Unconditional by Kelly Lawrence Page A

the rows in front glare at us and I duck my head in embarrassment when Dannii trips over the seats, laughing at something only she finds funny.
    ‘She needs to go home, she’s wasted,’ I say to Joe, but Dannii puts her hands on her hips and glares at me, her eyes unfocused.
    ‘I’m going home with Dean. Staying at his. Aren’t I?’ she nudges Dean, who nods and walks out of the cinema unsteadily, Dannii at his heels. I turn to Joe in despair.
    ‘He can’t drive her like that.’
    ‘I know,’ he sighs, following them out. I catch up with Dannii, trying to reason with her. She could get her parents to come pick her up, or maybe I should ring my dad.
    ‘At least get a cab,’ I plead with her, but she shakes her head mutinously like a naughty toddler. She’ll be stamping her feet in a minute.
    ‘It’s all right,’ Joe calls. He’s standing by the car with Dean. ‘I’ve got the keys, I’ll drive.’
    ‘You’re not on my insurance,’ Dean protests. Joe rolls his eyes at him. ‘No, but at least I’m sober. I’ve had one beer, how many have you had?’
    Dean looks like he’s giving serious thought to thatquestion, then he gives in and gets in the back of the car. Dannii follows him, giving me a furious look. I just ignore her, but if I’m honest I really feel as if she’s let me down. She’s ruined the night, our first date. She could have got drunk with Dean anywhere.
    I get in the car and buckle up, looking over at Joe, who looks grim.
    ‘I’ll drop these two off first, then you,’ he says without looking at me.
    ‘What about the car?’
    ‘Dean can come and get it before he goes to work tomorrow. Walk his hangover off.’
    I glance at Dean lolling in the back seat. I hope the pool hall doesn’t open too early in the morning, because I doubt he’ll be fit for anything. He must have been drinking before he picked me up too. Mum would go mad if she knew. At least I should be getting in before her; it’s still only ten.
    Joe drives in silence, his hands tense on the wheel, constantly checking his mirrors as if he’s worried about being pulled over.
    ‘You’ll be okay. You’ve only had one drink,’ I try to reassure him, but he just shakes his head angrily and I shrink back, wondering if I’ve done something wrong.
    By the time we pull up outside Dean’s the anger is rolling off him in waves. He practically hauls Dean out of the car and although he helps Dannii out he steps back so quickly when she tries to hug him that I’m surprised she doesn’t fall on her face. Too drunk to care she blows me a kiss through the window.
    ‘Bye, babe, I’ll call you tomorrow. Make sure you get her home safe,’ she says to Joe, wagging her finger at him as Dean pulls her into his house. He shares with three other guys, so at least they don’t have to worry about angryparents.
    ‘That’s rich coming from her,’ Joe huffs as he pulls away. It’s the first time he’s spoken since we left the cinema.
    ‘You seem angry,’ I state the obvious. He glances at me in concern.
    ‘Not with you. Just Dean getting in that state. If we had got pulled over…I’m on probation, Ash, and those two are as high as kites and I bet Dean’s got weed on him, maybe worse.’
    I hadn’t thought of that. Perhaps Dean isn’t so harmless after all. He certainly doesn’t seem to be doing Dannii any good.
    ‘Yet you drove us home anyway. That’s twice you’ve rescued me now,’ I smile at him, and finally he looks a bit more relaxed.
    ‘You’re turning out to be pretty high maintenance, Ash,’ he chuckles. Feeling daring, I put a hand on his knee. He puts his hand briefly over mine before he has to change gears and his touch sends a jolt through me. I squeeze his leg, feeling the firmness and width of his lower thigh, before putting my hand back in my lap, my heart racing.
    ‘Did you have a girlfriend before you were in jail?’ I ask, curious but at the same time almost not wanting to know. He hesitates, then