff of smoke filters out.
“Shit…” I mumble, waving the smoke. “Sorry. Bax smokes a lot.”
And it’s not just any weed…it’s the skanky type, like Bax picked it out of a pile of shit.
She crinkles her nose in the cutest way. “It’s fine.”
She gets in carefully, and I lean over to help her buckle up, making sure she can’t go anywhere. Then, I jump in beside her, almost gagging from the lingering smoke.
New rule: no hotboxing my car.
I open the window to let the fresh air in. The wind outside is rustling the trees, making it seem like we are the only two people in the world. The bus, thankfully, is already long gone with Remy in it.
I’ll have some explaining to do to Remy, but not tonight.
Placing the keys into the ignition, the engine roars to life, and I place one arm over the back of her seat.
Once I get onto the highway, I open it up and drive down the country road just as the sun hides behind the giants. This time of day is my favorite. The sun is so low it slides through the trees, casting a glow through the forest.
I could drive out here for hours and just get lost in it—lost in her.
I stare at her out of the corner of my eye.
Her legs are tucked to the side as she gazes out the window, almost in a trance, her brows scrunched together.
What the hell is wrong with her? Why does it always seem like she’s in pain?
I slow the car and pull over, and she glances at me and smiles, but she looks right through me.
I reach over and move a piece of her soft hair. “I forgot you can’t see in the light.”
Her eyes adjust as her pupil’s flare. “I can see exactly what I need to see. It’s bright, but I can see enough to know it’s pretty.”
“Like you,” I say with a silly grin.
She lowers her head as I drive over to a shady spot so she can see. “Do you call all the girls pretty?” she asks me.
“Just you.”
She rolls her eyes. “I don’t believe you.”
“You ever smoke pot?” I ask, changing the subject as I notice a joint Bax left on the dashboard for later. He’ll be pissed about that.
She smirks, glancing over. “Once.”
My brows arch. “Really?”
“Don’t tell Mama, but…I tried it at my last school.”
