There’s no use in telling him what I want from him. I don’t even know it myself, and he won’t remember it in a few hours anyway.
“There has to be a way,” North whispers.
“You don’t have to fixthis. You have to fixyourself.For you, forLio. Get your priorities straight. I’m not the first in line,” I tell him, watching his lips turn down as the words sink in.
“You’re right. You’re always right. That’s why I love you. You’re so damn capable,” North tells me, his words slurring. “You’re like a badass Barbie, the mechanic.” My hackles rise once more, and I can’t help but scoff, but he doesn’t seem tonotice. “Who fucking needs Ken if Barbie can do shit herself? She kicks ass. And looks so damn beautiful doing it.”
He leans back again and starts to slide down the van toward me until his head falls on my shoulder, mumbling something.
Fuck,why?Why can’t they just leave me alone? I can’t handle all these feelings.
It’s as if I’m being thrown around by waves of guilt and heartache, anger and sadness. Not getting a second to come up for air.
“What am I supposed to do now?” I ask Saylor, my voice pleading.
Please, somebody tell me what to do.
“Call Hunter,” Saylor suggests with a shrug. “Or leave him outside. He deserves it.”
I shoot Saylor a look before I rummage in my pocket to pull my phone out and dial Hunter’s number. He picks up after the first ring.
“Shortcake! I… Sloan, hey,” he stutters, clearly surprised I’d call him.
“Please come pick up your brother. He’s drunk in front of my van, and I don’t want to deal with his ghost haunting me when he dies of hypothermia.”
“Wait, wha—” Hunter starts, but I’ve already hung up on him.
A heavy silence falls between us, and North turns slightly, taking a deep whiff from my neck, sending shivers down my spine as goose bumps erupt where the warm air tickles my skin as he slurs, “You smell so damn good. Like holidays in the Caribbean.”
Saylor chuckles when North licks up my throat. I can’t take it anymore and abruptly stand, causing North to fall on his face. “That’s enough.”
I stand next to Saylor, patting the dirt from my jeans. When North groans, face still on the concrete, Saylor laughs, but my attention is on the approaching headlights. Hunter’s truck comes to an abrupt halt before Nash and Hunter pile out of it.
“Pretty girl.” Nash smiles sadly at me while Hunter’s eyes are fixed on North, cursing softly under his breath.
“Where’s Lio?” I ask, my frown deepening.
I swear if they let him alone again, I’m going to?—
“Sleeping in his car seat,” Hunter tells me before crouching next to North. “You okay, bro?”
North mumbles something incoherent, so I answer for him, “Blackout drunk but fine otherwise. You got this?”
Nash makes his way over to me, pushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “We got this. You okay?”
I nod, trying to push aside the complicated feelings that have bubbled up inside me with his nearness.
Can’t I get a fucking break?
“Night,” I say coldly, stepping over North and opening the sliding door to my van. Then, without a second look, I climb inside, closing the door behind me.
“Fuck,” I whisper to myself, focusing on my breathing while listening to Nash and Hunter groaning as they struggle to navigate North into the car.
“I love her so damn much,” North declares loudly with a sigh.
“Same,” comes the unanimous response from Hunter and Nash while Saylor smirks at me.
Why?
