I groan. “Your bathroom breaks are really becoming a problem for me.”
“What’s it have to do with you anyway?” Nik yells as Ash sways, glaring at me.
“I’m not gonna just letthathappen!” I grab Ash.
“What are you doing? Get off her!” She tries to pull Ash away from me.
“I’m taking her home.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Ash slurs, trying to shove me off.
“Well, you sure as hell aren’t staying here,” I growl, dragging her toward the door by her arm.
“You’re not supposed to go near her.” Nik chases after her. “I’ll call Shane.”
I spin on her. “Go for it. He’s probably too fucked up to pick up the phone by now, so good luck.”
I shouldn’t have said that considering his reason for getting high tonight probably has something to do with the fact that his best friend fucked over his little sister and now he’s stuck in the middle for all of eternity.
Nik rolls her eyes. “You’re a son of a bitch. You know that?”
“Yeah. I know.”I turn my attention to Ash, who’s got tears running down her face. Grabbing her shoulders, I bend down to eye level. “Look, I won’t even talk to you, but please let me give you a ride home.”
She gives a slight nod, dropping her eyes to the ground. Nik glares at me.
“Do you need a ride too, demon?”
“No, my cousin Kara’s here. I’ll ride with her.” Shepoints her finger at me, stepping closer. “Do not lay a finger on her, or I swear I will kick your ass, and then watch while Shane murders you.”
“Got it.” I grab Ash by the hand, leading her out the door. Throwing my bike keys to JT, I say, “Let me borrow your truck. Her drunk ass will fall off the back of the bike.”
He nods, tossing me his.
“Come on.” I pull her by the hand toward the truck while she stumbles over her own feet. With the passenger door open, I pick her up and put her in before leaning over to buckle her.
When I climb into the driver’s seat, she’s tucked her feet under her with her arms wrapped around her knees, and her head down. She’s older now, but she looks like the fifteen-year-old that opened the door all those years ago.
As we pull out of the parking lot, she lifts her head to stare out the window and says, “How pathetic. Ash is back and needs saving again.”
“Not pathetic.” I swallow, trying to calm the rage still brewing. “It’s not wise to drink that much in a bar full of strangers, but this wasn’t your fault.”
She sits in silence before finally saying, “Why are you doing this?”
“Why am I doing what?”
“This. Taking me home. Bailing me out again.”
I glance at her and then back to the road. “There’s no world where I’d let anyone do that to you.”
She lets out a deep breath, closing her eyes. “What? You’re the only one allowed to hurt me?”
I grip the wheel.
“Nothing to say to that?”
“Ash, don’t.”
“No. What happened?”
