Page 46 of Liar
I tossed the bag into the small trash can hidden under the vanity, and I leaned on the counter, letting out a ragged sigh. My skin felt itchy, my nerves jittery. Who the fuck was it, leaving me shit like that? My old contacts only brought me shit after I sent payment, and I hadn’t given them a second thought lately. Everyone who used to come to my parties had found out over these last few weeks that I was no longer into that scene, unless they were trying to drag me back to it? Unless they wanted me back to my old ways?
My eyes met with my reflection, and my face hardened at the thought.
Well, at the new thought accompanying that one.
What if wasn’t one of my old ‘friends?’ What if it was someone closer to home? Travis had proven he was capable of getting between Ash and me, so what if this was his game again? What if he wanted me to fail? I wouldn’t put it past him.
Actually, I wouldn’t put it past any of them. I’d hurt Declan a lot this past year. For him to want me to fail wasn’t so crazy. And Will? Everyone knew Will wasn’t my biggest fan.
Each and every one of them had a reason to want to see me crash and burn when it came to Ash, and as I realized this, my shaky nerves hardened to steel. My mouth thinned into a line, my reflection glowering. I swore to myself, right then and there, that I would not fail. I would not fall. Regardless of who tempted me, regardless of who wanted to see me lose Ash forever, I wasn’t going to let it happen.
Fuck them. Fuck them all. The only one that mattered was Ash.
I’d play nice, until I knew who tried to set me up. Once I figured it out, they’d be so fucking dead.
I spent the next hour getting ready, trying to cool down. I had to pick up Ash soon, and I had to make sure I wasn’t freaking out or letting my rage get the best of me. Ash was the only innocent one in this—I knew she’d never do something like that. She might chain me to my own bed and dye my hair an ungodly electric pink, but to place a baggie of pills in front of me was another level of twisted.
Hair dyeing was a prank. Pills were serious.
When it was time to pick her up, I texted Ash I was on my way. The weather was a bit cool out, fucking winter, so I had to throw on a jacket before heading to my car. All the while, I kept tossing looks everywhere. Even while I was driving, I paid extra attention to the sidewalks and roads around me.
I didn’t see anyone out of the ordinary, and if it was one of Ash’s current boyfriends, they’d probably be wearing a disguise or something. They all knew I had a date with her; one of them wanted me to fuck up.
And if it wasn’t one of them, I honestly had no idea who the hell it could’ve been. As a dealer, you didn’t just drop off pills. You didn’t give product without payment. No, the pills had an ulterior motive here, and I refused to fall prey to it.
Within minutes, I was pulling into the turnaround in front of Ash’s dorm. I didn’t need to text her again, because she was already outside, waiting. Ash got in my car with no hesitation, and she immediately tossed me a smile as she buckled her seatbelt. Even though she wore her holiest pair of jeans and what had to be her oldest hoodie, she looked amazing.
I supposed if anyone could pull off that style, it was her.
“Don’t you look handsome,” Ash muttered, eyeing me up.
I knew I did. I also put on a bit of cologne, going all out for this little date. If Ash was an insect, I wanted her in my web. I wanted to weave a web so tightly around her she’d never be able to leave.
“I would say you look good, but, you know,” I spoke, shrugging.
She blinked. “Are you insulting me, Sawyer? I will get out of this car—” At her words, I locked the doors and started driving.
“It’s fine,” I told her, glancing both ways before making a left from the turnaround. I had a special destination planned for us before our movie. It wasn’t a normal place for me, but I knew she’d love it. It wasn’t that far from where we were now, actually. “It just means I won’t feel bad when I tear those clothes off you later.”
Ash let out a laugh. “Sorry to inform you, but we aren’t having sex tonight.”
Hey, a guy could hope. I tossed her a grin that was probably halfway to sleazy. “Nothing’s off the table when it comes to you.” Fuck, I hoped whoever had dropped those pills off was watching this entire date. I hoped I proved him wrong.
I could be good for Ash. I would do anything for her, for God’s sakes. I went to rehab for her, not for myself. Not for my family and their threat that I’d be cut off from the Salvatore coin purse.
“When you see where I’m taking you for dinner, I think you’ll change your tune.” Ash scoffed at me, but the moment I pulled into the parking lot of the local McDonald’s, I couldn’t help but chuckle at her expression.
“You told me to dress nicely for McDonald’s?”
We got out of the car. Above us, the sky darkened with each passing minute, a sign that night would arrive soon. Even if she pretended to be miffed and annoyed with me, Ash skipped to the door, tossing me a look over her shoulder.
“You are buying me like a thousand chicken nuggets,” she declared, walking in. She didn’t even hold the door open for me.
Rude.
God, I didn’t know what it was about her, why she was like catnip to me, but she was. Every little thing she did. I supposed that was the thing about love sometimes: when faced with someone demanding an explanation, you could give none. It just was. My feelings for her simply were; there was no changing it.
“I never offered to pay,” I said as we entered the fast-food chain, earning myself an annoyed look from her. We had to wait in line for a while, before we were up next to order. Ash still glared at me, and I relented, waving at the cashier, “Fine, fine. Order a thousand chicken nuggets if you want.”
