“Hello?”
“Hey, man,” Deke greets me. “I just wanted to apologize. You know I was just fucking with her, right? I wasn’t gonna touch her.”
“Yeah,” I say, letting out a long breath. I didn’t stop him because I loved the look of fear in her eyes. The way she looked at me for help. I wanted her to know that she was on her own. See what she would do. If she’d fight.
“Kellan is gone,” he says, getting my attention.
“Gone how?”
“Like threw his hands up in the air, said fuck all of us, and left.”
“Good.” Fuck him! He’s been giving me shit, and I’m tired of it.
He starts to laugh. “You gotta admit that shit was funny.”
I grunt. And his laughter fades. “We’ll give things a week. See if it’s died down.”
“Sounds good,” I say, and we hang up.
I remove my tennis shoes, shirt, and jeans. Then I walk over to my dresser and pull out my board shorts. I put them on, grab a towel, and head downstairs to the pool.
The night air is chilly, but the stars are out. I dive into the pool, and the chlorine burns the cuts on my knuckles. Coming up for air, I tread water.
When I’m all alone with my own thoughts is when the memories try to pull me under. And it’s not just my friends; it’s my mother too. God, I miss her so much. Every time I look at Lilly, I see her. I feel her. I think that’s why my father hates her so much. But it’s not Lilly’s fault. She didn’t ask to be born. To have a mother who died.
I dive under the water and push against the wall of the pool and swim. My shoulder screams. Four months of physical therapy helped it, but nothing numbs it. The cracked ribs and collapsed lung healed just fine, but the shoulder will always be a reminder that a mistake cost me three lives. Three best friends. I still have their numbers in my phone. Their last text messages. Sometimes when I’m alone, I read them as if they just sent them to me.
It makes my stomach knot and my chest tighten.
“Maddox!” I shout. “Maddox! Come on, man.” I kneel over his bloody face as he lies in the middle of the street. I feel around his neck for any sign of life.
“Cole?” My name is called out from behind me.
I run over to Eli. He sits up in the ditch, coughing. Blood runs down his mouth, covering his shirt. “Hang on. Help is coming,” I say, grabbing my shoulder.
“He’s dead, isn’t he?” he asks, looking over at Maddox. I can’t answer. Can’t make myself say the words.
“Where’s Landen?” I ask instead. Looking around, I see the car upside down in the middle of the road ahead of us. Broken glass and beer cans litter the pavement. The front end is missing. The top crushed from the impact of the rolls. Eli starts to cough again, and blood pours out of his mouth. “Cole.” He wheezes. “Please don’t let me die.”
My already tight chest constricts even more and I’m having problems catching my breath. “You’re not gonna die,” I promise him.
His big brown eyes meet mine. “Please …”
I swim ten laps. My muscles are sore, and I’m breathing heavy. I think I’ve exhausted myself enough for bed. I have problems going to sleep at night. Most of the time, I end up crawling in bed with Lilly. She helps calm my demons.
I get out of the pool and grab my towel, wiping my face. “Deke?” I ask surprised when I pull it away. He comes walking over to me from the back porch. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been calling you.”
“My phone is upstairs. What’s up?”
“We have a problem.”
I sigh. “What now?”
He holds up his phone, and I squint to look at the picture he’s showing me. It’s of a guy by the name of Nate Wax drinking from a keg. “I don’t …” My eyes narrow on the picture when I look past him to see two girls standing in the background. Both laughing with drinks in their hands. It’s of Austin and a blonde. “Becky,” I growl.
“They’re at a party.” He nods his head.
“I told her she couldn’t fucking go,” I snap.
She doesn’t understand how things work in this town. Guys see her at a party without me, and they’ll wonder why I didn’t go with her. They’ll start to think maybe I dumped her. That she’s available. Then they’ll make their move. And that’s just not gonna work with me. She’s mine. Has been since I laid eyes on her. Even if she chooses not to acknowledge it.
“Well …” I look back at him. “Guess we’re going to a party.”
He smiles.
AUSTIN
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Becky says, bumping her red Solo cup into mine.