When I woke in the morning, it was to a stream of text messages from Wes.
Wes: Thank you for helping me back last night.
Wes: I feel like total crap today, but I think I’d feel worse if you hadn’t been there.
Wes: I have a bad feeling I was a terrible drunk. I’m sorry if I offended you at all!!! Forgive me?
I smiled and responded right away.
Me: Nothing to forgive. You were fine.
Me: You did offer to be my rebound though…
He didn’t reply immediately, and I hopped in the shower while I waited. Cress was completely passed out in bed. She hadn’t come home until late, so I didn’t expect her to wake up any time soon. As soon as I was dressed, I checked my phone again and found a new message from Wes.
Wes: Wow, drunk me has game. Who would have thought?
I chuckled under my breath and started to type a reply, but another message from him arrived before I could hit send.
Wes: Seriously though, I’m sorry.
Me: You can stop apologizing. You were in pain and had too many drinks. I’m sure I was in a far worse state last weekend.
Wes: Yes, you did voluntarily dance.
Me: Please don’t remind me.
Wes: I’ll never speak of it again.
I smiled down at my phone, glad Wes was in good enough spirits that he could still joke around with me. I let out a sigh as I remembered why he was hurting. Why we both were. My encounter with Noah last night hadn’t made me feel any better about our breakup. It was clear he was in pain over it—perhaps as much as I was. That only made me want answers more. Answers I was hoping to get from Matthew when I visited New York next week.
At least, that was the plan. First, I had to figure out if I could get my father to spare some time to meet with me while I was there. It was after 9 A.M., so it wasn’t too early to give him a call. Now was as good a time as any.
I went into the bathroom and closed the door so I wouldn’t wake Cress up before I dialed his number. It rang three times before there was an answer.
“LaFleur residence.”
It was hard not to be disappointed. I’d been hoping to get straight through to my father, but apparently that wasn’t possible, even on a Saturday.
“Hey, Caldwell, it’s Isobel.”.
“Good morning, Miss Grace.”
“Is my father around?”
“I’m afraid not. He’s at the lab and will be unavailable all day.”
I let out a sigh.
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
I was about to tell him no and hang up, but then I wondered if maybe he could be of some help. Caldwell probably knew my dad’s schedule better than Matthew himself.
“Actually, yeah. I was wondering if my father has plans on Friday next week? I’m going to be in New York for a school field trip and was hoping to see him.”
“I’m afraid Mr. LaFleur has meetings scheduled at his office all day on that Friday,” Caldwell replied.
“Well, I was thinking of staying the weekend too. Has he got any time then…”
“While he’s in New York, he plans to work every day, even the weekends,” Caldwell replied. “His schedule is extremely tight at the moment, but I believe he’s allotted some time to come to Weybridge the following weekend. Is that suitable for you?”
I let out another sigh. “Yeah, that’s fine.” Apparently, seeing my father was like trying to schedule an appointment with the doctor. You had to book it weeks in advance, and even then, it was near impossible to get in.
“I will inform Mr. LaFleur that you’ll be in the city. If any time opens up, I’ll be in contact.”
I didn’t hold out much hope. “Thanks, Caldwell.”
I hung up the phone feeling defeated. I knew it was just one extra week of waiting to see my father, but the questions churning inside my gut were killing me. I wanted answers now. Not weeks from now. There wasn’t even any guarantee my father would come back to Weybridge when he planned. He was always so busy, and there was every chance he’d get caught up with work and stay in New York.
A light knock sounded at the door as I exited the bathroom, and I turned to see Anna barreling into the room. She was all dressed for the day and looking wide-awake. It was like witnessing a miracle. I’d never seen Anna look so peppy first thing in the morning. Let alone on a weekend when she’d been out drinking the night before.
“Are you ready?” she asked me.
“For…”
“Your driving lesson, obviously.”
I’d forgotten she’d offered to help me drive my new car. A part of me had hoped she’d been joking and would forget all about it.
“You’re here first thing in the morning to teach me how to drive?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep. I have serious regrets over the guy I kissed last night, and I keep visualizing it every time I close my eyes.”
“You kissed Angus again?”
“Ugh, I wish. Angus I could stomach.”
I shook my head. “Who did you kiss then?”
“Please don’t make me repeat their name. It only makes it more real.” She scrunched up her face in disgust.
