by Lexi Lawton
Xander studied her. “When do you leave?” He assumed she’d be leaving today in order to get to Ohio in time.
“Kylie!” Celeste barged into the room. “Why don’t you—” She stopped abruptly when she noticed Xander. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t realize you had company.” Her gaze darted between him and Kylie.
“Why don’t I what?” Kylie asked. She stopped pacing and stood near the window with her arms hanging by her sides.
“Nothing. I’ll come back later.”
He narrowed his eyes. What wasn’t Celeste willing to say in front of him? “I can give you two a minute if you need it.”
“No.” Kylie shook her head. “It’s fine.” She walked back over to her bed and sat. She buried her face in her hands and shook her head again. “I’m not leaving.” Her words were muffled, but Xander had understood them.
“What do you mean you’re not leaving? You said the funeral is tomorrow.”
“It is,” Celeste said. “But she’s not going. She doesn’t have a way to get there. And even if she did, she doesn’t have the money to go.”
“Celeste!” Kylie snapped.
That must be what she and Celeste had been fighting about. Suddenly, everything made sense. Not only had she lost her grandmother, but she wasn’t able to go to the funeral. She wouldn’t get a chance to say a final good-bye.
He sat next to her and gently took her hands from her face. “What time is the funeral?”
“Noon.” She kept her head down, refusing to look at him.
He tilted her head up so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes. Be packed and ready to go.” He stood.
Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. “What?”
“We’re going to the airport.” It wasn’t a question, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. She needed to be at that funeral, and he was going to make damn sure she was. He was supposed to be on a plane to New York for his mother’s birthday on Friday. He could get Kylie to her grandmother’s funeral and be back in time to catch his flight. Considering he hadn’t gathered the courage to ask her to go home with him, and now that she was dealing with this loss, he wasn’t going to put that kind of pressure on her.
“There aren’t any flights that will arrive in time,” Celeste said. “We already checked.”
“Then we’ll drive,” he said.
“Xander…” Kylie stood. “You have class this afternoon that you can’t miss. Not to mention all your classes tomorrow and Thursday and possibly Friday.” She paced again. “What about your dad? And Brad?” She shook her head. “The earliest we could leave is four thirty. It’s a sixteen-hour drive without stopping. There’s no way you can drive that long. You’ll be tired. And if you stop, we won’t make it in time. I won’t let you do this.”
Right now, he really regretted telling her about his failing grades. But as much as he hated to admit it, she was right. Missing classes meant getting barred from RAT house functions, and giving Brad the satisfaction of enforcing that punishment was almost as painful as washing himself with sandpaper. He stared at Kylie with her red, puffy cheeks and tear-filled eyes, and everything inside of him clenched. “Getting you to your grandmother’s funeral is more important than some stupid class. And you can help with the driving.”
He looked between the two girls, waiting for some sort of confirmation. The longer no one spoke, the bigger the ball of dread became. There was no way she could turn down his offer. Could she?
Kylie tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, and tears spilled down her face. She nodded, and he sighed with relief, letting his eyes close momentarily.
“I’ll be back in half an hour.” He grabbed his bag from the floor and left her room.
“Xander!” Celeste caught up to him at the end of the hall. He stopped and turned toward her. “Thank you for offering to drive her home. She needs to be at that funeral.”
“I agree.”
“I’m not going to tell her this is a horrible idea, but it is.” She crossed her arms. “I don’t know what you’re hoping to gain from doing this for her, but you—”
“Whoa. Wait a minute. What I’m hoping to gain?” His tone was sharp. “All I want is to help Kylie.”
“You’ve been leading her on for weeks, and then you tell her you need to slow things down. And now you’re going to put her in a car with you for sixteen hours, spend the next three days with her, probably in a hotel, and then sit in your car for another sixteen hours. What do you think she”—Celeste stabbed her finger toward her room—“is going to make of that?”
Shit. He hadn’t thought of that. He could feel the color draining from his face as the realization of what this trip would entail smacked him hard. Repercussions from Brad and an even greater threat of getting kicked out of RAT house. The threat of losing his trust fund. Was he willing to risk millions for a girl he’d barely known a month? Potentially missing his mother’s birthday party? The fallout he’d get from his dad if that happened? His only option would be to take Kylie with him. But would she want to go, especially the day after she buried her grandmother?
It would also mean a lot of time together. He inhaled deeply and pressed his lips into a thin line. He’d barely been able to stop from kissing her again like he wanted to. How would he handle days with her? He wasn’t that strong. Fuck.
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but Kylie is my best friend, and I won’t let you hurt her any more than you already have.”
He cringed.
Celeste scowled. “If you do, I will cut off your nuts and feed them to you with peanut butter.”
“Point taken.” He furrowed his brows and bit his tongue to keep from saying anything further. He understood Celeste’s protective nature. He’d done the same thing for his brothers in the past, but she was wrong about him. Everything he was doing was in an effort not to hurt Kylie. But how the hell did he explain that without admitting how much of an asshole he’d been in the past? How he’d hurt a girl he liked because he was so quick to jump into bed without any thought to the consequences?
