to the next lane, cutting off a red Camry. The driver honks the horn and Lila grips the edge of the leather seat. “You know I’ve seen you drive this crazy before, right?”
She glares at me. “And I’m okay when I’m the driver and know I have control of the situation.” I flinch at her words and she adds, “It gives me a sense of safety.”
I loathe hearing the word “control.” It reminds me of how much my mind craves it. It’s sort of like an addiction, like alcohol or cigarettes.
I hit the brakes as the front of the car verges on the back end of a lifted truck. There’s a tiny gap over to the next lane and I debate if it’s doable.
“Don’t you dare,” Lila warns with fear in her blue eyes. “It’s too narrow.”
The guy in the side lane slows down and I redline the RPMs, crank the wheel at the last second, and squeeze us over easily.
Lila huffs out a breath as she slumps back in the seat. “If I didn’t love you so much, I’d totally hate you.” She fusses with her blonde hair and wipes some smeared eyeliner out from underneath her eyes.
I continue dodging in and out of traffic until we reach the exit. Driving like this makes me feel alive and by the time we reach the club Micha is playing at, adrenaline is coursing through my body.
“This place looks sketchy.” Lila crinkles her nose at the warehouse nestled between Larry’s Biker Bar and The Adult Video Store. It’s late, and the stars and moon light up the dry leaves and cigarette butts on the asphalt.
“You said that about Star Grove too.” I kick open the door and step outside. “And you survived that place.”
She rolls her eyes as she climbs out of the car. “Star Grove doesn’t look nearly as bad as this place.”
We head across the parking lot, walking close to each other when a group of guys smoking behind a truck make catcalls.
“I still can’t believe Blake let me borrow his car.” I jump over a pothole. “If I owned a Mustang, I sure as hell wouldn’t lend it out to someone I barely knew, especially after I told him I like to race.”
“I told you it’s because he likes you.” She elbows me as we turn down the alley that leads to the front entrance of the club. “I have an eye for these things.”
“He has a girlfriend, Lila. And it seemed like they really love each other.” I sidestep a Dumpster and emerge onto the busy sidewalk. Cars drive up and down the road and bright graffiti decorates the metal exterior of the neighboring buildings.
Pausing in front of the entrance, I pull my hair out of the ponytail and it falls to my shoulders. Letting go of Lila’s arm, I quickly tie the lace of my boot, then unfasten two of the top buttons on my plaid shirt and smooth out the wrinkles on my denim skirt.
“Wow, I’ve never seen you this fussy before,” Lila comments as she refastens the ribbon lacing up the front of her maroon shirt. “It’s very entertaining.”
“I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel really nervous,” I admit, tousling my hair with my fingers.
“It’s because you love him.” Lila bats her eyelashes and I shove her gently. “Relax. It’s because you haven’t seen him for, like, a month. Honestly, I’m a little afraid to be in the same room as you two. You’ll probably have your clothes off and on the floor in a matter of seconds.”
Rolling my eyes, I enter the club where a bouncer with snake tattoos on his muscular arms and a scar on his lip blocks the path to the table area.
“IDs please.” His tone suggests we don’t have them.
Lila and I take our fake IDs out of our pockets and hand them to him. He evaluates them carefully and gives them back to us, stepping aside to let us through.
We walk into an open room filled with tables and chairs. The air is musty, the bar is crammed with people, and the music is loud, but the sound of the singer’s voice is more familiar than the beat of my heart.
“Aw, look at him up there all hot and sexy,” Lila says, but I barely hear her.
All of my concentration focuses on the stage near the far back wall. Beneath the low lighting, Micha sings one of his own songs, playing the guitar with his head tipped