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“I’m just a little aggravated. I have to attend this stupid dinner with my parents and my Dad’s stock broker. I’m not really in the mood.”
“Then don’t join them.”
“I have to.”
“Says who?”
I rearranged my sentence. “Well, I don’t want to, but I will… for my dad.”
“But not for your mom?”
I rolled my eyes, glad he couldn’t see the revolted look I displayed. “Nope.”
“Hmm.”
“Don’t overanalyze it.”
“What?” he laughed. “I didn’t say anything.”
I laughed as well.
“My shift is over at seven but I’ll be going to the gym afterwards. After that… maybe I can pick you up—save you from the hell you’re in?”
I cracked a smile. “I would love that.”
“Around nine sound good?”
“Sounds great, Drake.”
He was quiet again for several seconds. “Should I tell you something to get you through your dinner?”
“I don’t think anything you say will make up for the dreadful dinner that’s bound to happen.”
He chuckled, and it was much quieter on his end, as if he’d left from all the chaos. “I think this will help—at least until I see you tonight.”
“Okay.” I sighed. “Fine. Go ahead, Doom.”
“I can’t stop thinking about what happened last night. With you and me. Touching you like that…” He paused and breathed deeply, as if he were reliving the memory. I recalled every touch and word in his truck, nearly breathless as he spoke up again. “I thought about it all night at the Showdown and even when I got home. You felt good, Jenny. Really good—almost too good. I wanted to do so much more to you, but you’re different and I want to do this right. I don’t want to fuck up. You’re too valuable for fuck-ups, you know?”
“Yeah,” I panted.
He laughed. “You like that?”
I giggled. “Yeah,” I repeated, easing up on my heavy breathing.
“Knew you would.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “Cheer up. It’s only dinner. I gotta get back to work but I will call you as soon as I’m on the way.”
“Can’t wait,” I chimed.
“Later, Jenny.”
“Bye, Drake.”
He hung up, and I dropped my phone on the bed, flopping back on my fluffy comforter and grinning like a fool as I stared up at the ceiling.
He was right. Now I was going to be daydreaming about what more we could do together—how much we’d actually play it safe when we saw one another again.
I guess one hour of my life was okay—as long as I got to spend the rest of my night with Drake, it was cool.
A sacrifice for something much greater in the future, that’s what I considered it.
* * *
Dinner was pointless.
Mom hardly looked at me unless Mr. or Mrs. Trinibald asked me a direct question about school or talked about how great going to Harvard would be for me.
Their questions were just as useless. The only reason my parents wanted me at dinner was because they didn’t want us to look like the weak, broken family we actually were.
The truth was we had horrible family values.
None of us took it seriously anymore, not even Dad, but he still tried a little here and there. Mom, on the other hand, had completely given up, sticking with it for the mega bucks he made.
Around 9:30 p.m. and Drake was calling. I answered rapidly.
“I’m here,” he said huskily into the phone.
I was out of my house and through the gates in no time.
I jumped into Drake’s truck and he pulled off immediately, the loud roar of his engine most likely irritating some nerves again.
“You’re kinda late,” I stated.
“I know. Worked out longer than intended.”
“Oh. Okay.”
He reached across to touch the back of my hand. “How was the dinner?”
“Stupid,” I muttered, and I again wished Mitchell had been there. My eyes burned, and soon they pricked with fire-hot tears. I turned my head away instantly but Drake caught my gloom.
I knew he did because he slowly pulled away, gripping the steering wheel. When I looked at his hands through the corner of my eyes, I saw his knuckles were as white as snow, clutching the wheel tightly.
His body was no longer relaxed but tense.
Drake slowed down about ten minutes later. When I realized where we were heading, panic set in. I got a clear view of the cliff—The Dark Side—and my heart sunk. My head whooshed with what sounded like hot blood, my mouth suddenly dry.
But just like that Drake drove past it, as if it’d never even been in sight. For a split second, I thought he drove by on purpose… or maybe he didn’t.
My thudding heartbeat settled, and I blew a silent sigh. But during it all, Drake stole glances of me. The truck decreased in speed and when we made it to a bridge close to the lake, miles away from the cliff, he parked.
I glanced back, glad the moon was on the opposite side of the sky tonight. I couldn’t see the cliff from there and I was glad. I didn’t want to freak out while with him.