“And there’s something else you need to know.”
He raised a brow, waiting.
“Her father… He’s…well, he’s not a very nice guy, and he drinks. A lot. Don’t be surprised if he shows up at the funeral drunk. If he does, Kylie will—”
He held up his hand to silence her. Kylie hadn’t mentioned her father was an alcoholic, but it certainly explained her reluctance to drink. “I give you my word, Celeste. I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“Good.” She turned on her heel and marched back to her room.
He shook his head and left the residence hall. Was Celeste right? Would Kylie think his offer to drive her home would lead to something more? Would it? He couldn’t deny he was hoping this trip might be a turning point for them. But first, he needed to tell Finn and Brad that he was leaving campus for a few days. He was sure they wouldn’t be supportive, but really, the only people he needed to answer to were his father and his professors—which reminded him, he’d have to email all of them, too, and ask for any assignments he’d miss. As for his father…Xander would explain everything when he arrived home for his mother’s birthday. Squaring his shoulders, he headed to face what felt an awful lot like a firing squad.
Chapter Eighteen
Kylie yanked her duffel bag out from under the bed and then moved to her dresser to gather some clothes. She never expected Xander to offer to take her home for the funeral. But he had, and she couldn’t temper the hope that flared in her chest. Or the guilt currently gnawing away at her. How could he so easily ditch classes when there was so much on the line for him? How could she have so easily agreed to let him?
She stopped packing and hung her head. Xander taking her home meant he wasn’t only going to risk everything he had, he was going to see her house, see where she’d grown up, see her father. The bitter taste of bile rose in her throat. Here at school, she could hide the truth a
bout her childhood, pretend it never happened. Act like she wasn’t poor. But being back in her hometown, surrounded by everything she’d left behind… When this trip was over, she’d have not only lost her grandmother, but Xander, too.
“Hey.” Celeste came in and gently closed the door. “You okay?”
She shook the thoughts away. “As okay as I can be considering the circumstances.” She shoved several pairs of panties into her duffel bag.
“I meant are you okay with Xander being here and offering to drive you home?”
She stopped packing and turned to face Celeste, who had a disappointed look on her face. “Do not stand there and tell me I shouldn’t go with him. You know how important this is. In fact, minutes before he got here, you were yelling at me for not going to the funeral.”
“I know, and I’m not telling you not to go. But you need to be careful.”
Kylie returned to packing. “I know you’re only trying to help, and I appreciate that, but no matter what does or doesn’t happen on this trip, I have to go.”
“I know you do.” Celeste hugged her. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”
“No.” Kylie shook her head and bit the inside of her cheek to stop another onslaught of tears. “You can’t miss your exam.” She sighed.
Even though Celeste was close to Nammy Joyce, too, her parents were crazy strict. They expected perfection, and missing classes for any reason wasn’t acceptable to them. It was bad enough Xander was risking his grades, his trust fund, and his position within his fraternity to drive her home. She refused to have Celeste’s fate on her conscience, too.
“I’m sorry I can’t be there with you.”
“It’s okay. I understand. But you’d better be glued to your phone so I can call you.”
“Of course.” Celeste smiled. “Want some help packing?”
“Nah, I got it. You should go to class. I’ll be fine.”
Celeste hesitated. “I’m sorry I got angry with you earlier. It’s just…” She sighed. “I know how much Nammy Joyce means to you, and you’d hate yourself if you didn’t make it home to her funeral.”
Swallowing hard against more tears, Kylie hugged her. “Thank you. And I’m sorry I yelled at you. I know you’re only trying to help.”
“We’re good, right?”
“Always.” Kylie smiled despite her tears. “Promise.”
After another hug and a tearful good-bye, Celeste left. Kylie blew out a shaky breath and finished packing. She took her only black dress from the closet and laid it out on her bed. The dress was a simple, short-sleeved, knee-length cotton material with a V-neck. When she’d packed to move for college, she almost hadn’t brought this dress because she knew the only time she’d ever wear it was to bury Nammy. Stuffing her black heels into the bag, she zipped it closed.
Once she was satisfied she had everything she needed, she lugged her duffel bag downstairs and outside. Xander pulled up a few moments later. Without a word, he put her bag in the trunk, then opened the passenger’s door for her. She got in and fastened her seat belt. Her heart was in her throat, and she bounced her leg nervously. The reality of being stuck in this small car with him for more than sixteen hours hit her hard. Her stomach cramped, and her head spun.
“Okay, where are we going?” he asked once he was in his seat.
She rattled off the address.
He entered it into his phone’s GPS and then pulled away from the curb. “Is there a hotel near your house?”
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “Yes, why?”
“Because I figure I’ll need to get a room if you’re staying at your house with your…” He stopped abruptly, his lips turning down into a frown as if he realized the error of his words.
She laughed, which seemed wrong considering she should be grieving. “No, it’s my house. As in, I own it.”
