“Do you believe me now?”
And when I shot him a look, all he did was purse his lips.
“How far out do you think they drove?”
I shrugged. “I figured we’d follow the tire tracks until they stop.”
“Fine by me.”
Every half-mile, we came upon them. Some of the tire tracks led into abandoned neighborhoods I’d only heard rumors about. But I kept my focus, not wanting to get off track. We had to find Clint before these guys did. Otherwise, he’d be in a lot of trouble.
Michael sighed. “You know the police won’t find us all the way out here.”
I nodded. “I know. If Clint and those boys are back there, they’ll find them. Which is why we have to search back here. If there’s any sign of them, I’ll have to call 9-1-1 and update them. Or something.”
“Yeah. Or something.”
I ignored his remark. I was growing tired of Michael’s attitude anyway. I mean, I wasn’t pissed off at the fact that he wanted to fuck around with my best friend. The girl I’d known since elementary school. If anything, that should have pissed someone like me off. But it didn’t. Because I wanted their happiness.
Why didn’t they want mine?
Michael throttled it out of the neighborhood. “We’re almost to the city limits.”
I paused. “Adderscape Bridge?”
“That’s the one, I think.”
“Head there.”
“Why?”
Worry filled my gut. “Please, just head there. I just… want to make sure.”
“Whatever you say, Juliet.”
I rolled my eyes at his comment as he blazed a trail down the road. There was no one back here. No lights. No animals. No people. No police. If Clint had raced himself into this territory, he didn’t have any help at all. No hope of ever having someone come upon him to help. That was why I wanted to check every inch of this back road. Especially if the tire tracks were still fresh.
“How much further?”
Michael shrugged. “Two, three miles?”
“Can you go faster?”
“Just because Clint wants to break the sound barrier for you doesn’t mean I do.”
I scoffed. “You know what? Go ahead and stay angry with me. I don’t care anymore.”
“You sound more and more like him every day.”
“I’m sorry that you don’t like the fact that I’m dating some guy that punched you in the face. I’m sorry that you think he’s an asshole. But when you take into account the fact that his father literally throws him around the house on a daily basis, and you take into account the fact that I should be pissed off that you’re in love with my best friend, you don’t have a leg to stand on.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because as Allison’s girl, I should be pissed off that you want to screw with her. Fuck her. Or do whatever it is you want to do with her. But I’m not. I want you two to be happy together. I want her to see how you feel about her because I think you two would be great together. Because you’re alike. Because you’re similar. Because your lives mesh. Just like mine and Clint’s do. So, if you expect me to be okay with the fact that you’re slowly but surely macking on my best friend, get your fucking act together and suck it the hell up.”
Michael put the pedal to the metal as we careened around the corner. The last turn before the straightaway over the bridge. His high beams pointed straight
ahead, and I saw fresh tire tracks on the bridge.