Too late, Conley.
My tires spin, and I shoot off into the night without a backward glance.
I realize that was a dumb move—and, yes, I’ll have to see him again at some point. But right here, right now, I just need to get the hell out of here. The truth is that ever since I met him, my decision-makingskills have been shitty, to say the least. Adrenaline is still coursing through my veins. It always does when I race. The energy keeps on flowing for hours afterward. But with Lewis thrown into the mix like that, I’m practically on the verge of a heart attack.
I crank up the music to drown my thoughts, hit the gas, and by the time I pull up to the garage, I’ve leveled out. I slide open the shop doors and park before slipping out of the Aston.
So fucking annoying.That’s twice now that Lewis has barged into my playground and caught me off guard. Except this time, it’s really bad. If there was one place I really,reallycould’ve done without seeing him, it was back there at the race.
There’s no way RJ would have invited him—I guess I just got unlucky. Life can be such a bitch sometimes. And the fucking look in his eyes… yeah. There’s no way I’ll be a Campus Driver now. Not after today. And if he rats me out to the dean, I’m well and truly screwed.
I lean against the car and drop my head between my arms, panting. I’ve got the weekend to figure out how to save my sorry ass.
“Hitman, huh?” a voice says from behind me. “Great name.”
Oh, fuck no!
I leap back and instinctively raise my guard.
Hidden in a dark corner like a damn psychopath, Lewis is leaning against the compressor.
“Surprise,” he deadpans.
I lower my fists and school my voice. “That was fast.”
“Like I said… Google Maps isn’t all that. You might be aracer, Amy Hitman, but trust me on this one—I know these streets like the back of my hand.”
The way he said “racer” just then… He practically spat it at me.
He’s angry. And I wasn’t expecting him to tailgate me home, which means I haven’t had time to get my story straight—which fucking sucks.
“I’ve been here for five whole minutes,” he continues, scuffing the ground with his heel. “Which is weird, because I could’ve sworn I sawyouracingback there. For a second, I was actually worried you were a real driver. Looks like I have nothing to worry about.”
Fuck straightening up my story. Say that word one more time like that, and I will shove my fist down your throat, buddy.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I took a detour or two. See, I wasn’t expecting you to stalk me.”
He shrugs. “I was hoping to talk earlier, but seems like me throwing myself at your car window wasn’t clear enough.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Oh, so that’s what that thumping sound was? I thought I’d just hit a raccoon. Really shook me up.”
He moves toward me, and my heart is skipping a beat with every step he takes. My legs are trembling—leftover adrenaline from the race, no doubt.
I consider running inside and locking myself in, but if he follows me to the apartment, he might wake Raven and clue her in. Quick math—my sister is far more dangerous than he is. I scrap the idea.
Guess we’re doing this.
To suppress the version of myself who usually runs whenever he’s around, I climb onto the hood of the Aston, prop myself up on my elbows, and look at him with bored detachment. RJ would kill me if he saw this, but at this point, whatever. Lewis’s eyes narrow as he takes me in, his gaze drifting from my face to my toes. He’s never looked at me like that before. Something inside me flickers.
“So, what can I do you for?” I ask.
He shakes his head, like he’s trying to refocus. “What the hell was that back there?”
I stare him down. He’s still got that Cardinals cap pulled tight over his head, his gaze dark, his fists stuffed into his hoodie pocket.Fuck me, he’s so hot when he’s mad.
“Just hanging with friends,” I say breezily. “Showing them around, you know?”
I shouldn’t troll him, I know. But what can I say? It’s my defense mechanism kicking in.
