Page 77 of Our Ruined Beginnings

I smack him upside his head, spinning to glare at my annoying best friend. “Don’t even joke about that. It’s not funny.”

“It’s a little funny,” the traitor I call my boyfriend mutters at my side, chuckling low under his breath.

“See, I could always count on MadMan to take my side. Now release the brake, Harpy.”

“Fine.” I breathe out slowly, counting to four before pressing my thumb against the knob. It releases, and as my foot presses tentatively on the accelerator, we begin a slow roll from the curb.

“Knew you could do it,” Madden says, his hand finding my thigh and squeezing gently. “But if you could go more than four miles an hour, baby, that would be brilliant. We’ve got shit to do today.”

“Like what?” I’m sure I see Madden glance at Caleb in the rearview mirror, but I’m so focused on the road in front of me that I can’t trust my peripheral too much.

“Secret shit.”

My lips quirk into a small smirk, and a warm feeling settles over me. Madden may think the meal his parents have arranged for my birthday is a well-kept secret, but neither he nor Caleb have inside voices. I’d heard them talking about it last week when they thought I wasn’t paying attention. But for now, they can keep their surprise. “Then your shit can wait.”

“Testy…” I can hear the laughter in Madden’s voice. “It’s a good thing I tolerate you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The light joking distracts me from my coiled muscles and racing heart, and I press my foot down, pushing the car up to the speed limit as my fingers tighten around the wheel. The wind whips against my hair through the open window, and I can’t stop the smile that breaks out over my lips. Nor do I want to.

This is freedom.

For the first time in a long time, I feel completely at peace, and it wouldn’t be remotely possible without the boy at my side. Without either of them.

“Hey, Mad?”

“Yeah, baby?” he responds, his tone soft.

“I tolerate you too.”

The End