“You’re mad at me.”
“Take a nap or something,” I huff.
“Talk to me.”
Are you serious?
I whip the wheel to the side and slam on the brakes.
“Get out.”
“We’re still half an hour from Harbor,” he says. “Oh, don’t be like that.”
“Maybe the walk will sober you up,” I say.
He pops the top on the water bottle, staring me directly in the eyes and drinks the entire thing without blinking before he tosses it on the floor.
“Wow,” I click my teeth together.
“It was getting too tidy in here,” he smirks.
“Ha, ha.” I shake my head and inhale a shaky breath before closing my eyes and leaning my forehead against the steering wheel. After a couple of minutes, I turn my head to look at him. “I can’t do this, Brighton.”
“Bright,” he corrects.
“It’s not funny.” My bottom lip shakes as I hold back the tears. “You’ve been a liability for forty-eight hours and… You scared me.”
His face goes cold. “I couldn’t find the control. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“No,” I sigh, “today, you scared me.” I argue gently, “When Boone showed up at the game and said you were gone… that no one could get a hold of you.” The tears fall before I can stop them, and the muscle in his jaw tightens.
“I wouldn’t do that,” he says roughly.I want to believe you.
“We couldn’t find you,” I choke out, and he reaches out to touch my face, but I pull back, and he drops his hand. “You turned your phone off. You had Riona calling hospitals for yourbody,” I hiss at him.
“Who would make you and Daisy lunch?” he teases with a shaky voice.
“Don’t just take off,” I demand, even though I have no right. I’m just trying to survive how sad he looks and failing spectacularly at it. “Please.”
“Alright. I’m sorry.” He apologizes again.
I take it, bank it, and pull off the side of the road and take us back to Harbor. He falls asleep for a bit, thankfully, but the second he feels the Bronco cross the rough divot leading into the Hollow lot, he’s wide awake and looking green.
“If you puke in here, you’re cleaning it,” I warn, and it makes him chuckle, but he flips open the door the second it’s in park and hurls up what’s left of his stomach on the concrete.
I get out and help him up straight, the feeling of his skin on mine like a sunburn I didn’t ask for when he takes my hand and pushes me away. “I’m okay, Reaper.”
I flinch like I’ve been slapped, and he knows why.
“I didn’t… shit, Rhea!” He calls after me as I pop the lock on the kitchen door and walk inside. The Hollow is still packed, and Boone finds me instantly with a worried look. I roll my eyes but step to the side to show him, Brighton following behind me with calculated steps. I point to the stairs, guiding him up and walking behind him closely so I know he isn’t going to fall.
Brighton turns to the side on the stairs, his shoulder leaning against the door, and I slide in beside him to unlock it. Before I can, he leans in close and inhales slowly, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead against mine. We had been here once before, months ago, before the word roommate, before the word friend.
When I was simplySunday’s best friend,and he wasKilljoy.
So much carnage in so little time.
“Don’t leave tonight,” he whispers, his lips so close to mine I can feel every word. The plea is quiet but violent, and my entire body curls into the sound of it as a guarantee that I won’t.
