Hayley’s voice dropped. “Yes, I know exactly who Tank is. You can explain on the way. Let’s go. Now.”
Hayley grabbed onto Christian’s hand, and I followed them out the door with Eric trailing after us.
Christian glanced over his shoulder and gave me a look. He knew exactly what I was feeling in this moment, and let me tell you, it wasn’t fucking good.
Chapter Nineteen
Piper
My legs shook as I stood inside the ceramic tub that had black mold growing in the corners. It smelled like a dirty basement with a touch of Irish Spring. I glanced at the ceiling of the bathroom, and there was mold growing on it, too. Sneaking into Tank’s trailer was a poor decision on my end, but it wasn’t difficult by any means. When I’d followed him home after the races, I parked at the front entrance of the trailer park, crept toward his trailer on foot, and waited until I saw him leave again. It didn’t take long. He was back out the door and onto his motorcycle, flying on top of the make-shift, loose-gravel-covered road. I held my breath as he whizzed past me crouched down by a nearby dumpster. It smelled terrible, but not as terrible as the moldy bathroom I was currently hiding out in. I had snuck in through the sliding glass door on the back end of the trailer after snooping to make sure no one was hanging out in the living room.
It was pitch black inside, except for the glow of a phone or tablet on the table, so I tip-toed inside, ready to look in the bedrooms for my brother, when the front door began to swing open. I panicked, my heart flying throughout my chest as I rushed down the narrow hallway and into the first door I found.
It latched softly as I tried my hardest to be quiet, which wasn’t hard. I’d always been a quiet person. I was meant to blend in. I’d been doing it all my life. Play nice with the other rich kids. Act like you belong. Be quiet. Don’t make a fuss. Stop crying. My parents wanted nothing more than to fit in with their superiors, to make the same amount of money, to have the brightest children wearing their expensive prep school uniforms following in their footsteps. Only, Jason ruined their plan. Thus, why I was stuck in a rundown trailer’s bathroom, holding my breath until I found a way out.
I sunk down into the tub, my eyes well-adjusted to the dark bathroom. There was a tiny sliver of moonlight casting a bluish hue from the tiny window above the toilet, which allowed me to take in the size of the area.
There wasn’t much room inside the bathroom, other than a few feet between the front of the tub and the wall. There was a tiny vanity beside the toilet and a chipped, oval mirror leaning on the wall above it.
My first thought was to climb out of the window and go back to my car without finding Jason. Tank was back. I could hear his booming voice through the thin-as-paper walls, as well as several other muffled voices, all of which were hard to identify due to the now blaring music. So, leaving was my best option. But the window was jammed, and the ends of my fingernails were now bleeding from trying to pry it open. Th
rough the pain, I’d texted Ollie, desperate for him to help.
I knew he’d be pissed that I was here. He was already angry that I’d shown up at the races. But I had no other choice. Ollie was the only one who knew about Jason—my fucked-up brother who I kept saving over and over again.
The ache settled deep within my chest as I dropped my head to my jean-clad knees, waiting for the text from Ollie.
I hoped he had a plan to get me out of here.
I messed up. I messed up so bad, and I kept messing up.
At this point, I wasn’t even sure I deserved Ollie’s help, and I knew, very well, that Jason didn’t.
My head snapped up as the bathroom door creaked open and the light blared on. I looked to my left, meeting the hanging, brown-stained shower curtain as a shadow passed by it. Oh my God.
Small, steady puffs of air fell from my lips as I tried to stay calm. Relax. They’re just going to the bathroom.
My spine was as stiff as a board as I leaned forward, out of sight. There was a small gap between the shower curtain and the shower wall, and all it would take is one glance to the left as someone was using the toilet to see me crouched in the tub all wide-eyed with fear.
My lips smashed together to keep my breathing silent, but when I looked down at my shirt, I could see the rapid rising and falling of my chest. Staying calm was becoming harder and harder. Nerves were eating away at my sanity. What if they’re about to take a shower? What the hell am I going to do if they spot me? What if it’s Tank?
A creak echoed throughout the tiny room, and my ears strained to figure out what it was.
Slowly, I leaned my body back until I could see between the small gap of the shower curtain, and I held my breath, watching.
The guy was squatting, his head hanging low as he dug through the bottom of the vanity. I watched as he found something hidden in the very back. He was still squatting, half hidden behind the vanity doors, as he placed the top of a bottle of some sort on the vanity top. When he stood up, his back was turned to me, but I continued to stare. My stomach churned as I waited.
Next came the shampoo bottle that he had unscrewed the lid from, placing it on the counter, and then came a small plastic baggy.
When the guy turned slightly, I slapped my hand over my mouth. My eyes grew wide.
Jason.
I recognized the color of his hair with his back to me—the same coppery color as mine, although his was unkempt and wild looking. My mouth opened to blurt his name, but my heart began to sink as I clamped it shut and bit my tongue, watching.
A metallic taste filled my mouth.
The sound of a plastic bag rustled, and I dropped my gaze from the side of his face to his hands. White powder.