“Excuse me?” Burrowes asks her.
“Yeah,” Ryen goes on. “It was a stupid prank. I’m sorry.”
Voices sound off around us as everyone starts whispering, and I blink long and hard. Her prom date was about to get in trouble, and she couldn’t let that happen, could she? It would just be too humiliating to show up to prom alone.
Stupid girl.
“You did that to his car?”
“It was a joke.” Ryen’s voice is calm and convincing. “I’ll take care of it. I’ll take it for a car wash and pay for it. Right now.”
“Hell no,” Trey chimes in.
“Just shut up,” Ryen snaps at him and then lowers her voice. “I’ll be right back.”
I don’t wait to be dismissed. I shoot Trey one last scowl and walk away, the crowd of students clearing as I head to my truck. I dig my keys out of my pocket and yank open the door, climbing in.
This isn’t over.
Ryen climbs in the passenger side, dropping her bag on the floor, and I can feel her eyes on me.
I bite my tongue, too fucking angry to deal with her right now.
I start the engine and lay on the horn, barely waiting for the nosy little shits to move their fucking asses before I step on the gas. Students squeal and rush out of the way as I speed out of the parking lot, putting as much distance as possible between me and everyone there.
Everyone except Ryen.
I pull out onto the road while light sprinkles of rain hit the windshield, and I stare at the paint and shit all over my hood, my hands gripping the steering wheel. I’m going to kill him.
“Here,” Ryen says. “I don’t want this.”
I’m glaring ahead, but I shoot a glance over, seeing her hold up Annie’s blue scarf. She must’ve seen it in her Jeep before the fight happened.
“Just take it,” I bite out. “It was a dick move, ruining yours. I owed you.”
“I don’t want it,” she insists and tosses it at me. “Another girl’s perfume is on it, so you should let your skank know she left it in your backseat.”
I shake my head.
Bitch.
I take the scarf and stuff it in the center console. “Fine,” I grit out.
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her. To let her know that it was my sister’s and somehow I liked the idea of Ryen having a part of her and what a dumb idea that was, because why would I want a vile brat like her to put her hands on anything that belonged to Annie?
But I would never show her weakness. I never want her pity.
I take a left on Whitney and drive down the road, sparsely populated with a few gas stations and trees, and pull into a self-service car wash, parking in one of the empty bays.
Actually, they’re all empty, since it’s raining. The light sprinkle has turned heavier now, and the sky looms with dark clouds, rolling on top of each other and sending down a steady shower. The white noise actually feels good. My heart and breathing starts to slow, and I roll up my window and turn off the engine but keep Mudshovel playing on the radio.
We sit there silently, neither of us moving.
I look to Ryen. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
I lean back, locking my hands behind my head and relaxing. “You’re the one who fucked up the car.”