The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play #1) - B.B. Reid Page 0,26
men in America!” That bit of news earned a few snickers from the crowd. “This model before you, ladies and gentlemen, is newer and my guess is she doesn’t have as many miles, so I’ll start the bidding at nineteen thousand and one.”
“I’ll take her,” someone shouted.
My breaths came hard and fast as bid after bid was shouted. The room became a blur. My ears rang. The blood in my veins boiled. I hadn’t realized I was moving until the mohawk was falling and the last of the broken bottle of Jameson fell from my hand.
No, no, no! What did I do?
The pounding of my heart drowned out the sound of their gasps and curses, but I could feel their gaping stares. And worst of all my tears didn’t fall until I turned and saw Ever standing there.
“Jesus, fuck,” Vaughn whispered as he stared wide-eyed at his friend passed out on the floor. Ever, however, only had eyes for me. I could only cry harder when I saw the regret on his face. He did this. A whimper escaped my throat before I pushed past him and ran from the room.
I furiously dumped my backpack before stuffing some clothes and all the cash I had inside. Fuck the game and fuck Ever. If Rosalyn wanted these people, she could have them. I was done. All I needed was a car.
I rushed through the bathroom and found my first fortune of the night. The door leading to Ever’s room was unlocked. I used the light from the bathroom to search his room and found what I needed on his nightstand. I didn’t stop to consider if the grand theft of a ninety-thousand-dollar car would only make matters worse. Snagging the keys, I rushed back through the bathroom and didn’t bother looking back. The only thing I’d regret leaving behind were my helmets I’d worked so hard to collect, but they were just things, and at least I’d be leaving a part of me behind for Rosalyn. If she even wanted it.
The hush as I descended the stairs unnerved me. People talked and whispered amongst themselves as they poured from the house. No one noticed me slip into the garage. I hopped in the Range, and with a pocket full of cash, I left Blackwood Keep and swore to never look back.
I FOUND THAT I MISSED the smell most of all. It smelled like home. I caught the rag Gruff threw me, and I wiped the oil from my hands.
“You ready to tell me why you’re back in Cherry?”
“I told you. I was homesick.”
“Showing up on my doorstep first thing in a fancy truck that ain’t yours and a sad little backpack tells me you left in a hurry. Then there’s the river I heard you crying in my spare this morning.”
I sighed, knowing he wouldn’t let it go until I gave him answers. “Blackwood Keep chewed me up and spat me out. I can’t go back.”
Gruff shook his head in disappointment. “You know you can’t face your problems running away.”
“I don’t want to face them. I want to forget them.”
“That’s coward’s talk,” he spat.
Little did he know that I was okay with being a coward if it meant not having to face Ever again.
The next morning, I arrived at the shop and found Thomas having coffee with Gruff.
He took one look at me and said, “It’s time to come home, Four.”
“I am home,” I retorted with my arms crossed.
“You don’t think you’re being a little selfish? Your mother is worried sick.”
“Then why isn’t she here?”
“She’s been ordered to stay in bed. My doctor had to sedate her when I told her you ran away.”
“I—I didn’t mean to—to…” I let the words die and sighed. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t going back.
“Why did you run?”
“You should ask your son.” I tried to keep my voice level and failed when the vision of his friend bleeding from his skull flashed in my head.
“He’s had his hands full. Apparently, Daniel Kim slipped and hit his head at the party.” Thomas took a deep breath and exhaled. “What did Ever do?”
I didn’t know how to answer that since Ever hadn’t ratted me out to our parents. It didn’t mean I owed him a damn thing, but if he decided to talk, I wouldn’t just have Thomas and Rosalyn to deal with.
“Nothing. I just saw an opportunity and took it.”
“You’re saying that kid needing a few stitches isn’t the reason you ran away?”