Page 96 of Even in the Dark

“I’m not. Just telling this douche-face to take a hike.”

“No.”

He’s still glancing around, scouting out a guy whose appearance he knows nothing about. “Fine. I’m coming up, then.”

“Please don’t! That’ll draw attention up here. Just… I’m sure in a few minutes he’ll move from front and center of the beach and I’ll have a few minutes to come down.”

There’s a pause before Dylan responds. “You’re doing it again—letting him control you.”

And it annoys me. I don’t need him pointing that out right now. I just want him to spend a few minutes talking on thephone, distracting me. Help bring down the nerves knotting in my chest.

“I know that,” I say, the words clipped and irritated. “But I’m allowed to not want to see him.”

There’s a long silence before he finally says, “Yeah. You are.” Another long pause. And then, “…Sorry.” He says that last word so softly, I barely hear it.

“Hey, maybe we should sic your army of fan-girls on him,” I joke.

He makes this huffing sound that’s close to a laugh. “Do it.”

Then I hear it through his phone—a guy calling out over the music, “Hey Beaumont! Grab me another beer from that cooler, man!”

Dylan’s head snaps towards the direction the voice came from.

My grip tightens around the phone. “Dylan! Don’t—”

But he’s already hung up. Stalking straight towards Carter, who is standing beside a huge cooler, giving someone a thumbs-up sign and leaning down to grab a beer. All but identifying himself with a giant neon checkmark, so Dylan knows exactly which one he is.

Crap.I jump to my feet.

Crap.Crap.Crap.

I make my way down the slope. Not running, but definitely a fast walk. Dylan’s right up in Carter’s face by the time I get down, and Carter is glancing around, looking confused. People are already staring. Everything Dylan does besides sit quietly causes people to stare. And even then, a lot of people still do. Only right now, he looks pissed. The most emotion anyone here has probably ever seen from the infamous Maytag Kid. He’s totally drawing attention to himself.

“You need to leave.” He pushes Carter back with a hand against his chest.

Carter smacks it away. “Do I know you?”

I’m almost at the end of the rocky ledge along the bottom of the slope, only a few feet away, when Dylan shoves him again.

“What the hell is your problem, bro?” Carter shoves him back with both hands.

Dylan’s only got one functioning hand since the other one is in that stupid cast.

This is so bad.

I finally reach them. “Dylan!” I grab his left arm. “Don’t!”

He shakes me off. “This asshole was just leaving,” he says, motioning at Carter, whose eyes widen when he notices me.

His mouth stretches into that smile that might not look smarmy, but definitelyfeelssmarmy. “Scarlett! Hey! How are you?” He steps toward me, arm extended for a hug.

He steps in for a freakin’hug.

I take a step back. “Fine.” I turn back to Dylan. “Let’s go.”

“We’re not going. He is.”

I want to remind Dylan he doesn’t even want to be here—that his stepmother had to force him to come. Instead, I lean in close to his ear. “Seriously, Dylan. Back off. This is not your fight.”

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