“Okay. We won’t talk about the mystery kisser from last night.” I didn’t particularly want to talk about my night either. I’d practically fled the boathouse party after Noah confronted me about the rebound list, and then Wes had actually offered to be my rebound. Last night was certainly best forgotten.
“The mystery kisser. Ugh, now he has a villain nickname too.” Anna shook her head. “But enough about him. Do you have your keys?”
I nodded and went to grab them off my desk. A nervous flutter took flight in my stomach as I grasped them in my hand. Was I really ready to get behind the wheel of a car again? Probably not. The fact I was allowing a seventeen-year-old to guide me wasn’t helping the nerves. Was this really a good idea? I didn’t have a chance to answer the question. Anna grabbed my arm and dragged me from the room.
“Don’t look so nervous,” she said. “You’ll be a racecar driver by the afternoon.”
She sounded confident, but I didn’t share her faith. I had a feeling I was destined to be more of a slow, steady, and super-cautious driver rather than one who tested the speed limits.
When we got to the parking lot, Anna looked at me in expectation. “So…” she prompted. “Which baby’s yours?”
I pointed my keys at the vehicle, and it lit up when I hit the unlock button.
“Nice,” Anna gushed as she started toward my new car. “You have good taste.”
“Thanks, but I didn’t choose it. My dad did.”
“Well, he did really well. I’ve always wanted to drive a G-Class.” She was still admiring it and nodding her approval.
I spent some time considering the car—if you could call it that. It wasn’t what I’d been expecting at all when I’d first come to the parking lot to take a look at it. Unlike the other vehicles in the parking lot, it wasn’t sleek and sporty. It was more like a Jeep or a truck that looked like it could seat about eight people. It had beefy tires, including a spare hanging off the back, and a huge shiny grill on the front that looked a little like bared teeth. It was made more for trips off-road rather than urban driving, which was kind of perfect for the hidden tracks that led to remote beaches back home in Rapid Bay. However, it still looked expensive with a smooth matte black finish and, of course, the Mercedes logo sparkling proudly on the hood. It was most definitely far too excessive for me, but I couldn’t deny I liked it.
“What are you girls doing?”
I glanced over my shoulder as Sawyer jogged toward us. He was dressed casually in jeans and a large sweatshirt. I bet he looked a sight better than his brother this morning.
“Giving Isobel a driving lesson,” Anna said. “Her dad just bought her a new car, but she doesn’t think she can drive it. I’m going to help her make sure she doesn’t let her poor, beautiful G-Class sit all lonely in the parking lot this year.”
“You can’t drive?” Sawyer gave me a questioning look.
“I can, but historically it doesn’t end well.”
“Huh.” Sawyer looked intrigued “Sounds fun. Can I come?”
“No,” I groaned, but Anna quickly replied with an exuberant “Of course!”
I scowled in her direction. “I really don’t think I need an audience for this.”
Sawyer waved away my concern. “I’m hardly an audience. Think of me as an extra dose of driving wisdom.”
“If you’re my driving wisdom, then I’m screwed.”
Sawyer laughed and shrugged. “So, is this your ride?” Before I could respond, he had already stepped forward and opened one of the back doors.
“This is a bad idea,” I murmured to Anna.
She didn’t seem the least bit concerned. “It’ll be fine. Sawyer loves cars almost as much as I do. He’ll be a great addition.”
“Will you girls stop chatting and get driving?” Sawyer called out from where he now sat inside the car. “I need to get to town to pick up breakfast burgers to fix my brother’s hangover.”
“Guess I can’t put this off any longer then,” I murmured.
“Nope. You really can’t.” Anna grinned and walked around the car to get into the passenger seat while I slowly made my way toward the driver’s side door. There was no way this ended well; I felt sure of it.
I was only more convinced our little adventure was doomed to fail once I sat behind the wheel. All the buttons, switches and dials on the dashboard were enough to overwhelm me before we even got started. Anna spent a while making sure my seat was in the right position and I knew where the lights, wipers, air-conditioner and radio controls were. If she thought I was going to be able to think about all of those things while also watching the road for stray dogs, she was sadly mistaken.
When she thought I was ready, Anna told me to start the car but then laughed at the blank look on my face as I searched for the ignition.
“It’s push to start,” she chuckled, pointing at one of the buttons on the dash. “Put your foot on the brake.”
I did as she instructed, and when I pushed the button, the car rumbled to life. I jumped slightly at the sudden noise of the engine. As if I didn’t already seem pathetic enough.
“Okay, let’s go,” Anna said.
