The Beginning

Tess

I sat beside Nicky in the passenger seat of his car. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white. His bottom lip curled into his mouth and held firmly between his teeth. I thought he'd draw blood soon.

My knees drew closer together as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. There wasn't a place my hands could call home, and I could feel the sweat rolling down my back.

Lexi lounged lazily across the backseat; one arm propped on the door. Her phone in her hand, she scrolled through contact after contact in her effort to secure a place to stay. Those who didn't make excuses reminded her that she was no longer their problem. As many friends as Lexi made, it seemed there were twice as many enemies.

Nicky turned onto the worn concrete parking lot. Jan's Diner had been a place for special occasions, same as The Chopped Petal. We only got to come when Dad wasn't hungover, and Mom had enough weed to make it through the day. That was almost never. Which, as an adult, I understood to some degree.

"Let's eat." Nicky shut off the car. His head tilted lazily in my direction. His eyes flickered to the rearview mirror and his lips pinched again.

"We should go to your house. People might see us." I caught his arm.

I discounted the phone call as a prank, but the note had come with a generous reassurance. My car was still in the shop. The accident, that I'm not so sure was an accident, had done it for me.

The loss of control. I felt like my life wasn't my own and I was simply watching from overhead as I rolled down the embankment. Now, my apartment. I could get evicted for the damage I would have to report to law enforcement. This was targeted, intentional. And why wasn't I listening?

"She's not wel—"

"Hang on." I sat forward in my seat. "Why would he destroy the apartment?"

At first, he said nothing, then prompted me unenthusiastically, "I don't know, Tess, why?"

"Don't take that tone with me."

Now, with phony sweetness and candor, "I don't know, Tess, why?"

If I didn't laugh, I would've punched him. "I mean, if the accident wasn't an accident, then he already knew I was with you." I turned to the backseat.

Lexi's blue eyes flickered upward as a silence fell over us.

"No one came to the apartment last night? At all?"

"I told you, Tess. I went to Dan's right after you two left. Maybe he like came by and saw no one was home, and just did all that." Lexi circled a hand in the air and continued through her phone.

"They know where you live, too." I placed my hand on Nicky's.

He curled his lips into his mouth, dimples on full display. No matter how cute they were, his unimpressed gaze coated me. "I'm hungry. I'm going inside. Come in or stay, I don't care." He swiveled to face Lexi in the back. "Don't touch a fucking thing." He jabbed a finger at her. With a fierce yank of the door handle, he stepped out of the car.

"He seems real cheery." Lexi uttered sarcastically.

"He was until you showed up." I grumbled.

"Excuse me?" Her eyes met mine.

"I didn't stutter, Lex. What you did was inappropriate and disrespectful. I should have taken it a lot more seriously when we were kids, I should've never forgiven you after Nathan, and you haven't even thought to sincerely apologize to Nicky for what you did."

I watched Nicky through the large windows. He greeted Jan's great-granddaughter Maggie as he seated himself. The window seat he chose overlooked his car. Nicky glanced at us, then down at the menu.