He whipped his head to the side and stared at her wide-eyed. “You own a house? But you don’t have a car?”
“It was my grandmother’s house. She signed the deed over to me six months before I left for college. She wanted to make sure I always had a place to go.” Kylie remembered that day like it was yesterday. She’d fought with Nammy Joyce, insisting she didn’t need to sign her house over, but her grandmother was a stubborn old woman.
“That was very kind of her.”
“She is—was—a very kind woman. Tough, but caring. She didn’t take shit from anyone, and she would fight for those she loved.” Kylie fiddled with the hem of her shirt, her eyes unfocused. “She was the only person to ever fight for me,” she whispered.
Xander reached over and took her hand, lacing their fingers. “She’s not the only person, Ky.” He squeezed her hand, then released it.
He was wrong. No one had ever loved her like Nammy Joyce did. Kylie rested her head on the window and yawned. Her temples throbbed with an impending headache, no doubt a result of all the crying and the lack of food. In fact, now that she thought about it, she hadn’t eaten anything all day.
“I’m pretty sure my grandmother left me some money. It’s probably not much, but I’ll pay you back for this,” she said.
“No way.” He shook his head. “I don’t want you to repay me, and if you try, I won’t take it.”
She sat up and frowned. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“You’re not. I offered to do this. One friend helping another.”
Her frown deepened, and her brows furrowed. Friends? Weren’t they more than that? Or at the very least, headed toward more, even if they were moving at a snail’s pace? “Right. Of course. How silly of me to forget that friends do things for each other.”
He muttered something under his breath that she didn’t understand. And honestly, she really didn’t care. Right now, she wanted to sleep, to close her eyes and shut out the pain tearing her apart from the inside. Pain over losing her Nammy Joyce. Pain over knowing she would have to face her father tomorrow. Pain over Xander’s rejection.
“Look, we’re going to be in this car together for a long time. I don’t want to argue with you, so can we please talk and get to know each other a little better?” he asked.
She sighed. “On one condition.”
He sliced a look in her direction and grinned. “What’s that?”
The sight of his smile lifted her mood, made her want to forget, for a little while, why they were making this trip and have fun with him like they did the first night they’d gone out. “You have to stop for food. I’m starving.”
“Shit. I suck.” He frowned. “I was in such a rush to check on you, I completely forgot to bring you lunch, didn’t I?”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. I’ll stop at the first drive-through I find.”
“Thank you.” She combed her fingers through her hair and pulled her locks up into a ponytail. “Even though I don’t have a car, I do have a license, so if you want me to take a turn driving, I will.”
“I’m going to take you up on that offer.” He merged onto the highway and then switched lanes.
“Oh yeah?” There was a playfulness to her tone that she didn’t expect to hear. “Well then, what else can I offer that you’ll take me up on?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?” He lifted a brow, that faint smile still on his lips.
Part of her did want him to answer, but a bigger part of her didn’t. She couldn’t bear to hear him say they were just friends. She toed off her shoes, put her head on the window again, and closed her eyes. Maybe she could get some sleep before they stopped for food.
…
Kylie groaned and straightened in her seat. Yawning, she stretched her arms as best she could in the small car. It was dark out, and the clock on the dash read: 10:18 p.m. Whoa. “How long have I been sleeping?”
“About nine hours.”
“Shut up.” She laughed. “I have not.”
“Yes, you have.” He glanced at her and grinned. “We left campus j
ust after one. It’s now a little after ten.”
She frowned. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Because you looked so peaceful, and obviously you were tired.” He flipped on his turn signal and switched lanes. “Plus, you talk in your sleep, and I wanted to know if you were going to say anything about me.”
“Stop it.” She playfully pushed his arm. “I do not talk in my sleep.”
“How do you know? Have you ever stayed awake long enough to hear yourself?” He winked.
She smiled and shook her head. “Wait. You’ve been driving for nine hours straight? I thought we were going to stop for food.”
“I was, but then you fell asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you.” He shrugged.
“Well, stop now. Let me drive.” She really needed to get out of the car and stretch her legs. Food and a bathroom would be nice, too.
“There’s a rest stop about half a mile up. We’ll stop there.”
Kylie nodded. She arched her back and put her hands behind her head, gripping the head rest, and stretched. Every muscle in her body was tight, aching with the uncomfortable position she’d slept in for hours. She couldn’t believe Xander had driven for so long without waking her. Or complaining. He had to be tired and hungry and stiff.
His gaze darted to her, his eyes lingering on her chest. She leaned back in her seat as Xander pulled into the rest stop and parked. He got out and was halfway around to her side when she climbed out. She stretched her arms above her head and groaned with satisfaction. “Oh, that feels good.”
“No kidding.” He yawned. “Do you mind if we eat here?”
“You’re one of those guys, huh? The kind who won’t let anyone eat in your car?”
He laughed. “No. I’m tired of being cramped.” He held the door for her, and she stepped into the well-lit building ahead of him.
