“I’ve told you why.” And I had. Navy, my new roommate, was someone I wanted to emulate more. I was done living in the shadow of who my father had groomed me to be. I wanted to become more comfortable being around people who were not like me. If I was to pursue my passion of traveling the world and understanding more cultures, I would need to push myself out of my cocoon. Unfortunately for Tori, she was so much like me that sometimes it felt like I was having a conversation with myself. Including now, when the jealously lit back through her voice like a trick candle. “You’re my oldest best friend, Tori.”
She sighed. “I was just hoping that since I graduated early we’d have more time to actually hang out.”
“And we will! This is my last year and thanks to the semester I did over the summer, I can take on a lighter load.” When Tori quieted, peering out through the trees, I knew it was because she, like me, had to see to believe me. I changed the subject. “What gentlemen callers, by the way?”
Tori laughed. “Come on. Gentlemen callers and me? No. Not in this town. Not in this state.”
“Guys here aren’t all bad. What about that one guy, Tom?”
“Tommy the Tank? Yeah, that’s gonna be a no from me, friend. He was fun to fool around with, but his idea of a perfect date involved gritty protein smoothies and long nights at the gym.” She patted her head. “This body was made for advanced mathematics, not aggressive muscles. And the potato chips my roommates bought aren’t going to eat themselves. Besides, I’ve got some plotting to do.”
My stomach sank as the realization came to mind. “Plotting.” It wasn’t said as a question, but it was one.
“Plotting,” she echoed. “We’ve got to figure out this Adam situation.”
“I guess I don’t like the idea of you plotting.”
“Hey,” she said, eyes narrowing. “I’m smart, you know.” But she said it sarcastically, to get a laugh out of me. I humored her. “We’ll figure it out, Hols. Swear.”
“I said I would talk to him.”
“Yeah?” She pulled a water bottle from the side pocket of her backpack. “When?”
“Navy and Keane are like this.” I crossed my forefinger and middle finger. “I’ll talk to Keane.”
“‘Hey Keane! So since you’re friends with Adam and all, think you can talk to him and convince him to be in love with me for a little while?’” She laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure that’ll go over real well. You need to go directly to Adam.”
Just the thought of that made my stomach twist and turn over. A migraine that’d merely flirted at my temples was increasing in its efforts in my head. “I’ll figure it out, like I told you. Please, Tori, do not get involved.”
She harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I can be convincing.”
“I know you can. If anyone knows that, I do. But you’re right; I need to go to Adam, directly. Not you, and not through Keane.” But the prospect made my insides quake with fear. We weren’t even friends on social media. Would I have to slide into his DMs to talk to him? And how would I begin to word it? I rubbed my forehead. “I’ll figure it out, and I’ll let you know. But I gotta go, okay Tori?”
“Give me some hugs first,” she said with a sigh, standing. Her arms stretched as wide as they’d go as she toddled toward me and then wrapped around me like a straight jacket. “Let me know, okay?” There was a bit of sadness in her eyes and for a moment, I felt bad for leaving her alone in this house. She kissed the side of my head, right at my hairline. I slipped a sticky note into her pocket, something I’d been doing since high school, hoping she’d find it right when she started to feel a little lonely. Along with all the others I had hidden away for her.
I nodded and, after untangling myself from her hold, I waved and climbed into the car.
Once back on the highway, I guzzled as much water as I could, hoping to ward off the migraine early. I had a full load ahead of school, between scheduling my tutoring clients and all the email dodging I’d have to do with my dad. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, my internal charting on how to approach Adam, that I almost didn’t notice the car pulled over to the side of the highway and its driver leaning against the back of the trunk. I had zero intention of stopping, at least until the dark head lifted and those eyes made contact with mine.
6
Adam
I kicked a tire of the car that had faithfully delivered me from Denver only a week before. This was decidedly not the time for it to shit the bed, but shit the bed it had. The unsatisfying clunk of my boot hitting the tire did nothing to assuage my own anger at that moment.
