Tate was at ease and happy, and a smile played at the corner of her lips. Smiling. In my presence.

Again, a weight descended on my shoulders, and I felt bad for everything I’d done to her. To her and to me.

“You’re smiling,” I said, wishing she’d stop and hoping she never would. I wanted to make her smile, and I hated being reminded that she never did. “Don’t ruin this for me by talking, please.”

Fair enough.

I cleared my throat. “So, your dad taught us both how to drive sticks, and the Bronco is a manual, so I’m assuming you don’t have any questions about that part, right?”

“None.” Her eyes stayed forward. She seemed half engaged with what I was saying and half mesmerized by the feel of the car. Her fingers tapped and her eyes fell everywhere around her.

I gave her a rundown of what to do, when to slow down, and how to turn, but she only responded with nods.

Zack came in front of the cars, probably because the female drivers wouldn’t be interested in Devon Peterson shaking her ass at them, and that’s when my heart dropped into my stomach.

Shit!

Tate reached out and touched the fossil necklace. Her necklace, meant for her mother, that I had stolen and kept all these years.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Blood pumped through my ears, and it took everything to keep my voice steady and calm. I’d forgotten it was still there.

“Good luck charm,” I explained, fastening my seatbelt and averting my eyes. “I took it a couple of days after you left it there. I thought it would be stolen or ruined. Kind of had it with me ever since.”

But what was worse than her knowing I had kept it all these years was the knowledge that she’d want it back. I had no right to keep it, after all.

Dropping her hand, I saw her stare out the driver’s side window in silence. What was she thinking? I wanted to know, but I’d never ask.

“Are. We. Ready?” Zack’s voice startled me back to reality, and Tate snapped her head back to the front.

I reached out and found Waking the Demon by Bullet for My Valentine on my iPod and turned it up.

Noise, activity, distraction.

Date: 2015-02-16; view: 656