“Uh… well, I do.”
“Then get on.”
I stare at him in confusion.
“Go on. I don’t want to wait around for you. I’m wet enough as it is.”
“Okay.” I swallow, aware that he’s just spoken upwards of twenty words, more than he’s ever spoken to me before. “Where should I get on?”
He pats the top tube in front of him.
I’m thankful for the darkness as I wedge myself on the metal bar between his knees, because it hopefully means he can’t tell how much I’m blushing. I feel his two arms encircle me as his hands go back to his handlebars. Wow, he’s warm. And strong. His chest feels hard against my back, and he smells really good. A deep, warm fragrance with a touch of spice.
I inhale it as he asks, “Comfortable?”
“Yeah.”
No. Definitely not comfortable. Not with the bar digging into my butt, and especially not between his two arms, their weight against me telling me that this is definitelynotparasocial anymore.
Quill is here, and he’s bringing me home.
Looking out for me, just like he did on the first day of fifth grade.
The minute he drops me off, I run to my room and fill an entire notebook’s worth ofQuill and Piper Nelsonscribbles.
7
Piper
Present Day
Iget back in the car with Josh, my temples throbbing.
What now? What the hell am I supposed to do now?
I was so fixated on finding the murderer that I never thought of what I’d do when I did find him.
Well, I did have plans to kill him in the most painful way possible. But the most violent thing I’ve ever done was punch Kevin. How do you even end a person?
No. How do you endQuill?
I stare out the window, my eyes burning far more than they did when Jax bullied me in fifth grade, or when I walked in on my dead dad. Or even the day Quill called me a worthless whore at the moment when I needed him more than I ever had in my life.
I once imagined that I’d be able to count on him taking care of me forever, but he sure proved me wrong on that.
I nearly choke on the bitter feelings that rise up in me.
I hate him. I really hate him. Every part of me hates every part of him.
And yet… I don’t think I have what it takes to kill him.
I close my eyes as an embarrassing tear winds its way down my face. I hastily wipe it away, but Josh notices.
“Do you…” he clears his throat. “Do you know him?”
Do I know him?I practically laugh out loud. There isn’t a person I know better than Quill Nelson in this world. I’d like to say I wish it weren’t the case, but that would be a lie.
Even the memory of him, the intensity of those eyes in his facealways partly hidden by the long black hair and the hoodie, is enough to make me shiver. The tattoo twisting its way down his arm. I was there when he got it. He told me he thought it looked awful, and I agreed.
