“Okay, so Emerson is going to drop me off after we’re finished, and I’ll text you when we’re on the way,” Celeste says after school.
I press my lips together, knowing that I can’t and shouldn’t stop her, but still feeling like I need to protect her. “Okay,” I finally say, trying to force myself to relax.
She goes up on her tiptoes, and I lean down to meet her lips. “I’ll be fine,” she tells me and pats my chest to soothe me.
It works, at least for now. “Have fun,” I say, and I do mean the words. I want her to have fun and be happy. I just need to know she’s safe.
“Don’t worry, I got your girl,” Emerson calls out as he throws his arm over Celeste’s shoulder, and they walk to his Jeep.
For a long minute I contemplate following them and sitting outside the diner until they’re finished. But that wouldn’t make Celeste happy, and that’s always my first priority.
When I look around the parking lot, I see it’s mostly empty except for a few cars. The black sedan a few spaces down is the first one I spot, mostly because I see Shy leaning up against it. We’ve never been friendly, but I wouldn’t say we’re hostile either. He keeps to his side of the school, and I keep to mine. Sometimes I catch him looking at me, and I wonder what it is he sees. There’s something about him that nags at the back of my mind, but instead of trying to figure it out, I keep my distance.
Looks like that’s about to change as he pushes away from his car and walks toward mine. I toss my bag into the passenger side and go around to the driver’s door. Leaning up against it, I wait for Shy to come over and say whatever it is he needs to say.
“How’s Amber?” I spit out, trying and failing to keep the venom out of my voice.
There’s something that passes over Shy’s eyes, and it looks like sadness. Just as quickly as it appears, it’s gone, and he looks at me seriously. “You of all people shouldn’t believe the rumors you hear.”
“Is that what you want to talk about? You’ve come to tell me you weren’t fucking Amber? Good, thanks for the info.”
“Amber has had issues with her mental health for a long time.”
“No shit.” There’s so much anger in my voice it causes Shy to flinch. It’s on the tip of my tongue to apologize, but she tried to kill Celeste, and that is unforgivable.
“You can think whatever the fuck you want to about her, about me, it doesn’t matter.”
“What do you want, Shy?” This conversation is going nowhere.
“I’ve kept my distance from you, but I won’t have you ruin someone as innocent as Celeste.”
What the fuck? “Why are you telling me this? You sound like you have a say in my life.”
“I have a say in who hears the truth about you.” The sharpness in his eyes has something in my stomach churning.
“I don’t know what the fuck you think you know about me, but whatever it is, it’s bullshit.” I push away from my car and go to get in it. “You and Amber can ride the crazy train together.”
A hand comes out and pushes on my car door so it can’t open. “You don't deserve to know Amber’s business, and it’s not my place to air all her secrets. But what I can tell you is her life wasn’t nearly as charmed as yours, Crew.” His words are venomous, and I feel my anger rise. “All you’d have to do is spend five minutes with her dad to understand why she went off the deep end.”
Quickly I run through my memories of her parents and if I’ve ever had a conversation with them. Of course I know them; her dad is a state senator, but we never had any interaction.
“I was a friend to her when she didn’t have anyone else, no more, no less.” He moves his hand off the door, but I don’t make a move to open it again. “She’s not why I’m here.”
“Then get to the point,” I snap, already angry with myself that I've let it go on this long.
“Your dad might run this island, but he treats the people here like garbage.”
My hackles rise. My dad has done nothing but make this place better and raise money for charity. He’s always going out of his way to help people and raise awareness that there is a problem.
“All right, I’m done. I’m not going to sit here and listen to you trash my father just because you don’t have one.”
The fist that comes at me is so unexpected, and with my arm in the sling I can’t block it. Shy’s knuckles connect with my cheek, and it burns as my head is flung back. He must have popped my lip too, because when I straighten myself, I taste blood. I turn to him feeling murderous, and suddenly I don’t give a fuck how many broken bones I have. I’m going to tear him apart.