“What, female?”
He laughed. “They must be pretty and female.”
“Such high standards, Ethan. It must be tough to find a suitable candidate. Where do you live then?”
“On the other side of town.”
“But you don’t stay there on weekends?”
“Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t—it depends.”
“On whether the girl you pick up is old enough or sober enough to drive you back?”
He shook his head. “I never take girls back to my place.”
“Never? Why not?”
He shrugged. “I’ve never met one I wanted to take home yet.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. “So, what’s Karson’s story?” I asked.
He frowned. “He owns the bar. We’re friends. He lets me drink and stay there—not much to tell really.”
“How long have you known each other?”
“A very long time.”
“How did you meet?”
“If you must know, he saved my ass years ago, and we’ve been close ever since.”
“Saved your ass, how?”
“What’s with the inquisition?”
“I don’t know, just making sure the guy driving me through the woods at night isn’t a mass murderer.” I smiled.
He didn’t return my smile. “I think you’re pretty safe,” he said, his voice monotone. “Oh look, here’s your driveway, right in the middle of nowhere.”
“What’s wrong with where I live?”
“I don’t understand why someone your age would live out here on their own.”
“Where would you have me live? In the middle of town, out drinking every night?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that what normal kids your age do?”
Normal?He hardly knew me, and he could sense there was something wrong. I shrugged and stared out the side window.
We pulled up outside the cabin, and he reached for his door handle.
“It’s fine, no need to get out,” I said, keen to avoid any thoughts of happy endings.
“What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t walk you to the door?”
He jumped out before I could respond, and I moved fast, not wanting him to open my door. But he moved faster and was beside me as I exited the car. He closed the door as I steppedout into the warm night air. The automatic lights from the cabin flicked on, illuminating the darkness around us.
“How did you move that fast?” I asked, surprised.
