Tell Me Pretty Lies(36)

Wow. These Ames boys sure know how to treat a girl. Not that it’s news to me. Holden has never had an exclusive relationship in all the time that I’ve known him.

“Okay, first of all, gross. Second of all, it doesn’t matter. She thinks I’m what’s standing in her way.”

“And you care because?”

I stop to look at him. I…I don’t know. Why do I care? It’s not like I’m afraid of her. I just prefer to avoid her if I can help it. “I don’t care. It seems to be her mission in life to make my life hell, so I’d rather not hand her the ammunition.” And she slept with your brother on the night of the funeral. Not that I can really fault her for it. It’s not like she knew about Thayer and me. Still, Taylor has always been a mean girl through and through.

“I’ll fix it,” he promises.

“No—”

“I’ll fix it,” he cuts me off, his voice firmer this time, then he takes my hand in his. “Come on.”

Reluctantly, I drop it, even though I know his idea of fixing it will no doubt make it worse. It’s like when the nerdy kid’s mom calls the school to tell them they’re being picked on, and they only end up getting it ten times worse. That’s just how bullies operate.

Once we’re outside, I stop dead in my tracks, noticing my car is gone. Valen picked me up for school this morning, and it was still parked when we got there.

“Dammit!”

“What’s the problem?” Holden frowns.

“My car got towed.”

He shrugs, probably not understanding why I’m upset. And why would he? Money isn’t an issue for him. But all I can think is how that’s going to be another hundred or two added to the list of expenses.

Holden unlocks the doors, and I climb into the passenger seat. The song “Drowning” starts blasting when he starts the car, but he quickly turns it off. We both sit there in silence for a beat, and I know we’re both thinking about Danny.

“I miss him, too,” I admit, feeling weird talking about Danny out loud. He’s been the elephant in the room ever since I got back, but maybe it’s time we start talking about him. Maybe this is how they—how we—heal.

Holden clenches his jaw, throwing the car into drive. Okay, so maybe he’s not there yet.

“Have you heard anything from the police?” I ask, deciding a subject change is probably for the best.

He visibly relaxes. “Not shit.”

“That’s good. What were you doing there, anyway?”

One hand on the wheel, he glances over at me, a grim expression on his face. “Blowing off some steam.”

I narrow my eyes at him, not following.

“Can I trust you?”

I snort out a bitter laugh. “Can you trust me? I’m not the one who’s done anything to have you questioning my loyalty.”

“I’m not fucking around,” he says, his voice holding an unusually serious tone. “No one can know. Not my dad, not your mom. No one.”

I nod, apprehension swirling in my stomach.

“Something’s off, Shayne.” His hand tightens around the steering wheel. “Someone knows something, and they’re covering it up.”

I shake my head, confused. “But why would anyone want to do that?”

“That’s what we’re going to find out.”

I rack my brain for answers. None of it makes sense. The car slows, and I look out the window, noticing we’re close to my house. “Hey, pull over,” I say, unbuckling.

“What, here?”

“Yeah. I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

“It’s dark.”

I raise my eyebrows. “And? My driveway is right there,” I say, gesturing to the gravel path that leads to my house. “My mom is home and I’m stalling.” I need all the extra time I can get to figure out how the hell to explain my tire situation. Plus, I’d rather not answer questions about why Thayer was in my room a couple weeks ago, and now Holden’s dropping me off. She’s been a little intense lately.

“Thanks for the ride.” I jump down from the car and swing my bag over my shoulder. The chilly night air has me rubbing my arms as I make my way up to the house. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s any getting out of telling my mom the truth. I’ll just have to convince her that it was random. That I’m not the target. Everything is fine. I’m fine.

I stop short when I notice my car. In my driveway. With four brand new tires. As if nothing ever happened.

“What the hell?” I circle the car, giving it a quick once-over. How did she already take care of it? I wonder if the school called her. Or, more likely, the towing company. Bracing myself for the third degree, I walk up the porch and open the front door. I follow the rustling sound coming from the kitchen and find my mom standing at the counter with a plethora of takeout boxes.

“Just in time,” she says, reaching for some plates from the cabinet above her head. “I ordered Chinese. Figured you’d have a late night.” She scoops some noodles onto a plate. “How was the game last night? I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.”

I stand there watching her load my plate up with the chicken and vegetables, waiting for her to mention the car.

She rounds the counter, setting the plate down in front of me before pulling me in for a hug. “What, you didn’t miss your mom?” she asks when I don’t return her hug right away.