haven’t said anything when he speaks again. “What’s wrong, baby? Talk to me.”
Baby? That’s…new.
“Will you just…come get me?”
“I’m on my way.”
“You haven’t said anything since you got in the car; what’s going on Stassi? Did someone mess with you at that party? Whose ass do I have to kick?” My head snaps towards him in shock, as I’ve never known him to inflict violence on anyone, let alone at a party with a bunch of his former students. He’s smiling when I meet his gaze and I realize he’s just trying to lighten the mood.
I let out a deep sigh and rest my head against the headrest as I prepare to give him a very watered down version of what happened. My guess is he may actually try to kick Carter’s ass if he knew what really happened. Or call his parents.
“I didn’t want to go in the first place. Kate thought it would be good for me, but I wasn’t into it.”
He nods as he pulls onto the freeway back towards our house. The night is dark, without a star in the sky and I can’t wait to get home and crash. “But you’re okay? No one messed with you?”
“No,” I tell him, without missing a beat.
“I don’t think you’re being honest with me, but you’ll let me know if you can’t handle it?”
“Dominic, I don’t need you to rescue me from a stupid high school boy.”
“Ah, so there was someone.” He points at me before putting his hand back on the steering wheel.
“I can handle it.” And I can. I don’t need Dominic charging in on his white horse because a boy hurt my feelings. Especially when I’m struggling with the thought that maybe I deserved some of his anger. Had I led him on?
“Of course, you can. You can handle anything life throws at you. Just know I’m in your corner if you need me.”
My nose flares like it does when I feel tears coming on but I swallow them down before I can feel that familiar prickle in my scalp. “Can we order pizza when we get home?”
He’s silent for a moment. “So, am I just supposed to pretend you aren’t under the influence of something?”
I freeze in my seat and look around the car, hoping there’s some sort of hint for how to answer his question. “Haven’t you ever heard the phrase ‘ignorance is bliss?’”
“Stassia Rae.” His voice is stern but I can hear the humor in it.
“I smoke sometimes. Well, more than sometimes,” I confess.
“I know.”
I gasp. “You know? Did Mom know?”
He shakes his head. “Not that I know of.”
I’m shocked at his answer and even more shocked he didn’t ground me for the rest of my life. “How come you didn’t bust me?”
“I haven’t known for very long. Maybe a few months and then…your mom died, and I didn’t think it was fair to take away something that gave you some peace or relief. That’s probably really shitty parenting. I smoked a ton in college, so I figured even if I did get on you for it now, you’d be right back at it in a few months,” he explains as he pulls into the driveway. He turns the car off but makes no move to get out. “I’m navigating this new norm as best as I can so I’m sure I’ll make some mistakes without your mother’s guidance, but I hope you know I’ll always do right by you.”
“I know.”
“Okay, so pepperoni and green peppers?” he asks in response to my need for pizza.
Dominic went to bed after I got settled and my food arrived, but I, on the other hand, was wide awake and uncomfortably full after eating my weight in pizza. After spending far too much time scrolling through Instagram and watching my entire class get wasted at Carter’s, I decided I was over it. Kate had texted that she would call me in the morning because she wanted to hear my side over what happened which means the Stassia Vale slander had already begun. I’m thinking most won’t give a fuck, or at very least will agree with me that he was acting like a big baby with a bruised ego because I didn’t want to be his girlfriend. But I’m sure his boys have been in his ear that I fucked him over.
It’s nearing midnight when I settle on watching Scream for the hundredth time. I love scary movies. I love the flip in your stomach that comes