I lifted my hands and cautiously placed them on the wheel. It had been so long since I’d driven a car, so it wasn’t a familiar feeling. I wondered if my hands were in the right place, and as I stretched my feet out to touch the pedals, I worried they were too far away. The car was much bigger than any other I’d driven before. Through the front window, the clean black hood of the car seemed to reach out so far in front I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to see the road ahead.
I took a deep breath and gently pressed my foot down on the accelerator. The engine hummed, but the car didn’t move. Perhaps I was being too gentle. I tried again, pushing a little harder this time, but still the car refused to move. What was I doing wrong?
“Isobel…” Anna’s voice was calm next to me. “You forgot to take the handbrake off.”
“Ah, right.” I shook my head, trying to shake the fog clouding my thoughts and the redness I could feel rushing to my cheeks. I took another breath and released the handbrake. This time, when I tapped the accelerator, the car rolled forward out of the parking space.
“That’s it.” Anna sounded like she was smiling. “Now, let’s head for the exit.”
I was too focused to speak, so I just nodded.
“You’ve got this, Isobel,” she added.
It took us an age to get to the school entrance. I drove at a snail’s pace as we left the parking lot. The car was so big I felt like there was barely space to move it between the rows of cars, and I was terrified of brushing up against one of them. They were all so shiny and expensive looking. When we finally got to the exit, I was relieved to find the main road outside the school was empty of cars and, with Anna encouraging me, I pulled out.
Once we finally got going on the open road, I felt a little more comfortable. I made sure to keep well below the speed limit so I’d have plenty of time to react should something untoward happen. Much to Sawyer’s amusement, cars slowly began to pile up in a line behind me, but I did my best to ignore them.
“See, it’s not so bad, is it?” Anna asked, as we came to a stop at a set of traffic lights.
“Yeah, nothing bad can happen when you’re moving at ten miles per hour.” Sawyer laughed from the back seat.
“Quiet back there, Sawyer,” Anna snapped before turning to me. “Don’t listen to him. You’re doing great.”
“Thanks.” I nodded. “Maybe I just needed a bit of practice.”
I jumped as the car behind us beeped its horn, and I realized the light had turned green. I quickly tried to gather my thoughts and get moving again, but the driver behind was still blasting their horn. I glanced up at the rearview mirror and saw a sports car waiting behind me. The driver was waving his arms through the window in frustration as he banged on the horn again.
“Isobel,” Anna said. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, sorry, I just got distracted.”
“Ignore the jackass behind us. Just pull forward and we’ll get going before the light changes.”
I nodded, took another deep breath and pressed down on the accelerator. As the car started to move into the intersection though, the sound of the car horn filled my ears once again, and the sports car flashed past my window. The guy was overtaking me at the lights, and as he swerved back into the lane right in front of me, I had to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision.
“What the hell!?” Anna shouted after him, as the car sped off into the distance.
“Yeah, that was not cool,” Sawyer added. “He was so close to hitting us.”
I was shaking as Anna reached out and touched my arm. “Are you okay?”
“I knew this was a bad idea,” I replied. “I’m done.”
“But you were doing so well.” She protested, but I was already getting out of the car. I hurried around to the passenger side, barely noticing the other cars that were now overtaking us like nothing had happened.
“Isobel, we’re right in the middle of the intersection.” Anna gasped, as I opened her door.
“Then get in the driver’s seat, quick. I’m not driving another inch.”
She nodded and clambered across to the driver’s seat before I climbed into the car next to her. My heart was still racing as she pulled away. I was never driving again.
Unlike me, Anna had absolutely no fear on the road. Her eyes practically lit up when she got behind the wheel, and I wasn’t sure if I felt more traumatized by my driving or hers after she’d raced to the burger joint and back to school in record time.
“I’m shaken. Totally shaken,” I said as I jumped out of the car when we finally arrived back at the school parking lot. I couldn’t get clear of the vehicle fast enough.
“You weren’t that bad,” Anna said as she climbed from the front seat.
“She’s probably talking about your driving, Anna.” Sawyer looked a little shaken himself as he got out of the car. “Are you sure you’re not the one who needs a lesson?”
“What? I can’t help that I get my left and my right mixed up sometimes,” Anna replied.
“I was thinking more about the way you accelerated toward that yellow light,” I recalled. “We nearly took out that old lady.”
“I mean, I thought it was a universal rule that everyone went faster when the lights were about to go red.”
