Page 53 of The Wrong Drive-
She holds my gaze, hurt penetrating every inch of her face. “Okay. Well, it wouldn’t have had service anyway.” She slips pastme, heading to the bedroom. As soon as she enters, she starts sifting through her bag, digging out her purse and wallet. “I’m going to make some coffee before I go.” Em slings her purse across her body and then heads to the kitchen, leaving me there in the bedroom.
I can’t handle this. I’ll snap. I’ll hurt someone. I’ll hurt her in one way or another.The defeat hangs heavy on my shoulders.I know I told her I would be good, and maybe Icanbe good in a secure, controlled environment right now—but handling a hunt for a dead guy in my backyard? Meeting her family and trying to be normal? I’ll never fucking make it. I’m not ready for that. I don’t know how long it would take for me tobeready…
Or if I’d ever be ready.
I swallow the lump in my throat as I exit the room, the scent of coffee hitting me in the face. No matter how much I want Em, no matter how hard I promise to change, Ican’tbe there for her.
And that’s the ultimate sin.
Chapter 24
Emersyn
My heart poundsin my chest as I take the last sip of my coffee. Turner has gone silent, leaning against the counter watching me. I don’t care that he had a phone and didn’t tell me. I don’t care that he killed Adam. I don’t care that he might be borderline insane with violent urges. I don’t even care if I have to deliver warm bodies for him to fulfill his taste for violence.
I. Don’t. Care.
“Thanks for being an alibi,” Turner says quietly. “You didn’t have to. You could’ve told him the entire truth, and I wouldn’t have been mad at you.”
Furrowing my brow, I set the mug down. “What did you want me to do? Turn you in? They’d put you in prison for the rest of your life, Turner.”
He throws his hands up at me. “Have youeverconsidered thatmaybethat’s where I belong? I mean, there’s only so much someone could do, and I bet if Tommy knew?—”
I swallow hard and cut him off. “I don’t think he would change his mind.”
“I’m a danger to society.” He takes a step toward me. “There’s no coming back from that.”
“There is,” I argue with him. “I know the police officer showing up was overwhelming, but it doesn’t change what’s happened between us. I don’t feel any different about you.”
“Fuck, Em,” he grabs me, pulling me into his chest, and wrapping me up in a hug. He presses his lips to the top of my head. “Why are you such an angel, huh?”
“I’m really not,” I laugh, tipping my head back to peer up at him.
He smiles, leaning down and taking my mouth with his. He kisses me, long and deep, taking his sweet time to canvas my mouth. I grip the back of his neck as he tightens his hands on my waist.
When we finally come up for air, he presses one last kiss to my forehead and then releases me. “You should probably get going. The last thing you want to do is raise some kind of suspicion now that your truck is out, and someone knows.”
I hesitate. “Yeah, well, I just need to get a phone, and then I can come back. I had service when I was pulling up in the driveway.”
“Yeah, you can get service in some places, but it’s really spotty,” Turner says carefully, eyeing me. “Hopefully, somewhere is open today.”
“I’m sure there’s somewhere that is,” I reassure him, patting his chest. “I’ll figure something out.”
He rests his hand over mine, intertwining his fingers with mine, before pulling it away from my chest. “You’re a good person, Emersyn.”
I nod slowly, my heart skipping a beat. “Yeah, well, I think that’s actually debatable at this point, but thanks.” I laugh it off and give Gunner a pat on the head as I make my way to the front door.
He chuckles, dropping my hand to open the front door for me. I step out, the sunshine glistening on the snow thathasn’t been cleared. It’s surreal seeing my truck parked about a hundred feet from the house, just inside of where the yard ends and the thick trees begin. My mind flashes back to the beginning—to when I first got stuck in the driveway.
I glance back at Turner, who closes the door behind us. Part of me wonders how such a small event, turning into the wrong drive, made such a massive alteration in my course of life. Did it do the same for him? Will it be enough to pull him from the pits of his mind’s brokenness?
“You okay?” Turner furrows his brow.
“Yeah,” I nod quickly, scrambling down the steps. “I was just thinking that I’ll miss you while I’m gone.” I know it’s not the whole truth, but Iwillmiss him when I’m gone, and I’ll be worried about his wellbeing, too—even if it’s just a trip to town to find a freaking phone and get the situation under control.
I walk out to my truck, and he follows, our boots crunching in the snow. He opens the driver’s side door for me, and I kick the snow off my shoes on the running boards. I climb inside and grab for the keys, sitting in the cupholder. I swipe them up and attempt to start it. It roars to life immediately, like it hasn’t been buried in a blizzard for nearly two weeks. I open my mouth to say something, but Turner beats me to it.
“Go ahead and back down the drive. It shouldn’t give you any trouble. I’ll meet you down there.”
