AllFreeNovel
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When I turned sixteen, it became obvious that neither of my parents had any interest in teaching me how to drive. Francis taught Alex, but of course he wanted nothing to do with me.
So the boys all taught me. It was sketchy as hell and definitely illegal, but none of us cared. I wanted some semblance of freedom, and the boys thought it would be fun.
Well, they thought teasing me would be fun. Especially Blaze.
“Off to my death,” he said cheerfully anytime it was his turn to be in the passenger seat with me.
I always acted annoyed, but secretly I was relieved to have some alone time with Blaze that didn’t involve me following him to the lake and holding him while he cried. Even if it meant dealing with him telling me what a terrible driver I was.
“You’re the ones who’re teaching me,” I’d taunt back. “So I’d say you’re just a shitty teacher.”
He’d resort to tickling me then, but only if the car was in park and it was safe. I’d never admit it to Alex or Dom, but Blaze was my favorite teacher. He’s always been the most patient, the most kind.
Now he chuckles, leaning back in his seat. “Off to my death.”
“As you wish,” I reply lightly before turning the wheel and almost putting us in a ditch. I swerve at the last moment, righting the car on the street.
Blaze lets out an amused yell. “Why did I let you drive?!”
“Didn’t give you much of a choice.” I grin, casting him a quick glance before turning my eyes back to the road. His eyeroll warms my heart.
When we get to Alex’s house, we walk through the house hand in hand. Felix and Dominic are sitting in the living room, holding a low conversation.
“Hey!” Felix pops up when he sees us, his eyes flitting to our hands. “Alex dragged Sophia upstairs. No doubt what they’re up to.” He winks at me.
I ignore the twinge of disappointment that hits me. Alex has been through a lot over the past couple days. If he wants some alone time with Soph, I’m not going to get mad.
Although I do miss my brother.
We sit and talk while we wait. Whatever Felix and Dom were discussing earlier, they don’t seem to have any desire to go back to it. Or maybe they just don’t want to have that conversation in front of me.
When Felix gets up to grab us beers from the kitchen, I volunteer to help him, but not before giving Blaze a kiss on the forehead.
In the kitchen, I get straight to the point. “Hey, I know this is kind of an odd question, but can I look at the hard drive again?”
Felix’s expression hardens. “Why on earth would you want to do that?”
I swallow, grabbing bottles from the fridge. “Mostly curiosity. And... I guess so I can stop doubting everything. I didn’t get a good look at the documents, you know?”
“Doubting everything.” Leaning against the counter, he crosses his arms and levels me with a chilling look.
“Well, you know. Doubting that it’s all true. Not that I don’t trust you. But what if the hard drive wasn’t David’s? What if he bought the filing cabinet used and didn’t know it was already there?”
Even as the words come out of my mouth, I know it’s a flimsy lie. Felix is smart—scary smart. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the drive is why David broke into my house.
But there’s no way Felix would let me look at the hard drive without a reason. Asking for a favor isn’t enough. And this is the best excuse I can come up with.
“Why are you so desperate for David to be a good person?”
My cheeks heat. “I’m not! I just want solid proof. My entire reality practically fell apart around me, Felix. Give me a fucking break.”
Now that isn’t a lie.
His gaze softens, and he sighs. “The hard drive was his. Just trust us, okay? You don’t need to see the rest. Alex doesn’t want you involved anymore than you already are.”
“I’m not his child,” I grit out. “I’m a grown woman capable of making my own decisions.”
Felix’s lips quirk up. “You have a fire inside you, Brooke. I’ve always admired that about you. But you need to learn when to quit. And this is one of those times.”
