“Okay. Is it just the two of us then?”
“No. We’re meeting up with Ben and some other people I think you’ll like.”
“Cool.” I was nervous for a second that he might think this is a date, and I don’t want to hurt his feelings. I follow him across the street to the parking lot where I keep my car parked. Confusion colors me when he stops at a street bike. My heart starts racing as I finger the locket around my neck.
“You okay? You ever ridden on a motorcycle before?” My voice is caught in my throat. If I speak, I’m afraid I will cry. I can only move my head back and forth in response. “I borrowed a helmet for you?” He holds it out and my hands shake at the thought of touching it.
A motorcycle ruined my father’s life. I can’t do it. I can’t simply hop on this guy’s motorcycle. Thoughts of the man I never got to know flash before me. Images of his totaled motorcycle and him laying helpless in a hospital bed play on a loop.
“Hey. You don’t look good.” Woodrow stares at me waiting for a response. I know he probably thinks I’m a total freak.
“I—” my voice comes out in a squeak. “I can’t. I’m sorry.” I spin away from him before my tears fall and blindly rush across the street as a car horn blows at me. I make it to my building and disappear into the stairwell hoping that Woodrow hasn’t followed me.
I feel like I can’t breathe as I fall to the bottom step and hang my head between my knees.
My phone is ringing, but I can’t catch my breath enough to answer it.
I don’t even know why I reacted the way that I did. My phone keeps ringing, and my father’s blue eyes that match my own keep taking hold of my thoughts along with the pictures I saw of his accident. Squeezing my eyes shut, I grab the locket and pull until the chain breaks. I look down at my palm then I sling the locket toward the door right when it opens and my jewelry hits Killian.
I don’t want him to see me like this.
I stare at my shoes and try to regain control of my breathing. I see him bending to pick up my locket. He doesn’t say anything to me. He slips the broken necklace into his pocket and sits down next to me.
His arm goes around me, and I lean into his chest finding comfort in the scent of his cologne.
“I nearly ran over you,” he murmurs into my hair. “Did Woodrow do or say something to you?”
“No,” I breathe the word out and suck more air back into my lungs. “I’m having a bit of a panic attack, I guess. How did you find me?”
“I could hear your phone ringing.”
“You were calling me?”
“No, that was probably Woodrow since you pulled a Houdini on him. I should probably go move my car before it gets towed. I left it in the street and ran after you.”
“I’m so embarrassed,” I admit with a sniffle.
“Do you want to get out of here?”
“I thought you had plans.”
“I lied.” He smirks and pulls me up to my feet.
Chapter 10
Killian
When I saw a blur dart passed my car, I slammed on the brakes and laid on the horn. I nearly ran her over. Liri. I looked to my right and saw Woodrow staring after her looking like he didn’t know whether to run after her or stick his thumb in his ass.
I didn’t know what he had done to her but something inside me made me jump out of my car in the middle of the fucking street and go after her. I knew she ran into the dorms, but the elevator was open, and people were stepping off it not in it. I could hear her cellphone ringing in the stairwell. When I opened that door a
nd her necklace hit me, I thought I was going to have to kill Woodrow, but she swore that he didn’t do anything to make her upset.
I didn’t want to pressure her to talk when she was having a full-blown panic attack, and I was certain that if my car hadn’t been stolen yet it would be getting towed any minute. I didn’t expect she’d actually take me up on my offer to leave but she did. Now we’re driving in my car, and I don’t know where to take her.
I’m not taking her back to my room at the frat house and parading her in front of my asshole friends while she is upset. It’s times like these I wish I had my own apartment.
It’s dark and late. She at least seems to have stopped crying. I know no one is racing tonight so I drive her to Butler Road and park in the clearing. “Come on,” I tell her and exit the car. I grab a blanket from the trunk and lay it on the ground in front of my car. The moon is full and bright providing us enough light.