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"Me too."
I roll my head against the seat to face him, my cheek pressed against the cool leather, expecting him to be joking. But he just stares out the windshield, his expression a bit solemn. When Joey looks over at me, he offers a half-smile, just enough to give a hint to the dimple on his right cheek.
"This night ... " He lets out a dry laugh before looking back out the windshield with a shake of his head. "I'd say I wish it was over, except ... " He looks at me again, peering right into my eyes. "I keep thinking it'll get better."
"It did. For a couple hours," I say with a weak smile.
The Jeep slows and Joey turns down a dark drive. The headlights shine on a large wooden sign--Oaklawn Country Club. We follow a long road that splits the golf course in half, eventually reaching an expansive building with a wall of windows.
A small Clubhouse sign is posted in the middle of a dimly lit circular drive where a chandelier glows above carved wooden doors. The building is dark with no signs of movement behind the glass. Joey continues to the left side of the clubhouse where a Deliveries sign beckons us into the shadows.
Parking the Jeep on the far side of the dumpster, Joey shuts off the engine. We're not completely concealed here, but at least the Jeep won't be obvious if someone drives by. Unbuckling his seat belt, Joey shifts to face me. He doesn't say anything. We just look at each other, a thousand words confessed within a few seconds of silence.
"You going to be okay?" he asks. The question he's asked so much tonight.
"If I'd known--"
The ringing of his phone keeps the truth from leaping off the tip of my tongue.
Joey looks from me to his beckoning phone, hesitant. He lifts it from the cup holder. "It's Parker," he says apologetically, sliding his thumb across Parker's face to answer it.
Panic rushes in like it never left, quickening my heartbeat, stealing my breath and tying my stomach into intricate knots. I fight the urge to rip the phone out of his hand and demand to know if Allie's okay ... if she's alive.
I stare at Joey as he listens, trying to read the expression on his face with each nod. But he won't look at me, and his eyes give nothing away. I'm about ready to scream when he shifts and holds out the phone.
"Parker wants to talk to you."
I stare at it without making a move to take it, suddenly afraid to know the truth. I glance at Joey. His brows rise in encouragement. I smile weakly and accept it, slowly bringing it to my ear.
"Yeah?" My voice is weak.
Music blasts through the speaker. I can hear Tori and Nina singing out of tune at the top of their lungs.
"Hello?" I say louder when no one responds.
"You have nothing to worry about." Parker's distinct voice cuts through the noise.
"What do you mean?" I can feel Joey watching me. "Is she--"
"She's fine, Lana. A broken leg and a concussion. But she'll recover," Parker assures me. "And no one saw you. The guys who found her are contracted not to disclose anything. Keep quiet, and all's good. Nothing's going to happen to you. I've got you."
"Okay," I respond quietly, trying to let it all sink in, ignoring the fact that he still thinks I'm the reason she ended up at the bottom of the stairs. And he obviously d
oesn't know about the screaming girl who thinks the same thing.
"Who are you talking to?" Nina demands impatiently, her voice slurred.
"I'll see you in a bit," Parker says, hanging up before I can ask which hospital she's at.
I slowly lower the phone and hand it back to Joey.
"She's going to be okay." Joey reaches for my hand, enveloping it in his warmth.
Tension immediately seeps from my muscles. Just like that ... I can breathe again, my chest visibly collapsing with the release of air.
"Would Parker lie? Do you think she's really okay?" I ask, knowing how much trouble this could mean for Parker. I've learned to never underestimate what someone is capable of when they're desperate and have everything to lose.
Joey hesitates thoughtfully. "I don't know how he could cover it up. He's done some questionable things to protect himself, but ... he's not a bad guy."
