They all piled in, Ethan in the driver’s seat and the others in the back. It looked like a tight fit back there, and sure, I could have offered to sit in the middle, but why would I do that?
The jackasses took my keys.
Never mind that I probably was too shaken to drive.
It would have been nice to be asked.
Ethan backed out of the parking space, almost hitting the police tape that’d been strung up, and turned out of the parking lot.
I almost dug my phone out of my purse, but I honestly didn’t want to explain what’d happened tonight. Noah and Preston would do that, and I’d answer the questions tomorrow.
There were no cars on the road, so our trip was fast. Ethan drove first to Halley’s house to drop off Preston, then to Reagan’s, where she and Poosh were both waiting for Noah. Leo only lived a couple of blocks from Reagan’s apartment, and he leaned forward and kissed the side of my head in goodbye before he got out of the car.
Then, we were alone.
It was at least a five-minute drive back to my—our—apartment. The air in the car was tense, and I shifted uncomfortably in the seat to look out of the window.
“You okay?”
“Fine.” My tone was clipped, and guilt immediately took hold. “Sorry. I’m tired.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s been a long night.” He hit the stick for the blinker, and the clicking filled the car in the ensuing silence.
I swallowed.
I was a hot mess inside. I was tired yet wide awake. My brain was running like a well-oiled engine, turning over and over the events of tonight, but like the stupid-ass woman I was, the thing it came back to was the moment I was sandwiched between Preston and Ethan.
I couldn’t care less about Preston. I wasn’t attracted to him in the slightest, despite a fleeting thirteen-year-old crush. Twenty-five-year-old me was far more mature.
As evidenced by the fact I couldn’t look Ethan in the eye, lest I snuggle myself up against his side again.
Jesus, a woman could have died tonight, and all I could think about was how it felt to have his arm around my shoulders.
This was fucked up.
I was fucked up.
I needed a vacation. Or to move. Or to tell him to move, as had been my plan in the first place.
Tomorrow.
I’d do it tomorrow.
Yup. That was my story, and I was going to stick to it.
Tomorrow.
Jesus, if I said that again, I’d break into song like Annie.
Ethan pulled into the designated parking spot outside of the apartment building. As soon as we got out, he handed me back my keys. I locked the car and immediately rushed inside, taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
He waited for it, but I beat him to the apartment. By the time he joined me, I’d dumped my purse on the sofa and was heading for the bathroom.
I paused and turned around, my hair flicking over my shoulders. “If I see that hedgehog in the living room when I wake up tomorrow, you’ll be the one needing an ambulance.”
Then, I locked myself inside the room and turned the water up to the hottest temperature I could bear.
***
HALLEY: OMG ARE YOU OKAY??
REAGAN: Noah told me what happened. Do you know????
HALLEY: AVA, WAKE UP
REAGAN: SERIOUSLY, WAKE UP NOW
HALLEY: Goddamn her night owl ways.
REAGAN: We aren’t all morning people, Little Miss Up And At ‘Em.
HALLEY: I’m sorry for being someone who likes to get stuff done early.
REAGAN: I’m surprised you’re not going to run for President. You’d start and finish a war before breakfast.
HALLEY: You’d be the first sacrifice.
It was too early for their shit.
Way, way too early.
ME: I’m fine, thanks for considering your upcoming takeover of the USA before you let me wake up.
I grabbed my phone and stumbled into the kitchen. My first stop was the coffee machine. Just because Halley was a morning person and liked to have me get up and run at seven-thirty didn’t mean I was one myself.
I was more of a roll out of bed, throw on some clothes, drink a liter of coffee, and hope I didn’t murder anyone kind of person.
The coffee machine was like a comfort blanket as it whirred to life, but the blinking of my phone distracted me from my morning best friend.
REAGAN: Well, it’s about time.
ME: It’s nine-fifteen. You’re acting like it’s three in the afternoon.
HALLEY: I’ve already done laundry, gone for a run, and opened the library.
ME: Nobody likes a bragger, Halley.
REAGAN: At least we know who’s going to die first when the zombies attack.
HALLEY: You two, because I’ll be one in an underground bunker with enough canned food to last three years.
ME: Screw that, I’ll join them. Then take you both with me. #BFFs
HALLEY: Stop hashtagging in texts.
REAGAN: OH, SHIT, HERE COMES THE HASHTAGS. #TeamZombie #ZombieQueenAva #SayNoToCannedFood #ZombiesDigToo #WeWantBrains #WeAreComingForYou