‘You’re quiet,’ Roman says.
‘I’m driving.’
‘You weren’t so quiet when you were?—’
‘No,’ I cut in, far too loudly. ‘Don’t finish that sentence. I absolutely cannot go there.’
‘If it helps,’ he says, ‘I’m also going to need therapy.’
I snort out a laugh, which immediately turns into a mortified cough. Laughing feels wildly inappropriate after kidnapping and riding the poor fucker.
The silence descends again in a thick blanket. I can feel his stare hitting the side of my head, like he’s trying to work out whether I’m dangerous, deranged, or just catastrophically pathetic.
Honestly, all three are fair.
‘So,’ he says, eventually. ‘Are you going to explain what the hell we’re about to do?’
I very much want to barf. At least that might pause the conversation a little longer.
‘Yeah. I guess I should explain.’
I do not want to explain. Roman already thinks I’m crazy. How much of my wild family do I let him know about?
All of it, I guess. In for a penny and all that
But where the hell do I begin?
‘This is the bit where you regret getting in the car,’ I say.
His eyebrow lifts. ‘I’m not sure I had a choice, to be fair.’
I exhale and grip the wheel even harder.
‘Okay. Eddie first.’
‘The ex?’
‘Yes. Him.’ I immediately want to rewind.Abort.
But it’s too late to try and hide my crazy life from Roman. I very much dragged him into it, and I can’t go back now.
‘We dated. Very briefly. In university.’
‘Did he also get the maniac treatment? Did ya tie him to your radiator and make him regret his life choices?’ Roman’s voice may have been filled with sarcasm, but when I glanced over at him, he looked paler than usual.’
His jokes aren’t going to make what I’m about to say land any easier.
‘Because he kind of murdered one of my professors.’
Roman blinks. ‘He?—’
‘Killed him,’ I say quickly. Ripping off the band-aid. ‘Pushed him right down a stairwell in front of me.’
‘Why?’ Roman’s voice sounded altogether mouse-like as it hit several octaves higher than usual.
I swallow hard.
‘Because the professor looked at me for too long.’
