“I’m not ready to apologize, Evan.” I put my backpack on and put my hands in my pockets. “But this isn’t over. I’m not going to go off and fuck anyone else. I’m still yours.”
She opens her mouth and closes it. Her chin tips up stubbornly and she steps closer. “I was angry with you, but I shouldn’t have told your father that way. I still think he should know.”
Before she can step back, I catch her chin, close the physical distance between us, and kiss her softly. Her lips press against mine. I rest my forehead against hers for a moment, knowing tonight I won’t sleep because I won’t be next to her.
“Don’t go anywhere alone. Don’t take off the ring.” I straighten.
Her eyes are pools of shimmering moonlight. She steps into me and wraps her arms around my waist. The container hits my low back while her helmet hits my ass. I wrap my arms around her and rest my chin against her head.
I don’t know how we’re going to fix this, but we will because I’m not giving her up. Ever.
“I’ll miss you. Give them hell.” She pulls away and wipes at her eye with the back of her hand before opening the door and heading out to her desk. She sets down the helmet and container and strides onto the stage like I’m already gone.
“I’ll miss you. Give them hell,” I say softly before heading out the door.
“Do you have everything?”Dad asks. He tosses his keys in his hand as I close the trunk.
“I can drive myself,” I say for the hundredth time. This wasn’t part of the plan. Hours in the car with my father. Joy.
“I’d like to look at the campus. Talk to the coach.” Dad claps me on the shoulder and hands me the keys. “But you can drive on the way there.”
I roll my eyes but get into the driver’s seat. There’s no way we won’t be talking about this morning. Is this the divide and conquer method of parenting? He leaves so Heather can talk to Evan about this morning.
We get on the interstate, and Dad clears his throat. I roll my eyes and don’t even bother turning up the music on the radio. He’d just turn it off.
“We should talk about Chase Chadwick.” Dad seems relaxed in the seat next to me.
“His dad is your business partner.”
“Did you think I would choose Tom over you?” Dad’s voice is even.
I shrug. It’s not unreasonable to think that way.
“Fuck, I’m going about this all wrong.” Dad tries a different tack. “When did you realize Chase was the driver?”
“When I saw him getting head from a blond before he hit me.” I keep my eyes on the road and my voice just as steady as his. I’ve taken a lot away from Chase Chadwick, but of everything I’ve taken, there’s one thing he’ll never get back. Evan.
Not that she was ever his.
Dad looks out the window at the landscape flying by the window. “EvanAnn?”
I chuckle. “I thought so, but no, some other girl. They weren’t like that.”
Dad lets that sit for a moment. “Why didn’t you tell me? Or the police when it happened?”
“What? So you could invite Chase over for a playdate and make us hug it out?” I roll my eyes. “He didn’t stick around. Besides, what proof did I have?”
“The damage to your bike and his car.” Dad runs a hand through his hair and lifts his gaze to the ceiling. “There was proof, Damon.”
“Okay, let’s say they did file charges against Chase. What would he get for taking my future from me? How much would Tom Chadwick pay to keep his son from getting a record and doing time? It’s not realistic to believe Chase would be punished at all.”
Dad’s quiet for a little while. I’m not wrong, and he knows it. The music plays in the background as the car eats the miles.
“I know how it works,” I say quietly. “The rich get away with everything. Chase took away my chance at a future. Now I’m clawing and fighting to just find another way into the future that had been mine, while he would have gotten a slap on the wrist and a fine. His dad would have made some donation, and it all would have been swept under the rug.”
“So what? You punched him to get your revenge?”
“Please.” I laugh. “If I just wanted to punch him, I would have done it before school started. And I would have kicked his ass.” I breathe out and say a little softer, “I really did deck him for leaving Evan out in the woods. It wasn’t planned. Hawk was already on his way to go get her when Chase walked in like nothing was wrong.”
