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When she doesn’t rise from her chair, I glance at my phone and clear my throat. “I don’t mean to rush you, but I need to get moving.”
“Oh, sorry!”
I force a smile. “No worries.”
“I wouldn’t want you to be late for your new job.”
And I wouldn’t want to run into Wolf on the way out. He’d probably demand that I go with him, and then he’d let it slip that I sold my V-card to pay this semester’s tuition.
That’s not something I’ve worked up the courage to mention to my cousin.
I know that I should, but still…
It’s humiliating to be in this position.
We both snag our jackets before heading into the hallway. When we pass the stairwell door that leads to the lobby, I shove it open.
“Let’s take the stairs instead. It’ll be faster.”
She shrugs. “Sure.”
As soon as we make it to the first floor of the building, I glance around, relieved that Wolf has yet to arrive. There’s been a few times when he’s been heading up the sidewalk as I’m leaving the complex. I hold my breath as I push through the glass door. Cold air strokes over my cheeks as I burrow into the collar of my jacket. My gaze flies over the parking lot, relieved that his vehicle is nowhere in sight.
With my arm looped through Viola’s, I drag her to her white Jeep.
“Jeez. You really are in a hurry,” she mutters, hastening her pace to keep up with me. “You must really enjoy waitressing there.”
“Yup. Don’t want to be late.”
Less than two minutes later, we pull onto the street and leave the apartment building behind in the rearview mirror. Just as we turn the corner, I catch sight of Wolf’s electric blue Mustang and quickly duck down.
Viola glances at me with a frown. “Are you all right?”
I take a second or two to fumble around on the floor. “Um, yeah. Just dropped my phone under the seat.”
With a shake of her head, her gaze slices to the windshield. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re acting weird. Is there anything you want to talk about? I feel like it’s been a while since we hung out. Maybe we should get Juliette, Stella, Carina, and Britt together for another girls night. The last one was so much fun.”
I chew my lower lip, trying to decide if I should tell her the truth. It would feel so good to finally get it all out in the open. Even though I’m not technically lying to my cousin, that’s the way it feels, and I hate it. By the time the shock wears off, we’ll be at Slap Shotz and I can jump out of the car, escaping any questions.
“Yeah, that sounds like a plan. I’ll check my schedule and let you know when my next night off is.”
She flashes a smile. “I’ll text the girls.”
Just as I’m about to admit the truth, a message pops up on my phone.
Hey, I’m downstairs waiting.
The muscles in my belly contract as I stare at those four little words.
Rather than respond, I tuck the cell into my jacket pocket for safe keeping.
Every new message that dings only heightens my anxiety.
Viola shoots me another look as we pull up in front of the bar. “Seems like someone’s trying to get a hold of you. Maybe you should see who it is.”
“Nah. It’s just spam.”
“Do yourself a favor and block the number.”
