but then she forces a smile.
“No.” I take her suitcase and put it in the hatch. Then I close the trunk at the same time she closes the driver’s side door.
What the hell was I thinking?
When he gets in the passenger seat of his BMW, I am admiring the interior.
“You like red?” I ask as I stroke the soft leather seat.
“It was that or black. The exterior was black, so I went with red. So, sure.”
I kick off my flip-flops and push the start button. “It matches my toes.”
“Excuse me?”
“The color,” I mutter as I adjust the seat then put the vehicle in drive. “Seatbelt.”
I look over after I say it and see he is already buckling. I know it annoys him, and even though I promised myself I would be nice, I still get a warm feeling in my heart from the knowledge I have annoyed him a little. I wouldn’t want him to get the wrong idea.
“Will you put the address in the navigation system?”
“You know how to get to 95?” he asks.
“Yep.”
“After that is CT-349.” He reaches into the glove box and grabs a pair of aviators.
I reach on top of my head to pull mine down. “Dammit.”
“What’s up?” he asks, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.
“Nothing. No big deal.”
“That’s one thing about females that I never understood.” He sighs, leans forward, and types in an address.
“But if we complain that we left our sunglasses in our car and really wanna throw a little fit about it, then we’re bitches, so … There’s that.”
“Here.” He hands me his.
“What about you?”
“Madison, take the glasses.”
“But—”
“Seriously, does everything have to be a fight with you?”
I open my mouth to say something nasty, and then I shut it quickly, biting my fucking tongue in the process. Tears immediately fall from my eyes, and the taste of blood fills my mouth.
“Look, let’s turn around. This isn’t a good idea, not after last night and today. Just turn around.” He is frustrated, and I am pissed.
“Shush, Billy,” I whisper as I wipe the tears away.
“Madison, we aren’t ever gonna be something—”
“Billy, right now, I’m being your friend, and sometimes, a friend needs to just shut the hell up once in a while.”
“You’re crying over sunglasses.” He says it like I have walked off the pier into the deep end and have no idea how to swim.
I ignore him, reach for the little packet of tissues, and pull one out. I hold it up to my mouth and spit into it.
“Madison, that is …” He stops when I fold it over and wipe my tongue. “Are you bleeding?”
“Yeth,” I say, meaning to say yes.
“How the hell did that happen?”
I pull the tissue away so I don’t sound like an idiot again. “I bit my tongue trying not to be a bitch by saying something like, ‘go fuck yourself, Billy,’ or ‘what makes you think I’d even consider being with some cheating asshole?’ ”
“Says the cousin-fucker,” he snaps.
“The what?” I ask as I push the accelerator and switch lanes.
“The assh—” He stops himself. “Whomever it was you are all packed up to be with tonight,” he finishes, gripping the ‘oh shit’ handle. “You’re gonna get a damn ticket.”
“I lied. No hot date tonight. I’m not a cheater,” I say in a way that is accusatory.
“What’s the suitcase for, then?”
“Always be prepared,” I answer as I see the green light turn yellow and nail the accelerator.
“You’re insane.”
“You know what? I get that things suck right now. There isn’t a damn thing you can do about it. So look on the bright side: you got off this morning, and I can promise I won’t say a word about it to the cunt Angel.”
“You talk like a trucker and drive like a thief.”
“You fuck like a bitch and are intentionally pushing my buttons. So again, Billy, just shut up.”
I come to a stop and hold the steering wheel tightly. Then I adjust the mirror and look at my tongue.
He cups my chin and turns me toward him. “Stick
“No.” I take her suitcase and put it in the hatch. Then I close the trunk at the same time she closes the driver’s side door.
What the hell was I thinking?
When he gets in the passenger seat of his BMW, I am admiring the interior.
“You like red?” I ask as I stroke the soft leather seat.
“It was that or black. The exterior was black, so I went with red. So, sure.”
I kick off my flip-flops and push the start button. “It matches my toes.”
“Excuse me?”
“The color,” I mutter as I adjust the seat then put the vehicle in drive. “Seatbelt.”
I look over after I say it and see he is already buckling. I know it annoys him, and even though I promised myself I would be nice, I still get a warm feeling in my heart from the knowledge I have annoyed him a little. I wouldn’t want him to get the wrong idea.
“Will you put the address in the navigation system?”
“You know how to get to 95?” he asks.
“Yep.”
“After that is CT-349.” He reaches into the glove box and grabs a pair of aviators.
I reach on top of my head to pull mine down. “Dammit.”
“What’s up?” he asks, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.
“Nothing. No big deal.”
“That’s one thing about females that I never understood.” He sighs, leans forward, and types in an address.
“But if we complain that we left our sunglasses in our car and really wanna throw a little fit about it, then we’re bitches, so … There’s that.”
“Here.” He hands me his.
“What about you?”
“Madison, take the glasses.”
“But—”
“Seriously, does everything have to be a fight with you?”
I open my mouth to say something nasty, and then I shut it quickly, biting my fucking tongue in the process. Tears immediately fall from my eyes, and the taste of blood fills my mouth.
“Look, let’s turn around. This isn’t a good idea, not after last night and today. Just turn around.” He is frustrated, and I am pissed.
“Shush, Billy,” I whisper as I wipe the tears away.
“Madison, we aren’t ever gonna be something—”
“Billy, right now, I’m being your friend, and sometimes, a friend needs to just shut the hell up once in a while.”
“You’re crying over sunglasses.” He says it like I have walked off the pier into the deep end and have no idea how to swim.
I ignore him, reach for the little packet of tissues, and pull one out. I hold it up to my mouth and spit into it.
“Madison, that is …” He stops when I fold it over and wipe my tongue. “Are you bleeding?”
“Yeth,” I say, meaning to say yes.
“How the hell did that happen?”
I pull the tissue away so I don’t sound like an idiot again. “I bit my tongue trying not to be a bitch by saying something like, ‘go fuck yourself, Billy,’ or ‘what makes you think I’d even consider being with some cheating asshole?’ ”
“Says the cousin-fucker,” he snaps.
“The what?” I ask as I push the accelerator and switch lanes.
“The assh—” He stops himself. “Whomever it was you are all packed up to be with tonight,” he finishes, gripping the ‘oh shit’ handle. “You’re gonna get a damn ticket.”
“I lied. No hot date tonight. I’m not a cheater,” I say in a way that is accusatory.
“What’s the suitcase for, then?”
“Always be prepared,” I answer as I see the green light turn yellow and nail the accelerator.
“You’re insane.”
“You know what? I get that things suck right now. There isn’t a damn thing you can do about it. So look on the bright side: you got off this morning, and I can promise I won’t say a word about it to the cunt Angel.”
“You talk like a trucker and drive like a thief.”
“You fuck like a bitch and are intentionally pushing my buttons. So again, Billy, just shut up.”
I come to a stop and hold the steering wheel tightly. Then I adjust the mirror and look at my tongue.
He cups my chin and turns me toward him. “Stick
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