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She stares at me, looking for some sign that I’m lying to her before she nods in agreement. I take her hand and lead her through the house and into the garage.
“Where are you headed?” my mother asks. She looks up from under the hood of her latest project, a ’67 Ford Mustang.
“I’m just driving Kaelie. Should be back in an hour.”
“Stay safe.” She waves as I boost Kaelie into the truck I haven’t driven since she walked away from me. Too many memories.
“Where are we going?” I ask her once we hit the street.
“Carlisle Street.”
“Start talking.”
****
Kaelie Carter
“I assume you know who Amber’s father is?” I ask because I don’t know where to start if I don’t know what he knows.
“Yeah. His father and mine used to be rivals but now that’s changed…”
He doesn’t finish the sentence, but he doesn’t have to. I know what he means. The two families will be united when he marries Amber.
“Do you know who my father is?”
“No, should I?” He frowns at the road ahead of him.
“Kris Carter. They used to call him ‘Money’ because he always made it rain money.” I chuckle sadly at the memory. “He was second in command until he got hooked on his own product. I don’t know how it happened or when it started but by the end of my last year of high school, he was hooked and my mother was sleeping with Amber’s dad.”
“Fuck me,” Matthias curses lowly.
“Yeah. Amber’s mom found out and slit her wrists and my mom moved in before her body was even cold.”
“Your mother’s a bitch. I met her once. She tried to sleep with me.”
Bile churns in my gut. I never wanted anyone to know the truth. I didn’t want them looking at me like he is now, but I need his help, and telling him the truth is the only way to get it.
“The night we met,”—I take a deep breath—“I was supposed to meet Amber. It’s the night her mom died.”
We’re waiting for the light to turn green and he takes the moment to turn to me in shock.
“I was fucking my best friend’s soon-to-be fiancé while she was going through the worst time of her life. Her mom died and I didn’t answer my phone because I was lost in you.”
We don’t speak again until we pull up outside the grandmama’s house. He switches off the engine while he stares out at the darkness creeping in on us.
“Is that why you hate me?” His voice is low and scratchy, his hands gripped tight on the steering wheel.
“I don’t hate you,” I whisper, squeezing his knee. I want to tell him more and reassure him, but I need to make sure my loved ones are safe before I continue. “Wait here, I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”
I rush from the truck and hurl myself through the gate and up the porch steps. I almost fall flat on my face as the door opens but catch myself just in time.
“Welcome home, Kaelie.”
A sharp pain radiates through my skull before everything goes black.
Chapter Ten
Matthias Delgado
