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Thane started to follow as well, only to pause at his best friend. “Parker… Jesus,” he muttered, glancing at his stained, half-tucked shirt. “Look at you.”
“I got him,” I assured, tapping Thane’s arm so he could chase after Keene. “You go ahead.”
Thane nodded and sent me a grateful glance before he shook his head at Parker and then hurried off.
“Well, that leaves me with you two lovebirds,” Hudson told Damien and Oaklynn. “I call shotgun.” And he started to hobble toward the exit as well.
They all glanced at Parker in worry as he slouched against the doorframe, and he drunkenly saluted them in farewell until it was just me and him left. Plus Raina.
“Please tell me you didn’t drive here?” I said.
He scoffed and glanced away. “Of course not. Rented a ride. Too bad it didn’t wreck and kill me too.”
“That—that…” Raina shook her head and took a step away from him, unable to believe he would say that. “That wasn’t very nice.”
I sighed, agreeing with her. “Come on,” I murmured, hooking a hand around Parker’s bicep. “Keene needs us right now, so we’re going to be there for him.”
“I was an ass, wasn’t I?” he asked, stumbling along to keep up.
“Yeah,” I murmured as I steered him from the house and shut the door behind me. “But he’ll get over it. We always do.”
At my truck, I opened the door and helped him up into the passenger seat. Then, I shut him inside and hurried around to find Raina in the backseat, watching me with worried eyes.
“He’s not a dangerous drunk, is he?”
Shaking my head, I climbed in, saying, “No, he’s all bark and no bite when he’s like this.” Buckling up, I started the engine, only to sigh when I glanced over at Parker. “Man…” I started with a sad frown.
“I know, I know,” he muttered, lifting his hands to stop me there. “I’m spiraling. I’m fucking aware, alright?”
I pulled away from the curb and remained quiet for a moment before asking, “Is this all because of Raina and her sister’s accident, or is something else going on too?”
He cursed under his breath and rolled his eyes before muttering, “You were talking to her just now, weren’t you? She’s in here with us.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“Great,” he said before spitting out a humorless laugh. “That’s just fucking great.”
“She doesn’t blame you, you know.”
Hissing, Parker lifted a fisted hand as if to offer her a cheers. “Well, awesome. There’soneperson who doesn’t.”
“No one else does, either,” I assured. “No one but you.”
Keeping his hand fisted, Parker bumped it against the inside of the passenger side door, just under the window. Once, twice. With each pound, he put a little more power behind his swing.
Suddenly, he turned to me. “I heard her dad’s a widower. If your girl doesn’t make it out of this coma, he’s going to have fucking no one.”
My insides locked up with the thought.
Ifshe died.
But she couldn’t; I wouldn’t allow myself to think about that scenario.
Gritting my teeth, however, I nodded at Parker. “That’s true.”
“Fuck,” he growled and hit the door even harder.
“And it’s my fault,” I said.
