Masked Risks

Chapter 19

I’m so sorry I took so long to update!

***READ THE AUTHOR’S NOTE***

“So, what happened to you?” I stared back into Erik’s warm, friendly hazel eyes from where he sat across from me at the local coffee shop near our houses. Earlier that day, he texted me to meet him there and I happily agreed because I was home alone anyway.

He smirked and said, “They were actually more controlled than I thought they would be. They were pissed, but happier that the situation was less…” he looked away, thoughtful. “severe, I guess.”

I scrunched my eyebrows together. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I wasn’t completely honest about everything back in New York,” he started. “The people in my old crew were more influential, in a bad way. They got mixed up with drugs, and by association, so did I. After about a month, my parents caught on and put an end to it quickly by moving here.”

I didn’t really know how to respond. I didn’t realize that the situation was bigger than just his parents disagreeing with him on something small. It was clear that he didn’t really want to get into the specifics of his past with all of that, so I refrained from asking questions about that.

 “I had no idea,” I finally said stupidly.

He chuckled. “That’s because I didn’t tell anyone. It’s not exactly my proudest moment.” I laughed with him and then his arm reached across the table to hold my hand.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the voice I heard definitely did not belong to him. “OMG, You’re back!”

Then I heard the heels clicking against the floor, making their way towards us from behind me. I cringed, not wanting to see the face I was able to ignore all summer.

Erik’s hands held onto mine and his jaw clenched. “Hi, Lindsay.”

She stopped at our table, a big smile on her face. She flipped her blonde hair and widened her blue eyes, outlined with thick black eyeliner. “I missed you so much! I watched the whole competition. You totally should’ve won.”

“Uh, thanks,” Erik said awkwardly.

“What’s new?” She said, ignoring Erik’s clear disinterest.

“Nothing, really, but I’m kind of in the middle of something right now,” he said, trying to shoo her away with a head gesture towards me.

Then she finally seemed to notice I was sitting there. She grimaced at me, then glared down at our intertwined hands. Her bubbly tone quickly switched to one of distaste. “So, you guys are still together?” She rolled her eyes before meeting my eyes again with the same icy glare. “I guess he didn’t tell you everything, or else you’re just utterly desperate.”

I really didn’t want to fight with her. It seemed silly and petty and I was tired of that stupid high school stuff, especially with Lindsay, so that’s what I told her. “Look, Lindsay, I don’t want to fight. I’m not an idiot and Erik and I have talked, so just let it go. Whatever’s meant to be will happen.”

As I expected, she laughed in my face. “What are you on right now?”

I rolled my eyes and looked back at Erik. I really didn’t want to deal with her today.

“I think we’re gonna leave,” Erik, said, starting to push his chair away from the table. “’Bye, Lindsay.”

She huffed. “Well, bye, slut.”

I heard her, but I chose to ignore her. So, I followed Erik out of the café and to the parking lot where our cars were parked.

“I’m sorry,” he said as soon as we reached my car.