In the dark, I can just make out his shrug. “I don’t. Just curious. Hop in, I’ll give you a ride.”
A strange feeling curls around my stomach and I step back, away from his reach. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He could kidnap me, or lock me in the car and dump my body in the desert, or a myriad of different terrible things. So no, in this day and age, I know better than to get in some random guy’s beat-up car.
“Take a picture of my license plate and send it to your siblings. Better yet, call one of them and keep them on the line while we drive. I don’t mind, really.”
I glance around, cataloging every possible escape route in case things go south. “Why are you so insistent I get in your car? I don’t even know you.”
“Oh shit, you can’t see me, can you?” I hear the click of his seatbelt before the door opens, a tall and broad shadow draping himself over it. His hand moves to his pocket and for a moment I fear the worst, but within seconds a blinding light cuts through the dark—it’s just his phone. He points it at his face, bright blue eyes squinting against the light, brown curls framing his face. “It’s me, Blake. Your brother’s friend slash teammate slash housemate? We’ve hung out a couple of times.”
Right, that’s why his voice was so familiar. I see Blake every time I hang out at Levi’s dorm or get dragged to his games. I don’t know him very well, but he’s not a total stranger. I know Blake likes peanut puffs, beer, and random hookups. But he’s also respectful, occasionally hilarious, and, according to my brother, a good guy.
He is also, more often than not, the lead in my most private fantasies, and the first–and only–crush I've had since coming to Brookside.
I could keep running, ruin my outfit, and put myself in exactly the kind of danger I’m running away from. Or I can get in his car, call Alissa, and hope Blake isn’t an ax murderer in his spare time.
My legs burn so much they’re shaking and my chest has never felt tighter, making it hard to breathe.
“Okay,” I say through gritted teeth. “Thank you, Blake.”
“Anytime.” He rounds the car before beckoning me to the other side and holding open the door for me, closing it gently after I’ve slid into the torn leather seat.
I call Alissa immediately.
I unbucklemy seatbelt the moment we pull into the parking lot.
“Thanks!” I say, the door already open and my feet hovering above the moving ground. “This was very kind. I’ll make it up to you, get you some gas money or something.”
I jump out and shut the door before he can answer, landing on swaying feet before rushing into the restaurant. Alissa and Levi are already seated with no fake boyfriend in sight, so I keep my head low as I make a beeline for the restroom. Thankfully, neither of my siblings spot me.
The Crossroads, a restaurant sitting right at the edge of town, is one of those places that isn’t sure what it wants to be, so it becomes a bit of everything. You can get five-course dinners or order a burger to go. The walls are pristine white, but the wooden slats that cover half the walls are navy blue. The pillars are covered in bamboo sticks, and the restroom is so void of personality it’s a jarring contrast.
But the restroom door is solid and reassuring as I slump against it, trying to steady my breathing.Hudson isn’t here,I remind myself.And if he is, my siblings will protect me.
It takes a few minutes and a stern talking to before I manage to convince myself I’m safe here. That there is no bogeyman hiding behind the door, no monster lurking in the shadows waiting to snatch me because I smiled at it once. I am in a public space, with plenty of people looking out for me. I’ll be okay.
But only if I can pull my shit together.
Putting one foot in front of the other I drag myself to the small round mirror above the sink.
I try to fix my hair, the blond puffs having escaped their confinement, but end up putting it into a high ponytail when it doesn’t cooperate. I wet a tissue to remove any lingering sweat from my body, and another to remove the bleeding mascara on my pale cheeks before reapplying a fresh coat. I’m not sure how long I’ve been in there, trying to mask the cracks in my armor, but when I come out I want to jump right back in.
Because sitting at the table, chatting comfortably with my siblings, is Blake Taylor.
Yes.ThatBlake Taylor.
“What the hell areyoudoing here?”
Don’t tell me you’re my date, please. Anyone but you.
A lazy grin spreads on Blake’s face as he leans back, one muscled arm draped lazily over the back of the only empty chair.Mychair. “Take a wild guess, Sunshine.”
“Fuck…” I whisper to myself. If anyone hears, they don’t show it. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He shrugs, and bright-blue eyes hold mine as he says, “I thought you knew. At least, I did until you jumped out of my still-moving car and made a break for it.”
“You jumped out of a moving car?!” my siblings yell in unison, and I roll my eyes.
