clock on the microwave. “I need to be there in twenty minutes.”
Ares takes a deep breath and runs his hand over his hair. “Any chance you could call in?” His nose and brow have a slight wrinkle, he knows the answer. It was like he didn’t even want to ask. I pinch my lips together and shake my head no.
“I can’t, I need the money,” I say looking at the floor. “Plus, I wouldn’t do that to her. Not when she’s expecting me to be there.”
“Okay, you should grab whatever you’ll need. One of us will pick you up and we can go home. There’s still a lot of stuff we need to figure out.” Home, home where? Does he mean to take me to his house again?
“I don’t get off until nine, and I have school tomorrow.” I shrug my shoulders, uncertain of what his plans are.
“That’s fine, I don’t think any of us expected to crash the way we did last night. We’ll talk and get things sorted out. You’ll be in bed before eleven.”
I tap my fingers on the table, doubtful a few more hours of talking are going to resolve all the issues we have. “We still can’t come here. Mike would notice if I had a bunch of guys coming into my camper, and… my mom, she might come back.” I bite my lip looking away.
“We’ll go back to our house, that’s why I said grab some stuff.”
“But, there was—”
“We should get you to Maggie’s before you’re late,” Ares interrupts me before I can mention the woman that was looking for him this morning. He stands, looking at a watch on his wrist. Noticing the clock on the microwave, I curse under my breath before scrambling back to my bedroom to sort through the basket of clothes that are still piled on the bed from last weekend.
I grab a t-shirt and the first pair of jeans my hands land on, but have to dig through the small mound to find my last clean pair of panties. I only have two bras, so I grab my extra, shoving it into my backpack with my other things. The red lacy panties I found on Dante’s floor come to mind, as does the argument we had when he said they were mine.
The screech of the curtain sliding across the bar that separates the rooms is loud. Ares is standing in the kitchen now, his arms crossed over his chest and feet spread wide. My eyes dart to the freezer and my instincts tell me he’s been snooping through my things. With my backpack slung over one shoulder I shuffle my feet. “We should go.” I don’t like him being here.
Ares doesn’t say a word as he takes two short steps to the door. As he steps down, the camper tilts to the left as he exits. He holds the door open as I follow behind him, waiting while I lock the door.
Ares strides toward the bathhouse. I have brief moment to wonder what Maggie will think when we pull up together, maybe I’ll get lucky and she’ll be in the back when he drops me off. I hustle to keep up with him as he treads to the passenger side of the vehicle, opening the door. I lower my head to avoid his gaze but round the door. I’ve never had anyone open a car door for me the way he does. It’s different than when one of the guys opened the door, they were getting in too, whereas this is more deliberate.
I take a moment to examine his car. I didn’t really have the opportunity earlier, I was just in a hurry to get my things. The interior is black leather with a beautiful camel brown down the center and it’s buttery soft. The door closes with a soft click as I pile my backpack into my lap. I feel way out of my element. This is fancy, there’s a wide screen where a radio would typically be. The center console is a thickly grained wood. It’s super shiny, not a speck of dust mars any of the surfaces. Ares opens the driver’s side door, folding gracefully into the seat. A moment later he pushes a button on the dash, bringing the car to life.
“Seat belt,” he mutters, not bothering with his own as he turns a dial and pulls onto the dirt path that serves as a road. Reaching over my shoulder I snap in, repositioning