“Could that happen?”
“They pull for randoms all the time. Every week, at least a handful get pulled.”
“Well, if he does, I can attest to what happened. It wouldn’t be fair for his football career to end over something that was completely out of his control.”
“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Let’s hope,” I agree, falling silent for another longmoment. “Can I ask you something?” I blurt, unable to unhear his earlier words. “If Lana had never come to UVA... Do you think we...” I clear my throat. “Do you think things would have been different for us?”
I hate myself for saying each word as it slides past my tongue, but I can’t help myself. I want to know. No, Ineedto know.
“I don’t know. Despite the fact that I did what I did to protect you, I was still immature and selfish, so I probably still would have found a way to fuck it up.” He blows out a hard breath. “But I will admit, I would like to live in a world where you don’t actively hate me.”
“I don’t hate you.”
“Don’t you?”
“I mean, I hate what you did. But now that I knowwhyyou did it...”
“Does it change things?”
“Yes... No... I don’t know. I guess I wish you had just told me the truth from the beginning. I would have understood.”
“That’s the problem, though. I wasn’t sure that you would. After Lana, I wasn’t sure any woman was capable of such a thing.”
“You thought I was going to go crazy and start stalking you like she did.” It’s not a question.
“A part of me did, yes.”
“But that hasn’t stopped you from hooking up with several people since then.” I swallow down the bile that stings the back of my throat at the thought.
“You’re right, it hasn’t. Because at the end of the day, I’m still a guy, and giving up sex is not something you can ever ask a man to do. At least not willingly. But I hold my breath every single time... Waiting for the blowback.”
“What if we could do something about it?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if, instead of taking Joey home, we take him to the hospital. If we tell them he was drugged, the police will have to get involved.”
“You want to get the police involved?” He eyes me skeptically.
“Think about it. If the police get involved and they can prove Lana’s involvement, she would be suspended and likely have criminal charges pressed against her. Goodbye, Lana.”
“I doubt it would be that simple.”
“She’s just a girl, Macallan. Albeit a crazy one, but still just a girl. She’s not untouchable. You’ve been dealing with her for what, four years now? Aren’t you sick of it?”
“Of course I am. But I’ve found with Lana, it’s easier to pretend like she isn’t there than to spur her on. If we do this, if we go to the police and tell them what she did, it could send her completely over the deep end.”
“Look around.” I gesture around the car at nothing in particular. “She’s already gone off the deep end.”
“You sure you want to go down this road? You take a swing at Lana, she’s going to swing back.”
“Let her. I can handle it.”
“You’re sure about this?” He’s hesitant, but there’s something else there too... Hope maybe.
“I am. I don’t want to live with someone capable of this. Someone who could do something worse next time. She could have killed Joey. What happens if next time shedoeskill someone and we did nothing to stop it when we had the chance?”
“So what do we do?”
“Drive to the hospital.”
“What about your brother and your friends?”
“I’ll text Lyric.” I pull out my phone and fire off a quick text to tell her to go on home and that I’ll explain everything later.
“We’re really doing this?” he asks just as I hit send.
“We’re really doing this,” I confirm, hoping like hell I don’t live to regret it.
