“Andrew!”
I jerk my head to the left and watch in disbelief as Adele runs toward the truck, stopping at the driver’s-side door. She’s smacking the glass with her fist, yelling for him to roll down the window, and he stares at her, his hand on the gear shift, ready to put the truck in reverse.
“Don’t do it,” I murmur. “Don’t open the window. She doesn’t deserve your attention anymore, Drew.”
“What if she tells my dad?” His voice is so small, he sounds like a little boy and my heart breaks for him. His pain has become mine.
“Who cares? You’re not wrong in this situation. She is.”
Keeping his head bent, he reaches out and hits the button so the window slowly rolls down. “What do you want?” he asks her coldly.
“Just…please come with us. I want you there, Andrew.” She flicks her cold, hard gaze at me briefly and I stare back. Just as cold, just as hard.
I want to tear her apart, I hate her so much.
“I already visited her grave yesterday. I paid my sister my respect. What more do you want from me?” His voice is like ice, his glare just as frosty as he turns it on her, and it’s as though she’s completely oblivious.
“There’s so much more you don’t know, and I—I need to tell you. Privately. It’s important, Andrew. Please.”
“Stop calling him that.” I can’t help it—I have to make her stop. I can’t stand the way she says his full name.
“It’s his name.” Her voice is flat. “And who the hell are you to tell me what to do?”
“Don’t talk to her like that.” His low voice is a warning, but it still doesn’t seem to affect Adele.
“She’s nothing, Andrew. Worthless. Why do you spend time with her? Is she good in bed? Does she spread her legs for you constantly and that’s why you keep her around?” Adele sounds downright manic. I refuse to let her insults affect me whatsoever.
She’s so beneath me for what she’s done to Drew, she deserves to rot in hell.
“At least I’m not some child-molesting piece of shit,” I mutter under my breath.
The gasp I hear from Adele clearly indicates that I didn’t mutter low enough. “What did you say, you little bitch?”
Holy shit, I’ve stepped in it now.
“She knows, Adele,” Drew interjects harshly. “She knows everything.”
The heavy silence that settles over the three of us is almost painful. I can’t look at her. I keep my focus on my trembling knees, trying my best to keep my breathing even and controlled. I glance at Drew out of the corner of my eye and see the tic in his jaw; the way he’s gripping the steering wheel so tight, his knuckles are white.
“Well.” Her voice squeaks and she gives a little cough. “So. You told her everything, hmm? She knows about our little affair?”
“Molesting a fifteen-year-old boy is a far cry from having an affair.” I clamp my lips shut and close my eyes. My mom always said my big mouth would get me in trouble.
I guess she’s right.
“Fine—you want her to know everything, then I’ll go ahead and tell you what I wanted to say in private in front of your big-mouthed whore instead.” Her voice is sweetness and light, so unnerving I can’t help but lift my head and look at her.
I don’t like what I see. There’s a murderous glow in hereyes, and her mouth is curved upward in a crazed smile. She’s clearly on the verge of losing it.
“We should go,” I whisper to Drew, and without a word he starts the engine.
“Don’t you want to hear what I have to tell you?” she asks in her creepy singsong voice.
“Not really.” He keeps his gaze trained on the steering wheel.
“That’s too bad. Because it’s about Vanessa.”
He turns to look at her, as do I. “What about her?”
