Page 38 of Cruel Titan

“Thanks for keeping it. It truly is your best performance.” Her voice breaks as she speaks, but her face remains a mask of indifference. She jerks out of my grip before calmly walking out of the room.

31

Quinn

Searching for Victoria, I can’t locate her, so I head to the front yard. Once outside, I grab my phone out of my pocket and tap open my Uber app. It might be a long wait, but it beats staying inside, and I don’t have much of a choice since I set the car I drove here on fire.

I still don’t know what I think about it because I didn’t think. I just did it. And right now, it feels more cleansing than anything.

While waiting, a few people ask me if I’m okay, and oddly, I feel okay until a voice sounds from behind me.

“Take my car.” Asher holds his key fob out to me.

“No. I have a ride.” Turning in the driveway, I face toward the street, keeping my back to him. But of course he can’t just let up, he never knows when to stop.

“Take my car.”

Headlights pull up the driveway, and I see a silver Toyota Camry matching the description of my Uber vehicle. “My ride is here. Have a good night.”

I go to open the door of the Camry when Asher slams it shut, placing his key fob in my hand. “Just take it. I can get a ride home. Why do you have to fight against me at every turn?”

“It’s not you I’m fighting against … it’s me.” Tossing his key fob, it lands at his feet, and I pull the Camry door open, sliding into the back seat.

* * *

Still lying in bed, I’m exhausted and unrested. I couldn’t sleep at all last night. I kept asking myself why I wasn’t sad, thinking maybe it just hadn’t hit me yet, but it seems like it never will. I’m just numb. Burning one of my most cherished tokens should invoke some kind of feelings. But the more I think about it, the less I feel. My dad spent so much time convincing me it was a project for us, for me, then Asher got it running after I told him not to. A gesture I wasn’t ready for, but he was thoughtful about it at the least, until he destroyed that reality too.

A light knock sounds on the door before Candace peeks her head in. “Are you awake?”

“Yep,” I reply, sitting up in the bed as she and Nathan enter the room. “What’s wrong?”

“What happened last night?”

Great. They already know. “I’m guessing you’re talking about the car?”

“Yep,” Nathan replies, looking at me. “Are you all right? Why didn’t you tell us?”

“It was late when I got in and I was fine, so I didn’t want to wake anyone. It wasn’t a big deal. I decided to test the car out and drove it to the party, but it overheated. It started smoking and before I knew it, flames were coming out from under the hood.” Lies. Every bit of it. Except that I drove it to the party, that much was true.

“Are you sure that’s it? You can tell me if someone else did this.” Nathan is asking if Asher did it without outright asking.

“He didn’t do it. Asher got it running, but the car’s so old, there’s no telling what caused it.”

“Are you okay?” Candace pauses. “I mean, I know it meant a lot to you.”

“Yes. I’m fine. There’re worse things to lose than a car.” Like a dad. Or a mom, even if it’s by choice, like abandonment. Or memories of someone you thought you knew best in the world. “Do you know why it was Dad’s favorite car?”

Taking a chance is my only option to gather information, because so far, all I have is more questions.

Candace glances to Nathan before looking back at me. “No … I’m not sure.”

“Did he have one before or something?”

“No. I don’t think so.”

She’s lying, that is a given, but why is what makes me curious. It’s just a car, so why hide it? It shouldn’t be a big deal that they went to high school together, so why hide it? One thing I know for a fact—it’s all connected. Now I just need to find the piece that puts it all together.

Nathan tenderly rubs Candace’s shoulder. “Well, Francis is downstairs and wanted to check on you too, so hurry down. Okay?”