Ryan clenched his fists and groaned. “Jess, please, just leave this alone.”
“All right. I can’t force you to tell me, but I’ll find someone who will.”
I marched past him. I took a step outside the garage before his hand closed around my wrist and pulled me back. I stared at his warm hand on my skin and my stomach fluttered. Slowly, I lifted my gaze and took a sharp inhale. He stared at me, his eyes pained, but behind the pain, there was something more. Something like longing or regret.
“I … I don’t mean to be a jerk, Jess. It’s just …” Ryan pressed his lips into a thin line. “This is hard.”
“What is hard?”
“Everything.” He let go of my arm. “The past. What I did. What happened after you left. You being here.”
“I’m—”
A siren blasted once from the street and I jumped.
“Shit,” Ryan muttered.
A police car was parked behind Ethan’s car, its blinking lights casting eerie blue and red strobes on the sidewalk and the building. A policeman stepped out of the car, the same one from the square.
“Mr. Dawson,” the officer said as he walked toward us. His eyes settled on me, and a grin spread across his lips. “Miss Hayes.”
“Officer Mike,” Ryan said simply.
The officer halted in front of us. “Miss Hayes, you shouldn’t be here.”
I frowned. “And why is that?”
The officer’s expression fell. He seemed appalled that I would answer him in that way.
“It’s okay, Jess,” Ryan said, looking at me. “Please, go.”
If I hadn’t noticed the pleading in his gaze or in his voice, I wouldn’t have obeyed. But apparently, Ryan would be in trouble if I didn’t leave, so I nodded.
I spared a quick glare at Officer Mike before marching to Ethan’s car. I turned on the ignition, and looked over at Ryan once more. He was arguing with Officer Mike. Damn, what had I done? My curiosity was at its limit now. What happened here?
I drove away, promising myself I would find out, one way or another.
***
Ryan
I hadn’t expected to run into Jessica so soon, so when she showed up at my garage in Ethan’s car, two emotions fought for a place in my chest. The first one was jealousy. What the hell was she doing with Ethan’s Camaro? Had they been out? Like out out? And the second was shock, surprise. What the hell was she doing here? Didn’t I hurt her enough already? Was she looking for more?
Then those blue eyes stared into me, and it was so goddamn hard to step away, to keep a safe distance, to not say anything.
When I thought nothing could get worse, Officer Mike arrived.
“I thought you knew better,” he said as Jessica drove away. He sounded more like a concerned uncle than his usual jerk self. “Everything you’ve been through was because of her. Do you want history to repeat?”
Of course not.
I also didn’t blame her for what happened to me. I was the one to blame. If I hadn’t hurt her, she wouldn’t have hurt me, setting me on my destructive path.
I grunted. “What do you care? I thought you would love seeing me get into more trouble.”
“A little trouble, yes. I wouldn’t mind if you partied until late and arrived late to your community service. That would probably bring you back in front of the judge and you would get one more month of community service. But repeating all the rest? No, Ryan. I may not be your biggest fan, but I’m not that big of a jerk.”
I stared at him. So, Officer Mike didn’t really hate me. He just wanted to annoy me a little. That was good news actually.
“I won’t lose control. I won’t let the anger win this time.”
“That’s what you say, but what if she breaks your heart again? You won’t be able to control your anger then.” He stepped back. “Do yourself a favor and stay away from her, huh?” He saluted me like a soldier before walking out of the garage to his car.
With my mind reeling, I closed the garage door and ran upstairs to my apartment. If I had any alcohol, I would have drunk it. All of it. Thank goodness, I hadn’t bought any. It was a shame a cold Coke didn’t take the edge off, though, and calm me down. The second best thing was to jump into my car and drive aimlessly, but it was already too late. Even though I didn’t have a curfew on weekends, I didn’t want to get into more trouble. Not unnecessarily.
Finally, I opted for the third best thing I could think of. A nice hot shower, then a bowl of ice cream while watching wrestling matches on TV.
My life was so great.
***
Jessica
I woke up with the banging noises coming from downstairs. I pulled my pillow over my head, willing my body to go back to sleep, but now the memories of the previous night snaked into my mind and I couldn’t shut them off.
After leaving Ryan’s garage, I drove back to the race, but nobody was there. I called Jason, and he told me Ethan was at our house, waiting for me. When I arrived, the guys grilled me about the talk with Ryan. I told them about Officer Mike showing up and ruining everything. Both of them cursed at that.
“Why is this officer following Ryan around?” I asked. Jason and Ethan exchanged a strained look. “Whatever. Don’t answer. I’ll find out myself.” I returned the car keys to Ethan and rushed inside the house.
I went directly to my bedroom, but sleep didn’t come easily.
The ruckus continued downstairs.
Groaning, I got up. After a quick shower, I got dressed in jeans and a tank top, and dragged my bare feet to the kitchen.
“Can’t you let a girl sleep?”
Aunt Cadence, who was mixing ingredients in a bowl like a tornado, jerked her chin to the clock on the wall. “It’s past ten in the morning. Time to get up, don’t you think?”
“But it’s a Saturday,” I complained.
Beside Aunt Cadence, Mama finished a pie and put it in the oven. “Good morning, honey. Lindsey is at the table on the porch with breakfast.”
At that, my stomach growled.
I dragged my feet outside. Lindsey smiled when she saw me.
“Someone had quite a night.”
I snorted. “I wish.” I sat beside her and reached for a slice of sweet bread. “I just didn’t sleep well.”
“Hmm.” She served me tea. “I heard you were at the race last night.”
“Yup.”
She pouted. “Luke never lets me go.”
That wasn’t fair. She was seventeen. I started going to these races when I was fifteen.
“I’ll take you to the next one.”
She brightened. “Really? You’re the best.” She gave me a quick hug, and I chuckled. “I heard Luke and Ethan won last night. Jason didn’t though.”
“I only watched Luke’s race,” I said.
She squinted at me. “Why is that?”
I bit my lower lip. Damn, I didn’t want to think about it right now. I wanted to enjoy a quiet breakfast and then a nice family lunch, without thoughts that would make me irritated or concerned.
A nice family lunch.
But it wouldn’t be the entire family, would it?
I reached for my phone inside my jeans pocket, and then remembered I didn’t have Luke’s number.
“Tell me Luke’s phone number?” I asked. With a wary gaze, Lindsey rattled off his number and I dialed. He answered on the third ring.
“Hello?”
“Did I wake you up?”
He didn’t answer right away. “Jess?”
“Yes. Did I wake you?”
“No. I have been up for an hour now.”
“So …” I little embarrassment knotted my stomach, but I pushed through it. “I hope you don’t have plans for lunch, because I was thinking you should come.”
“A-are you sure?”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see it. “Yes.”
“I’ll be right there.”