Page 12 of Sweet Ruin

The arrival of the weekend also meant it was time for my driving lesson. I was beginning to dread my Saturday mornings. Despite the handful of lessons I’d had so far with my instructor, I felt like my driving confidence was only plummeting lower. Today was no exception, and my lesson had been another disaster. I hadn’t even pulled the car out of the parking space.

I’d been far too nervous as the parking lot was so busy. There seemed to be a constant stream of cars coming and going or people walking through the lot. There was a minibus parked awkwardly in front of one building taking up half the road, and a couple of guys were standing in the middle of the tarmac throwing a football. How was I supposed to feel confident I wouldn’t get into an accident when the place was crawling with hazards?

My poor instructor had spent the entire lesson trying to encourage me to take the car out of park. Whatever my father was paying the man, he probably needed to double it. He had the patience of a saint.

After my lesson, I walked from my car, trying my best not to cry. I didn’t know why I freaked out so much when I tried to drive. It’s not like my accident had been bad. My mom’s car had barely been dented, and I’d thankfully missed the dog that had run out in front of me. But for some reason, my mind always jumbled and my whole body tensed whenever I fastened my seat belt and placed my hands on the wheel.

My spirits lifted slightly when I saw Wes at the far end of the parking lot standing by the minibus that had contributed to my terrible driving lesson. He was with the rest of the rowing team who had a regatta at another school that weekend. They were preparing to leave, and it looked like I was just in time to see him off.

When he saw me approaching, he tossed the bag he was carrying into the luggage hold and walked over to meet me.

“Hey, how was the lesson?”

“It was awful.”

“That bad?”

“I didn’t even take the handbrake off.”

He drew me in for a hug and gently rubbed my arm. “I’m sure you’ll do better next time. You just need more practice.”

“Yeah, maybe.” It was hard not to be disheartened though. Especially when it already felt like I was getting worse with each lesson. I didn’t really want to keep talking about it though. Not when Wes was going to be gone all weekend. I stepped out of his grasp and attempted to sound a little more positive. “Are you ready for the regatta?”

“Yeah, the bus is about to leave.”

“I can’t believe you’ll be gone all weekend.”

“I know. I’m going to miss you.”

“Yeah, me too. I guess it gives me a chance to catch up on some homework."

“Are you calling me a bad influence?” He grinned.

“Maybe.”

“I’m crushed.” He held a hand to his chest but was still smiling. “Well, I’ll be back to influencing you badly tomorrow night.”

“Thank goodness.”

The minibus rumbled to life, and Wes glanced over his shoulder. “I should probably get going.”

I somehow managed to force out a smile even though I didn’t want him to leave. “Good luck with your race.”

“Thanks.” He leaned down to brush a quick kiss against my lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“See you then.”

He returned to his teammates, who were still loading bags into the luggage hold. I sighed as I watched him go. He would only be gone for one night, but I was going to miss having Wes around. Especially when my weekend had already started terribly.

I turned to leave but paused when I saw Noah on the path behind me. He was waiting by the curb, a large backpack slung over his shoulder as he stared out at the parking lot. He was close enough he easily could have overheard my conversation with Wes. But since he wasn’t focused on me, I hoped that meant he hadn’t been listening.

I straightened my spine as I went to walk past him. I didn’t want to be within a hundred feet of the guy, but I wasn’t going to go out of my way just to avoid him—I refused to let him have that power over me.

I assumed he wouldn’t even acknowledge my presence seeing as that seemed to be his mission in life at the moment. But as I approached, he glanced at me and smirked. The sight of that knowing smile on his lips made me shudder with agitation. I had no idea what had prompted his gloating look, and I didn’t want to know. Well, rather, Ishouldn’twant to know.

I was supposed to be taking the high road where Noah was concerned. So, I tried my best to pretend I hadn’t noticed him. To act like my anger toward him wasn’t bubbling just under my skin. But the closer I got to him, the more I found myself tormented by his stupid smile and questioning what had prompted it when he usually seemed so set on ignoring me.

I was about to walk past him. I was almost free. But as I thought about the relief I’d feel once I was far away from him, I realized it would only be short-lived. I was probably going to be thinking about what Noah’s stupid smirk meant all weekend.

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