Did I Mention I Love You?

So screw whatever the hell anyone else thinks about you or your decisions. If you’re gay, then hell yeah, embrace that shit! If you want to start up your own paint store, then start up your own goddamn paint store. Stop holding back from being you.

reasons for wanting to get nine hundred miles away from Portland.
So, I am not particularly

Who the hell is this chick?”

bite the bullet

Rachael paces back and forth across the room, checking her nails every few seconds. I can’t blame her. “I’ll take historic photo albums any day over bingo.”

“I’ll take either over throwing up,” Meghan comments from Tiffani’s side. Thankfully, she’s a little shyer than Rachael and Tiffani, so I’m not the only one barely offering input to the conversation. “My insides feel like acid.”

“At least you’re feeling better in time for your birthday,” Tiffani says. Side by side, she and Meghan have their technicians filing away at their nails. Tiffani throws a glance at Meghan. “Are you throwing a party?”

A frown grows on Meg’s lips, and she shrugs. “You know how strict my parents are.”

“Oh my God, Meghan!” Rachael explodes, halting mid-pace and throwing her hands up into the air ecstatically. “I have a free house on Saturday night; you can have a party at my place!”

“Another party?” I murmur, but luckily none of them hear me. I’ve been here for just over a week and already I’ve been to two of these trashy parties where unlimited booze, drugs and sex seem to be a general theme. I’m just not that into them.

“Are you sure?” Meghan looks at her from over her shoulder. She looks doubtful and a little guilty, and I can understand why. Rachael’s risking her house getting trashed.

Rachael rolls her eyes. “Obviously, Meg. It’s no problem. Let’s do it.”

“I’ll get Tyler to spread the word,” Tiffani offers, and when she mentions his name something flutters in my stomach. I wonder what he’s doing right now.

“Tell him not to invite Declan’s crowd,” Rachael says, and she shoots Tiffani a firm look. “

You’re an ass,” I mutter, gripping his phone in my hand and angling my body away from him. I stare out the window as he over-revs the engine and sends us flying down the avenue.

“Call her,” he says again. “I have no idea where we’re going.”

I heave a sigh and sit up, turning the device around in my hands and staring at the screen for a while. “Passcode?”

“4355.”

Quickly I type in the digits and unlock his phone. I pull up his contacts. “Is that your favorite number or does it stand for a word or—”

“It spells out hell,” he bluntly answers. But despite his monotone, he keeps his eyes on the road and tightens his grip on the wheel. “Call her.”

Obeying his request, which is more like a demand, I scroll through his list of contacts until I find Tiffani’s number. I take notice of the unbelievable amount of numbers he has saved, the majority of which are girls’. And then I call his girlfriend.

“Baby, what’s up?” Tiffani says once she picks up, and I scrunch up my nose at the use of the pet name.

“It’s Eden,” I tell her. “Tyler’s driving. Where are we all going tonight? Has it been decided yet?”

She speaks back within a heartbeat. “Hollywood Sign. We all agreed that we have to show you it. It’s amazing.” I bite down on my lower lip as excitement radiates through my body. I’ve always wanted to visit it, and although Venice sounds great too, I’m glad they’ve chosen the sign. “Have you guys left already?”

“Yeah.” My voice hitches when the car jerks roughly to one side, Tyler’s steering skills proving to be absolutely pathetic. I wonder how he even got his license to begin with.

“I’ll text everyone and see if they’re ready and we’ll all just meet you out there,” she says sharply. “Put me on speaker for a sec.” I move the phone away from my ear, doing as she asks, and then hold the device by Tyler.

“Yeah?” he says. He glances down at the screen for only a moment before slamming on the brakes when we approach a stop sign that he obviously hadn’t noticed.

“I haven’t spoken to you all day!” Tiffani’s voice loudly echoes through the speakers. I catch Tyler roll his eyes in complete disrespect. “Did your mom let you out of the house?”

He wrenches up the parking brake and fixes me with a firm glare, slowly shaking his head before saying, “No, I was stuck inside all day.”

“That sucks,” Tiffani says. Poor, poor girl. She’s totally oblivious. “I can’t wait to see you! We won’t be too long. Just wait for us by the Sunset Ranch.”

“Sure.”

“Love you.”

“Yeah,” he says, and then takes the phone from my hand to hang up the call. Yawning, he leans back in his seat and runs a hand through his hair.

I snort, widening my eyes in disbelief. Every day, every hour he gives me more and more reasons to detest him. “You’re unbelievable. Stuck inside all day?”

I still feel numb, like I’m suffering from endless pins and needles, so I just watch as he steps out onto the landing without glancing back

“I really hope you do.”

They’re so dilated and so soft and so pained, and I have never once witnessed such emotion pool over him before. I’ve seen furious and I’ve seen sadistic and I’ve seen vulnerable, but this goes beyond vulnerability. I see helplessness.

“I know there’s something wrong.” I take another sip of my water, but my gaze never leaves his face. I’m scared I’ll miss something, like a flash of emotion in his eyes or a sense of aggravation, but so far he’s doing a good job at remaining pretty aloof.