Page 27 of Devil Inside: Green

While we wait for Carter’s report on the camper vans registered in the US, I continue our drive to Paris, Texas. It’s a town in east Texas of only about 25,000 people. More importantly, it’s the town where my sister lives with her father and his family. The long drive back to Texas takes far less time now with Green in the car with me and knowing that I get to see my sister soon.

And as the scenery flies by, I swear he has the ability to read my mind, what with the way he says, “Tell me more about your sister. Misty, right?” I nod and he reaches over to hold my hand.

“She’s smart and sassy. Of the two of us, she’s the prettier one.”

“I doubt that’s possible,” he mutters, and seriously, my heart melts.

“She’sa cheerleader.”

Both of us start laughing.

“What did you do, you know, before?” he asks.

I narrow my eyes not understanding. “Do?”

“Yeah, for fun. Already know what you do for a living.”

“Went out with friends sometimes. Mom, Misty, and I went to the movies a lot, or we’d go out to dinner on the nights we were all home. Normal things, I guess. What did you do?”

He shakes his head, snickering. “Drinking, fucking, riding, hanging with my brothers, and working.”

“I can see how that might be appealing to you. I’m not a huge drinker. I don’t like feeling out of control—but I’ve had sex with you, so I can understand the women lining up to take their turn.”

“Woman,” he says, and the sound of it feels serious.

“Woman, what?”

“I don’t want you thinking—”

“That you had a life before you met me?” I ask. “Because I know you did. Trust me, Green. I’m not that insecure.”

“Babe, I didn’t mean—”

This time I cut him off to move the conversation along. “I’ve never been on a bike.”

“Shit—seriously?”

I nod. “Never. Do you think—”

“Soon as I get my license back, you’re on my bike, Preppy. We’ll head up into the canyon. Set up camp. We’ll ride and spend the nights fucking under the stars.”

“That sounds amazing.”

“Yeah?” he asks. What? Even cheerleaders go camping.

“You didn’t expect me to want that?”

He shrugs. “The closest to camping Del ever got was staying in a three-star hotel with only an outside swimming pool.”

“Well, I’m not Dela.” What else is there to say? I’m not. I’ll never be. I hope that’s okay with him.

“I know that, babe. Not comparing you or any of that shit—just pleasantly surprised when I find out that you like the same things I do. Sometimes opposites attract. That was me and Dela. We liked different things, but we worked.”

“And you and me?”

“Dela was hard. Even when she was being soft, there was still this hardness to her. Life did that. It was her way of protecting herself—”

I get that, but that’s not me. That’s Dela.

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