Page 130 of Rock Me

"Not you, sweetheart. Paige. Paige has something to tell you."

I look past him, to my best friend on the stairs. She's backing up, shaking her head.

"No.” Her voice is shaking.

"Last chance, Paige,” Jez says, his voice firm, steady.

"I don't know what you're talking about.”

"Then I’m sorry. Your chance is over."

I see Sebastian in the corner of my eye step behind Paige, in front of the door as if blocking her.

The other guys move to join in.

What in hell is going on?

"Will someone fucking tell me what is going on!"

Jez takes my hands in his and I let him. I can't even focus on that part yet, I just need to know what's going on.

"Do you recognize that car?" he gestures with his head to the side of the road.

"No, not really.” I shake my head. “I mean, it's a Dodge Viper, that's all I know. Should I recognize it?"

"It's the car that hit me."

"What?" I pull away, recoiling from the side of the road. Trying to get away from the vehicle.

"Whoa, whoa. It's okay, honey. It’s okay. It's not the exact car, just a similar one."

"The car I was driving..."

"No. That’s just it, Noémie, you never drove that car."

"Well, yeah, not that one…"

"Nope, not even one remotely like it. That... is a Dodge Viper 2017. That car only ever came in a manual model. Ever."

He looks at me, like that should mean something. Like he just gave me the winning numbers to a billion-dollar lottery.

I frown.

It obviously means something.

I turn over his words in my head.

Wait.

That's why I couldn't drive it before. Not because I've forgotten how to drive but because... oh my god.

"I... I don't know how to drive a stick," I say. Each word of my revelation takes its time to process.

He nods, a smile spreading wide across his face.

"Wait. So... I couldn't have been driving that night."

"No, baby. You couldn’t have."