The sun was beating down on me, flaming up the back of my neck where sweat had just begun to prickle against my skin. Sliding my phone out of my pocket, I looked up and down the road for a sign of another traveler—especially one willing to pick me up.
I was fresh out of luck that day, which was further proven when my phone proudly displayed “NO SERVICE” at the top of the screen like it was some kind of achievement. I could kick the tire of my vehicle, but I couldn’t very well throw my phone like I very much wanted to at the moment. So instead, I growled a swear word that my grandmother would tsk at and tossed my phone onto the driver’s seat.
Sullenly, I glanced back at the steam pouring from under my hood. What the hell else could go wrong? It was nearly eleven, and I was at least an hour from home. Casey would be expecting me, of course, would leave school at exactly eleven-thirty and walk the half mile to the stop sign at the end of the road and look for me. And she’d have to wait for God knew how long before giving up and walking the rest of the way to Gram’s empty house. Anger unfurled in me in a spiral of rage. If my dad hadn’t been an absent piece of shit, if Gram hadn’t been afflicted with a weak heart and if my car hadn’t died on me, my sister wouldn’t be let down by yet another person in her life.
I shoved a hand through my mop of hair and cursed the fact that this had begun way before Dad skipped town a months ago. Really, it’d started back in high school when Mom had died. If I closed my eyes, I could very nearly remember the way life had been then, which was to say: much easier than it was now. Which was why I didn’t close my eyes. Because the very last thing I needed to be reminded of was how much better life had been before my mom had died. Before my dad had taken off. Before Gram had gotten sick. Before I had been forced to leave the city I had come to call my own and return to the town that held the memories of my broken childhood.
The energy drink in my center console was growing warmer by the second, so I chugged it and tossed the empty can into my backseat. That’s when I saw the glint out of the corner of my eye, coming down the road like a beacon to Heaven itself. It was the first car I had seen in twenty minutes, easily, and it was headed in the direction I needed to go.
Hope turned to lead in my belly when I made out the make and model of the car. There was no way that someone with that kind of cash would risk pulling over for someone like me. Admittedly, I wasn’t looking my best but to be fair, I hadn’t expected to have my car crap out on me. I looked down at my jeans, torn at the knees from use rather than style and the threadbare tee that was soft from over-washing and stained from work. And with the tattoos that covered my hands and arms, I knew I didn’t exactly scream trustworthy.
But to my surprise, the car slowed anyway and its blinker turned on as it slowly pulled onto the shoulder. My skin prickled from gratitude and I approached the car with what I hoped was a friendly smile.
Unfortunately, that smile quickly turned sour when I saw who was behind the wheel.
7
Hollis
I wanted to go back ten seconds earlier to when he smiled at me. Even though it hadn’t looked completely genuine, it was certainly a hundred times more inviting than the scowl Adam currently wore, which was without a doubt in reaction to the fact that I was about to save him.
Putting the car in park, I looked down at my lap for a moment. A whole lot of courage was needed to get out and face him. This was the fir
st time seeing him in, what, three years? And we hadn’t exactly parted on friendly terms after that party in high school. I ran my nails over each other and sucked in a breath before turning off the car and opening my door.
“Hey,” I said, forcing cheer into my voice as I rounded the side of my car. Glancing over my shoulder, I tried to quickly think of anything—literally anything—else to say other than, Hey, remember how you hated me back in the day? Do you still hate me too much to accept a car ride?
But, unsurprisingly, I came up empty. Instead, I turned around and faced him with a smile. “Car trouble?”
“No, I just like standing out here in the hundred-degree temps, kicking rocks for shits and giggles,” he spit. “What are you even doing on this road? Don’t you live in the hills?”
That made me sound way more primitive than I was. “My parents do. I live just south, on the outskirts of Amber Lake. This route is quieter than the interstate.”
“Great for you.”
This was going well. “Need a lift?”
