“Because you’re going to do this with or without me, and I’m not letting you go and race some asshole who will run you off the fucking road,” he says as he guides me back to the car. “I also know you’re going to wipe that smart-ass smile from Spencer’s face when you beat him.”
“What makes you think I’m going to beat him?”
“I know you and your sister did the same defensive driving courses Cara and I had to do.” Ares opens the driver’s side door.I get into the car, start it up, and wait for Ares to slide into the passenger seat. “Ready, P?”
“Yep. This will be fun.” I smile, and I genuinely mean it.
“Do me a favour and don’t become some adrenaline-chasing bunny. I can’t handle that.”
“Okay.” I don’t think it’s the adrenaline that has excitement coursing through me, but it’s something, and I like it.
Ares guides me over to the starting point, and then Spencer pulls up right beside me. He has Constance in his car with him. She waves and gives me a thumbs-up. I smile back at her. This is not how I saw tonight going, but I’m not disappointed.
Watching the very scantily-clad girl in front of us hold up a flag, I concentrate. As soon as the flag drops, I take off. The wheels spin, and everything around me becomes a blur as I shift gears. The only thing I focus on is the road and making sure I’m in front of Spencer.
After the first few turns, something in my mood shifts. I don’t even have time to prepare for it. There’s a tree around the bend. I know we have to go back around that bend one more time, and a vision of this car slammed into it hits me. I can see myself slumped over the steering wheel. Lifeless. Painless.
As I pull us around to the stretch of road right before the turn, the vision becomes clearer. I could end it all right here. It wouldn’t take much, just a little swerve and it could all be over. It would be an accident. No one would even know I chose it.
“Zara, snap out of it and stop this fucking car now!” A hand touches my shoulder, and I look across at Ares. He’s shaking my arm, yelling at me.
Chapter Twelve
Tears are running down her face. The car starts to slow. The look in her eyes scares the fuck out of me. It’s as if she’s lost and can’t find her way out.
“Snap out of it!” I yell again.
I’ve been yelling at her for at least three minutes, and she wasn’t acknowledging me. I could tell something shifted in her. She went somewhere else. And then the tears started falling down her face. I saw her focus on a tree up ahead, and my gut told me exactly what she was thinking.
I wasn’t scared for me. I was scared for her. I don’t want her to get hurt. More than that, I don’t want her to give up. This is far worse than I thought it was, and I’m in way over my head trying to help her.
When she stops, she doesn’t look at me. “You should get out.”
“Yeah, not fucking happening, P,” I tell her, turning in my seat. “Look at me.”
“It’s not what you think,” she says when she finally glances in my direction.
“Yes, it is, and we are going to talk about it.”
“No, it’s not. I’m sorry. I just zoned out. I’m fine. You need to leave.” She’s trying to get rid of me again.
“I’m not leaving you. You are not alone, P.” I reach out and wipe her wet cheeks. “Tell me what happened.”
Zara opens her mouth and then closes it. “I said it was nothing, Ares.”
“Fine, lie to me. But unless you want me to go and talk to your parents, then you are going to talk to me. You can’t fight this alone. I’m not going to let you.”
Before she can respond, red-and-blue lights beam through the back windscreen.
“Fuck,” I curse under my breath. “Don’t say a word to them. Call your uncle.” I watch as two cops approach us.
“Step out of the car,” one of them says while the other shines a fucking torch inside.
“You too.” Cop number two walks around to me.
Zara opens the door, and the moment she steps out, the cop grabs and turns her around, pressing her against the car. I see fucking red.
“Get your hands off her! Do you know who that is?” I yell, only to get the same treatment from cop number two, who slaps handcuffs on my wrists. I don’t fight him. I know better than that.
