When I go downstairs in the morning, I expect to find Janessa waiting to take us to school, but instead, she hands me a set of keys and gives me a small smile.
“Your father pulled this from the garage for you at my suggestion.” She tilts her head to the set of keys. “This way, if you need to leave, to get away, you can.”
I stare at the keys in my hand. Tears form in the corners of my eyes and I swipe them away. I keep crying. I’m always crying. I hate it, but I never thought I’d be so relieved to have access to a car. Before all of this, I would have refused it. I didn’t want Gerald’s money. I didn’t need it and I like earning my own way in life. It’s why I’d been applying for jobs in the first place. But I couldn’t afford a car on my own right now. Not even a beater. And this, this would give me an escape.
“Thank you.”
Her smile widens just a bit. “If you ever want to talk…”
Julio comes in the back door. “Hey.” He lifts a hand in greeting and walks toward me.
My stomach tightens as he approaches but I do what I did yesterday every time my body reacted to his proximity. I look at his hands and the anxiety subsides. Then to Janessa I say, “Thanks. But I’m good.”
She nods. Hands me a to-go cup of coffee and Julio and I both head outside.
I find a silver Audi RS 5 in the driveway. I push a button on the key fob, somewhat surprised when the Audi chirps back. He’s letting me drive an RS? Why can’t he be like normal dads and just get me a Jetta? Preferably a used one.
“Damn,” Julio draws out. “This is sick.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You can drool over the interior. Come on or we’re going to be late.”
TWENTY-NINE
Roman
Emilio sidles up beside me. “She’s back,” he mutters under his breath. My jaw tightens and all our heads turn to see her step out of a silver car a few rows down from us.
“Is that a…” Emilio starts.
“Brand new Audi RS 5? Yeah. It is,” Dom answers and a quick look his way shows he’s not all that happy to see her, either.
Guess she’s still living the good life or maybe now she’s just happier to embrace it. She’s dressed in that rich preppy shit she wore the first week of school.
I guess we’re back to that again, too.
I shrug my shoulders and catch Emilio and Dom’s gazes. “Doesn’t matter what she’s driving. She’s here. I want some fucking answers.” That chick that works for her dad blew us off when we showed up, but I’m not buying the whole Allie-doesn't-want-to-see-me crap. Something else has to be going on. I tried waiting around for Allie to leave the house, hoping to catch her and corner her into talking to me, but she never fucking left her house. Not once. Not that I ever saw, at least. And I was there, every fucking day for eight days straight. I went full-fledge stalker and don’t even care.
I push off from the hood of my ride, intent on speaking with her, but then I catch sight of a guy getting out of the passenger seat of the same vehicle.
“What the fuck?” Emilio says beside me. He scratches the back of his head. “This is new.”
“Yeah,” I bite out. “It is.”
I watch as he moves around the car until he’s right beside her. He reaches a hand out to her. It’s tentative, like he’s unsure if she’ll accept his touch and for a second my heart races in my chest. She’s going to brush him off. I know she is. If this were a thing, if he was competition, he wouldn’t look so hesitant to touch her. I grin. The fucker has no idea what he’s trying to get in between.
Allie’s mine. She has a lot to answer for and I’m pissed as hell with her, but she’s still mine.
I take another step toward them and my boys follow suit. But then she smiles up at the guy and accepts his hand. She threads her fingers with his and the two of them turn their backs on us and head to the school’s front entrance.
I stop in my tracks, my eyes glued to their hands. Their fucking entwined fingers like this is middle school or some shit.
What. The. Fuck.
Dominique puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “You alright, bro?”
“I’m fine.”
Emilio swears beside me. “Who the fuck is that dude?”
