I didn’t like the sly tone in her words. I’d told her I wasn’t interested in Alex, but she seemed dead set on pushing for it anyway. First my mom, and now Danielle too? Why the hell couldn’t people keep their noses out of my dating life?
“You, me, and Candace can sit back, relax, and get tipsy while the guys have their dick measuring contest,” she said. I couldn’t really think of a good reason to say no to a night out getting tipsy, so I agreed I would be there.
Candace was another friend from high school I hadn’t seen in a while. She was a little airheaded, but she loved to have a good time.
That was what I needed, a fun night out proving to myself that I could be around Manson and his friends without turning into a flustered fool.
Friday night, I met up with Danielle and Candace for dinner before we headed toward Ellis Road. It ran along the very edge of a town, a long straight road entirely devoid of streetlights with open farmland on either side. Everyone was meeting at the bridge, and there were about a dozen people already there as I pulled up behind Danielle and parked in the dirt.
The trickle of the creek and chirp of crickets filled the air as we walked together to where Alex, Nate, and Matthew were waiting beside the Hellcat.
“Damn, so you decided to come after all,” Alex said as he hugged me. He wore so much cologne that I swear it stuck to me as I pulled away.
“Of course I came,” I said, as if it should have been obvious.“Wouldn’t want to miss seeing what your baby can do, right?”
He gave me a strange look, one I couldn’t quite discern. His competition hadn’t arrived yet, so there was nothing else to do besides drink and wait. Danielle had brought wine coolers for us, and the three of us sat on a guardrail beside the bridge as we sipped.
“I’ve been telling Nate to put in a little tip to his dad that Lucas will be here tonight,” Danielle said, laughing as she watched her fiancé throw his glass bottle off the bridge to shatter on the rocks below. “The cops would jump at the chance to arrest him.”
“For what?” I said, my fingers tapping rabidly on my drink. “Drag racing? Alex would be screwed too.”
Danielle sighed. “Yeah, I think that’s why Nate didn’t go for it.”
“A guy like Lucas will end up in prison eventually anyway,” Candace said. “Runs in the family.”
I was about to ask what she meant, but a distant rumble caught my attention. As the sound grew closer, the crowd fell silent, staring across the bridge in anticipation. Alex leaned against his car, tipping back a beer as he watched the new arrivals.
Lucas’s El Camino sat low to the asphalt, covered in gleaming chrome and midnight black paint. The engine rumbled loudly as he cruised down the road to stop alongside Alex, but when he tapped the gas, the noise roared to an ear-shattering pitch. The familiar blue Subaru behind him parked on the opposite side of the road, and Vincent, Jason, and Manson emerged.
“Don’t you think it’s weird they’re always together?” Candace said. “Like, do they all go on dates together too?” She laughed and so did Danielle, but I couldn’t muster up the amusement.
It was smart of them to stick together. Coming here alone would have been asking for trouble, but so was showing up at all.
I guess trouble didn’t scare them. Manson had told me as much, hadn’t he? If there’s no risk, where’s the fun?
Lucas got out of the driver’s seat, stubbing out a cigaretteon the asphalt. It took only a few seconds for his wandering eyes to fall on me. I’d always thought I could give a mean dismissive look, but Lucas proved he was fierce competition in that department. He gave me a once-over, then turned away as if I wasn’t even there.
So much for not getting flustered. I was instantly peeved.
“Gross, here comes Miss Drama,” Danielle muttered. I hadn’t even noticed anyone else arrive, too distracted watching the boys as they gathered on the far side of the El Camino. But I turned my head at Danielle’s announcement and groaned when I saw who was walking up, surrounded by a pack of friends.
Veronica Mills. The girl my ex had cheated on me with. Long dark hair, gorgeous curves, a confident smirk. She was the total hot girl package with an ego to match, and by the way she came strutting through the crowd, I knew nothing much had changed since I’d last seen her.
“Can’t stand her,” Danielle said.
“Total bitch,” Candace confirmed.
“If she and the devil were drowning and I could only save one, I’d walk away,” I said.
“She’s only here to cozy up to her new favorite bad boys,” said Danielle, winking as she looked at me.
Wait…she was here to dowhat?
That was when I realized where Veronica was heading. Certainly not toward our side of the road, not toward Alex.
She was here for Lucas.
Oh, hell no. Hell fucking no.