He glowered at me from under thick dark eyebrows. His hate for me was palpable and not entirely unwarranted. But he softened for a moment, looking back at the steam of his car and the quiet hiss it emitted. He was contemplating it.. I knew this back road enough to know it saw more tractors than passenger vehicles and that it was often a dead spot for cell service. Which meant the fact that he was debating it explained just how desperately he did not want to ride with me.
While he stared stonily at the ground, I asked, “Don’t you live in Denver now?” Even though I knew he was back.
He lifted his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Did. Back now.”
“Oh.” It was the nicest thing he’d said to me in years, and it consisted of three whole words. “Back to Amber Lake?”
“Yeah.” He scratched down the side of his face and looked at me again. “You still live there?”
“I’m going to college there.”
“Right.” But he was still mulling over the idea of riding with me. “I can take you to your house, if you want. Or to a shop for you to arrange a tow.” Because I know you’d rather cut off your arms than spend any amount of time with me. “Your choice.”
“I don’t suppose I have another choice but to ride with you.” He sighed heavily, clearly unhappy with the prospect of sharing a ride with me. “Let me grab my shit first.”
He brushed past me to the driver’s side. He smelled of sweat and something woodsy, like he’d just cut down a few trees or something. I forced myself to act normal, and not like a typical twenty-one-year-old, and climbed back into my car.
When he came to the passenger door, I quickly hit the unlock button. “Can I put my stuff in the back?” He gestured toward the trunk of the car. “I don’t want to leave it in case it gets stolen.”
Nodding, I hit the button to open the back gate of my car. “Go for it.”
He bent over the trunk of his car and came out with a long, rectangular case and another smaller bag—bowling bag, maybe—and put it all in the trunk of my car. When he reached for the top of the door, I hit the button to close the gate and he shook his head. I barely made out his words, “Fancy fucking car,” before the back door closed and he returned to the passenger door.
“Ready?” I asked when he climbed in. I pulled my head back to keep his very manly scent from throwing me off balance.
“Yeah. I have to get my sister from school, and then you can drop us off at home.” He was quiet for a second and I felt his stare on me. “If that’s okay.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “We live in the same town. I don’t mind taking you to a shop or—”
“I said I can get someone else, okay?” He cut me off.
Swallowing, I nodded. “Right. Sure.” He was like a lit match, searching for gasoline to help him implode. I wanted to help him, but I wouldn’t become his doormat. I placed the car in gear and pulled onto the highway.
8
Adam
“Sweet ride!” Casey exclaimed as we pulled up to the stop sign she was waiting at.
I rolled my eyes at her and motioned my head toward the backseat door. “Get in.”
Casey slid into the car, and Hollis turned. “Hey! I’m Hollis.”
I’d heard her name hundreds of times, probably, but hearing her say it made it sound fancier than even this car was. She didn’t say it any different, but it sounded different in her light, friendly tone.
“Are you my brother’s friend?”
“Err—” Hollis began as I gave an emphatic, “No.”
Casey nodded once. “Didn’t think so. Adam doesn’t have friends.”
I turned so I was looking at her—or, rather, glaring at her. “Hey.” It was a soft warning, so soft that Casey steamrolled right over it.
“Okay, he has friends, but he definitely doesn’t have friends as pretty as you.”
I sensed Hollis stiffen beside me as she thanked Casey, but seemed to feel awkward about it. “You’re pretty too,” she said in that impossibly sweet, soft voice. It was stupid to be annoyed by her voice, but I was. I was annoyed to be rescued like she was my white knight—and not because she was a female but because she was Hollis Vinke. One of the assholes from high school.
Not that you’d know that by the way she and Casey were trading compliments and niceties that didn’t sound forced. I linked my fingers behind my head to stretch out the tension in my shoulders and said more unkindly than I meant to sound, “Are we going to go or what?”
“I have my dentist appointment,” Casey explained.
