week. I needed something to take the edge off.”
“Last week?” I shriek. “Have you been using this entire week?”
“It’s not as bad as you’re thinking.” He tries to downplay the situation.
“Are you high right now?”
“What, no.”
“Jace, tell me the truth. Are you high?”
It’s not always easy to tell. Sometimes he’s like a zombie who can barely keep his eyes open. Other times he’s like a Tasmanian devil, jumping so fast from one thing to the other that you can’t keep up with what the hell is going on. And then sometimes he’s insanely happy. Kind of like when a person gets a couple of drinks in them and is starting to feel good.
When he doesn’t say anything, he answers my question for me.
“Pull over,” I demand.
“What?” His gaze flips to me.
“Pull the truck over.”
“Stop acting crazy.”
“Jace, so help me god if you don’t pull this truck over…”
“I’m completely fine, Oakley. I wouldn’t have gotten behind the wheel if I wasn’t.”
“You’re not fine. You might think you are but you’re not. And I don’t want to be in this truck with you driving. Now pull over.”
“I’m not pulling over. You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
“Am I?” My voice shoots up an octave.
“Just relax, babe. Everything is good.”
“Do not babe me. I can’t believe you lied to me… again. I can’t believe you let me get in this truck with you. I can’t believe I keep letting you do this to me. Over and over again. Is it ever going to stop? Are you ever going to stop?”
“I’ve got it under control.” He tilts his head from side to side, cracking his neck.
“Do you? Because I don’t think you do. I think this whole time you’ve been showing me what I’ve wanted to see and not what’s actually going on. You treat me like I’m stupid. Like I can’t see past your charades.”
Before I realize what’s happening, he jerks the truck off the side of the road, slamming the breaks. The tires skid along the gravel that lies right beyond the pavement before he pulls the truck back up, doing a U-turn in the center of the road.
“Jace!” I brace against the door.
“You don’t want to go to the party, we won’t go to the party.” His nostrils flare, his mood shifting so fast I can barely keep up with the change.
“This isn’t about the party. It’s about you.”
Why can’t he see that I just want what’s best for him? That I just want to help him?
“It’s about me.” He laughs angrily. “You mean it’s about you trying to mother me.”
“What?” I draw back. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”
“This is why I never wanted you to find out about the drugs. Because ever since you did, everything has been different. You’re uptight. You worry constantly. And you try to police everything I fucking do. Well I’m sick of it. I’m a grown fucking man and I can do whatever the fuck I want.” With that, he slams the gas pedal, sending the truck lunging forward.
“Jace, slow down,” I plead, his behavior unpredictable and erratic. “You’re scaring me.”
It’s like he doesn’t hear me. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t react, he just presses forward, the truck engine protesting as he pushes it to its limits.
I grab the door, my heart pounding heavily against my ribs.
“Jace!” I try again, watching the dark fields pass by us in a blur.
In that moment, I realize I didn’t put my seatbelt back on. Grabbing the strap, I get it over my shoulder right as I feel the truck pull to one side. I don’t know what happens, or how it happens. But all I know is one minute we’re upright and the next I feel like I’m flying through the air.
The sound of glass breaking and metal crunching accosts my ears, then everything goes black…
Chapter Twenty-Four
JACE
* * *
“Hey man.” Mike slides up next to where I’m switching out an oil filter on a neon yellow Mustang.
I’ve been training with some of the mechanics doing basic maintenance, and while I wasn’t really sure if I’d be any good at working on cars, I’ve actually found it comes pretty naturally.
I spoke to Devin yesterday about the possibility of training to become a certified mechanic and he seemed enthusiastic by the prospect. He even offered to pay for my certification and gave me the number to call to set it up.
I didn’t necessarily envision this as my career path, but when you have the record I do, a