“I—you only took one,” I reply, confusion laced through my tone.
He nods, and when he flicks his eyes toward me, I notice how his jutting cheekbones have settled, the rage gone…hidden andtucked away.
“Just paying up early for the rest I plan on stealing.” The corner of his mouth tilts, he turns the volume up on his speakers, tapping the side of his truck with an open palm.
His eyes lift from mine, meeting his sister’s. “What time are we heading to Bryce’s?”
Jade hikes the strap of her bag that has slipped off her bony shoulder back into place. “Not sure yet.”
Chase sinks his teeth into his bottom lip, dragging it into his mouth. His left wrist hangs casually over the wheel, his right pushing the car into gear. “We’ll pick you up at ten.”
Jade is smiling. “Okay.”
“Okay,” Chase replies, furrowing his brow, then tsking, spinning his wheels.
Jade’s smile grows brighter. “You are only coming because of what I told you earlier!” she shouts.
I was lost. I had no idea what they were talking about.
Chase smiles too, though it’s dark, yet controlled, and instead of looking at his sister, he looks directly at me, pushing on the gas.
I shiver, watching Chase disappear behind the gray cloud of dirt he tore up with his tires.
“Why did he just look at me like that?” I ask Jade, who's watching her brother drive away.
Her smile is still there, and her response is a small sigh of contentment.
I pinch her arm when she doesn’t reply.
“Ouch,” she says, raising her shoulders and slapping my hand away, shielding herself. “Why do you always do that?” she whine-laughs.
“Why, Jade? What did you say to him?”
She turns to me, and I feel my eyes catch her blue ones, locking into place.
“I told him Colton was going to be at the party…and that you like him,” she says casually with a shrug.
I scoff, and run my hands through my hair. “And why the fuck would you do that?”
I didn’t like Colton James. In fact, I thought he was a total loser.
Jade laughs and shakes her head like the answer to my question is so obvious, and yet, I don’t see it or hear it or feel it at all.
The air between us thickens when every playful feature drops from Jade’s beautiful face.
“You know last week when you spewed all that bullshit about me being the only person who cared about you, that this town had it out for you, that no one would even notice if you vanished or just disappeared, that no one would even bother looking for you, even after I tried telling you multiple times that you were literally full of shit?”
When I don’t reply, she raises her eyebrows, nudging me with her elbow. “Hmmm?” she prompts a response.
I drop my chin to my chest and exhale my breath.
I’d had a little too much vodka that night. I didn’t know what I was saying, or maybe I did. I was feeling sorry for myself and my fucked-up life, and the liquor had heightened my emotions.
I should have known that what I’d shared would stick with Jade.
Jade has always wanted the people she cares about to feel significant and important, and if they didn’t, she would make it her life’s mission to find a way to make sure they did.
Of course she would pull a stunt like this. I just didn’t expect her to drag her brother into it.