“Oh, I can take you guys. And,” Hollis shifted in her seat so she was facing me, “we can figure out what to do about your car.”
I glared, hating her use of we.
“What happened to the car?” Casey piped up.
“It broke down,” I bit off.
“Why didn’t you get a tow from work?”
“Not now, Casey.” I clenched and unclenched my jaw. I loved my sister, but she could be a real pain in the ass.
“What? My tablemate’s dad works there, if you give me your phone I can try to call her and ask them to tow it.”
There was no escaping this, not with my persistent little sister. “I don’t work there anymore.” I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Casey made a face and her mouth opened to an O. “Since when? I thought that’s where you went this morning.”
Hollis tried to make a sound, like she was going to interrupt. Why? To spare me the embarrassment? Well, that would be pointless. She was seeing me at my worse. Freshly unemployed. Broken down car on the side of the road. Helping me pick up my sister like we were back in high school. Back to the time when she reminded me that she was just another one of the assholes who tormented me like it was their God damn job. “They let me go, okay Case? Can you cool it on the questions for a minute?” It’d been a long fucking day and maybe my tone showed that. I closed my eyes and let out a breath. “Let’s just get to your appointment and I’ll figure out who I need to call.”
Hollis drove to the dentist appointment and I got Casey checked in. When a woman in pink scrubs called Casey’s name from the door, I stood to join her before Casey waved a hand at me, gesturing me to wait. I had been gone for three years but had still stopped back for holidays and weekends here and there, but how had she gone from needing me to not needing me in that span of time?
I sunk back into my seat and Hollis turned to me. “Sorry,” she said.
“About what?”
“For the Spanish Inquisition in the car…”
I stared into her light brown eyes, saw the sincerity in them and watched the way her lashes fell when I said, “She’s not your sister, so don’t apologize for her.”
“That’s…” She took a breath and clasped her hands in her lap. “Not what I meant. Casey’s great. I just felt bad for being there. I’m sure it made you uncomfortable.”
Trying to come up with something to say to that, I stared at her l
ong enough to make it uncomfortable. The anger I felt just … dissipated. It wasn’t Hollis’s fault that today had been a royal fucking shit show. She’d only tried to help me. I knew I should throw her a bone, but didn’t know how to.
She produced a card from inside her wallet. “I have this for towing. It doesn’t matter if the car’s mine or not, they will tow it if I say I was a passenger.”
“But you weren’t.”
She nodded slowly and a small smile crept at the corner of her pink lips. “I know. But they won’t know that. And it’s free.”
“Free for me, you mean. Like the ride.” Chill out, Adam. “Sure. That’d be great. If you can handle lying.”
She squinted for a moment and a little wrinkle appeared between her eyes. “Do you think I’ve never told a lie or something?” She placed her finger on the tip of her nose and then moved it horizontally away from her face. “Call me Pinocchio, especially lately. I’ll go make that call. Can I have your license plate and make and model?” She handed me a pen and a paper she pulled out of her handbag, and I scribbled it down for her.
After she left the room, I breathed out a sigh and pulled up my phone, powering it on. Now that I had service again, a few texts came through.
Sarah: Hey butthole. You’re awfully quiet today. What’s going on?
Keane: Want to come by for a few beers tonight? My roommate’s friend left a six pack of something probably gross in the fridge.
Caleb: You didn’t call me after Gram’s appointment. I’m guessing that means things are ok? Let me know.
I scrubbed a hand over my face. Fuck. The last text from my brother reminded me that I had been in a rush when I’d left Gram’s room that morning. Between the world-rocking news and the fact that I was fucking late for work, I hadn’t thought to text Caleb. I looked to the door Casey had disappeared behind. I hadn’t thought to tell her, either. Suddenly, I wasn’t in a hurry to be home. To walk by Gram’s empty room, to sit Casey down on her worn bedspread and tell her that Gram wasn’t getting better.
One Little Lie: a hate to love rom-com Page 8
