as Lucas’ head falls backwards and he stumbles into a nearby fence. Slade leaps at him and I scream, rushing after him.
“SLADE! LUCAS!”
Slade drives a fist into Lucas’ face again and blood spurts out of his nose. I leap forward, trying desperately to stop them. I grip Slade’s arm but he just shakes me off and drives another punch. Shit, this is getting bad, fast.
“STOP!” I cry.
Lucas manages a hit and Slade’s head swings to the side.
“You don’t deserve her, you’re nothing but gutter trash!” Lucas growls.
“She doesn’t want you, get over it and move on. Are you so pathetic that you can’t take a hint? Face it, mate, it wasn’t you that she was just moaning for.” Slade spits.
I reach down and grip Slade’s arm just as Lucas’ blindly swings. His fist connects with my jaw and I stumble backwards with a scream. Both men stop fighting and stare over at me, both have blood trickling from their noses and lips. I grasp my face in shock. I know Lucas didn’t mean that, and by the look on his face he’s shocked.
“Dash…oh god,” he begins.
“You know what,” I hiss. “Kill each other, I’m done.”
I turn and rush off, pulling my phone from my bag. I dial the one person I know will help me.
“Payton, can you come and get me?”
Chapter Twenty Five
I run a good three blocks before stopping and waiting at a bus stop. I quickly text Payton my location. She arrives about fifteen minutes later, just as Slade’s car screeches to a halt behind hers. They both jump out. She looks over at Slade’s bleeding lip and frowns. Then she turns to me and her mouth drops open.
“You…you…fucking bastard!” she screams.
“He didn’t do it,” I whisper.
“You have a black eye!”
She rushes over and drops down in front of me, taking my face in her hands and turning my face from side to side.
“It’s ok Pay,” I whisper.
“What happened?” she barks at Slade.
Slade is looking down at me and I dare to peer up and meet his eyes. I can’t read the emotion there, so much is going on in those eyes right now. He stares at me so painfully it causes an instant burn in my chest. He walks over and kneels in front of me, taking my chin in his hand.
“You ok?”
“I just…I need to be alone Slade.”
“Dash, I’m sorry…for what happened back there.”
“What happened?” Payton cries, throwing her hands up.
Slade doesn’t look at her, he keeps his eyes on mine.
“I’ll stay with dad tonight, ok?”
I nod weakly. He leans in, kisses my head and then stands. He looks over at Payton. “Take care of her,” he says then turns back to me. “I meant everything I said back there Dash, everything.”
Then he gets into his car and speeds off. Payton helps me up and she tucks me into the front seat of her car. I peer down the empty street and wonder where Lucas is. I wonder if he’s ok? I wonder if I should go and look for him? Payton gets into the front of the car and looks over at me, she reaches out to squeeze my hand.
“Are you ok honey?”
I nod, swallowing. “Can we just drive a while before I go home?”
“Sure.”
We begin driving and for the first twenty minutes I’m quiet and Payton doesn’t push. Then I begin speaking.
“It was my dad’s fault.”
“What was?” she asks, not moving her eyes from the road.
“My mother’s death. It was his fault.”
“I don’t…understand…”
“Slade’s father told me tonight that Slade caused the accident. After he left the party that night, he was drinking and driving and caused a lineup on the highway. My dad was coming home and…well…he slammed into the back of the cars and my mother’s head went into the dashboard. It killed her instantly. He was speeding and he was drunk. He blamed Slade and Slade took the blame, he said he got charged for drink driving. I get the feeling it’s why he went away for two years and I didn’t see much of him in the racing world in that time. He wouldn’t have had a license. Anyway, my father got away with it. All along…all along he warned me against Slade because he knew…”
“Oh Dash, I’m so sorry.”
“I can’t face him Payton, I don’t even know what I would say.”
“Take a few days, time always helps.”
“I can’t believe…I can’t believe it was always him.”
“You know he made a mistake Dash, your dad loved your mum.”
“I know that, I do,