Jason’s eyes found mine, and they were empty. So empty it was like I was looking right through him.
When he walked over to the door, he dropped his head and paused. My phone vibrated again, but I continued to stare at him, feeling sad. I just felt sad. He finally whispered, “I know. I fucking know.”
My phone vibrated again; I finally looked down.
Ollie: Hayley is about to cause a diversion. Eric and I are gonna pry the window open. Get ready.
“I’ll try to keep people from coming back here. Hurry up and get out before Tank finds you. He’s cool with me right now, and he’s happy he’s makin’ money off your friend, but he can turn vicious in a fucking second. Trust me, Piper. He’s fucking dangerous. That’s why I’m still here. That’s why I haven’t tried to leave. Not until he gets his money.”
My voice came out low. “My friends are here. They’re about to pry open the window because it’s stuck. I’ll be gone soon.”
He nodded, and I could see the muscles along his jaw clenching. He shared the same jaw as my father, and watching it twitch like that brought back many, many memories of my father holding in his temper. “I’m sorry, Piper. I’m so fucking sorry. I’ll fix this. I will.”
I climbed on top of the toilet as I heard pounding on the front door of the trailer, knowing it was probably the diversion from my best friend. Before Jason left the bathroom, I said over my shoulder, “I hope so, because if not, I’m done until you find it in you to help yourself.”
He said nothing as the light switched off, and the door opened and closed behind him.
Ollie had seconds to pry this window open and help me climb out, or I’d likely be caught red-handed.
And for some reason, I didn’t even care if I got caught.
A numbness fell over me the second I watched Jason dip his head down to the counter, seconds away from snorting something, and I wasn’t sure if anything could bring me back.
Chapter Twenty
Ollie
My heart rate climbed to an unhealthy speed as I stood behind a rundown trailer, staring at the window on the backside.
There was a chill in the air, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the cool temperature or if it was from fear.
It was a shaky feeling, and it had my heart pounding. Usually, spontaneity was my thing. I was the guy who everyone dared to do stupid shit because I liked the thrill, but this was different. Piper was involved, and she was scared.
My girl was scared, and that had me flexing my knuckles. My girl? Yes. My girl. She felt like mine, even if she truly wasn’t, and I wanted to pound her brother’s face in simply because he was the reason she was here in the first place.
“It’s go time. Tank is on the porch, talking with Hayley about her mom.” Eric’s voice was low as he came back into sight.
I immediately went to the window and stood up on the cinder blocks Eric and I had found a few yards away and had stacked below. It was hard to make out anything, but I could see the glow of Piper’s phone. My fingers tried to pry the shitty window open, but I was certain it hadn’t been opened in years, because it wasn’t budging at all.
“It’s fucking stuck.”
“Let me try.” I moved over, and Eric took his pocket knife and began sliding the blade underneath the ledge. My stomach coiled like a bunch of snakes as I watched his blade bend.
Feeling agitated, I whipped out my phone and shot Piper a text.
Me: Grab a towel and wrap it around your fist snug and hit the window as hard as you can. You’re going to have to break it, and in order to be quiet, the glass has to fall out and not in.
Eric stepped back and waited beside me. A cold sweat broke out along my forehead the longer she stood on the other side of that window.
“You alright?”
Was I alright? No, I was not fucking alright.
I answered harshly. “No.”
“Relax, bro. I’ll walk right through that fucking party and grab her if I have to.”
An unhealthy amount of jealousy surged through my body. That’s my job.