They won’t even talk.”
“They?” I asked.
“Loud mouths around here,” Xavier said. “Look, Winter, something happened to Easton’s car.”
“An accident?” I asked. “Like mine?”
Oh, that felt good to throw out there.
“No!” Noah screamed. “Why would you even say that?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Sorry.”
“He’ll be here soon,” Xavier said. “Hell is about to wash over this place.”
“Fuck,” I said.
“Fuck is right,” Noah said. “We have to get moving here. Stay safe, Winter.”
Noah touched my hand and walked by me.
Xavier stopped and looked down at me.
He nodded.
He made me shiver.
I was hoping to see Easton myself. Just to see the look on his face.
I looked over my shoulder and grinned.
Noah and Xavier were here.
And I knew where Easton was.
I could pay him a visit myself.
I drove to the spot where Talon had me park Tank Two.
I slowed, paused, but didn’t park there a second time.
Instead, I kept going and went to the fancy - and kind of hidden - cabin where Easton lived.
As I approached, I saw what his precious car looked like now.
When I had the vision of blowing shit up, it was supposed to be like a movie. Where everything is just… gone.
That wasn’t the case for the car.
It was, however, a tattered and mangled mess of metal.
The frame of the car was still visible, but there was no saving the car. There was no repairing it. I wasn’t sure if Talon designed it to be this way, but it was crazy to see.
My heart skipped more than a beat as Tank Two came to a stop.
Easton emerged from the fancy cabin and when I got out of Tank Two, he looked at me, looked confused for a few seconds, but then acted like I wasn’t even there.
He stood on the top step and lit a cigarette.
Watching Easton smoke, I wasn’t sure what to expect from him. What this was going to do to him. If it mattered to him or not. Or if it even really mattered to me or not.
Nothing was going to change what happened…
That’s the point, Winter. Nothing is going to change what happened. That’s why you have to do this. That’s why you can’t stop.
The words echoed in my head. Sometimes it was my voice. Sometimes it was my mother’s voice. Sometimes it was Talon’s voice.
I kept my distance from the car as though it still had the chance to blow up, which was probably next to impossible.
Easton didn’t smoke much of his cigarette before he tossed it away and hurried down the steps.
I offered him a quick wave.
“What are you doing here, Winter?” he asked.
“You weren’t at BFH,” I said.
My voice had a bit of a soothing tone.
Was that part of the lie too?
Easton pointed to his car. “I’m a little busy today.”
“What happened?”
“What the fuck do you think happened?” Easton growled.
“I don’t know,” I said. “That’s why I asked. Sorry to bother you.”
Easton’s eyes were different. They were scarier than normal. So much so that I showed him my hands and started to inch back. Coming here was probably a bad idea. I should have just left things be. Let him, Noah, and Xavier fight their own way through this.
I was exposing myself…
I turned and hugged myself.
A sense of being overwhelmed hit me hard.
My eyes gravitated toward the charred remains of Easton’s car.
Too far… too far… too far…
I started to move faster.
Almost breaking out into a light jog.
Anything to get back to Tank Two as fast as possible.
When I reached for the door on Tank Two, a hand touched my arm.
“Where are you running off to, Winter?” Easton’s voice asked.
My spine froze and my fingers started to shake.
“Easton…”
I slowly turned and looked up at him.
He looked like he was ready to cry.
He was still touching my arm.
He swallowed hard.
I could smell the punchy smell of the cigarette smoke on him.
As he took deep breaths, I could feel the anger and the hurt pouring from him.
I did this because you did this. Remember that, Easton.
“I didn’t mean to bother you,” I whispered. “I just heard and…”
“You were worried,” Easton said.
“I didn’t say that,” I said.
I smiled.
Easton’s mouth flickered for a quick second into a smile.
His eyes were still evil but there was something…
Then it hit me.
Vulnerable.
He felt vulnerable.
He had been attacked. He knew now he wasn’t invincible. He knew that-
“Want to know what that car meant to me?” Easton offered.
“Of course,” I said.
“I know you don’t remember anything, Winter, but you should ask yourself why would I drive a car like that? All the