I shook my head and glanced at Sawyer. “Remind me to never, ever, ever get in a car with Anna again.”
Normally I would have expected him to laugh and join in with the joke, but Sawyer looked as pale as I did, and he nodded emphatically. “I’d rather have you driving me, Isobel, and that’s saying something.”
Anna rolled her eyes. “You’re both overreacting.”
“Anna, you kept trying to drive on the wrong side of the road!”
“Well, I can’t help that we drive on the other side of the road in England.”
“But you learned to drive in America.”
Anna simply shrugged, and we shook our heads at her. I had no idea why she thought helping me drive was a good idea. She barely knew the road rules herself.
“Maybe get an actual instructor next time, Isobel,” Sawyer said. Although I agreed with him, I wasn’t sure I’d be brave enough to try again.
Anna let out a long, defeated sigh. “Sorry, Isobel. I thought it would be easy to teach you.”
“It’s not your fault.” I gave her a tight smile and patted her arm. “I told you I’m a terrible driver. But maybe hold off on committing to that career as a driving instructor.”
“And maybe question if you should get behind the wheel yourself,” Sawyer added. “Seriously, do you always drive that fast?”
Anna lifted her hands in the air. “I said I’m sorry.”
“And we forgive you.” I shot Sawyer a warning look. “Now, our burgers are probably getting cold. We should go find Wes so we can eat them.”
“He’ll still be in our room,” Sawyer said. “I’ll text him and tell him to meet us down by the lake. The sun’s finally out, and I want to enjoy it while we can. Who knows how long it will stick around for.”
“I’ll text Cress,” Anna said. “She should be awake by now.”
We slowly wandered down to the large lake behind the dormitories, and I relished the feeling of soft earth beneath my feet instead of the pedals of my car. There was a wide-open grass area on this side of the water, and we found a spot to sit close to the water’s edge.
My heart was still struggling to return to its normal rhythm after the terror of my driving experience, and I took deep breaths in and out as I tried to relax. The sun was soothing, and it didn’t take long before I felt more like myself.
“I can’t believe you guys went to get breakfast without me,” Cress said as she joined us. Her hair was still damp from her shower, and she wasn’t wearing any makeup. It was almost unfair how pretty she looked in the mornings without trying at all.
“You were still snoring when I came by your room,” Anna said.
“I don’t snore!”
“Don’t you?” Anna gave her a wink.
“I don’t!”
“I mean, it’s really cute, but a snore is still a snore,” I joked.
Cress scowled at the two of us. “You guys suck.”
I laughed and offered her one of the breakfast burgers. “We’re just kidding. You were sound asleep, making no noises at all when we left. And don’t stress, we got food for you too.”
“I still would have liked to come,” Cress grumbled.
I shook my head. “You really didn’t miss anything.”
“Other than all of our lives flashing before our eyes,” Sawyer added.
Cress gave us all a confused look.
“Anna took me for a drive,” I explained. “It didn’t go well.”
Cress groaned. “Oh, man, I could have told you that was a bad idea. Anna always mixes up what side of the road you need to drive on.”
Anna flushed. “I really thought it would be fine.”
“It wasn’t,” Sawyer said. “It wasn’t even close to fine. I’m going to have nightmares for weeks.”
“You’re not going to have nightmares,” Anna protested.
Sawyer pointed his burger in her direction. “I happen to have a very nervous disposition, and just the slightest thing can set off my nightmares.”
Anna rolled her eyes. “Such a drama queen,” she muttered.
A low groaning noise came from behind us, and we all turned as Wes finally made an appearance. He looked even worse than he had last night, and he was wearing a heavy set of sunglasses to shade his eyes. He collapsed onto the ground next to me. “Did you guys really have to sit in the seventh circle of hell for breakfast?”
Sawyer grinned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, brother.”
“I’m talking about the fact you decided this morning was the perfect time for a trip to the sun. It’s so damn bright out here.”
“Feeling a little hungover, Wes?” Anna asked.
He lowered his glasses for one moment to scowl at her. “Don’t revel in my pain, Grant.”
She grinned. “I’m just glad it’s not me for once.”
“It should be,” Sawyer said. “We all saw you playing beer pong with Luther and Kaden last night. No one plays them and remembers the rest of the night.”
Anna’s expression dimmed slightly, and she glanced away. “Well, I guess I’m a first then.” I wondered if she was thinking about her mystery kisser. It seemed like she regretted kissing the guy when she’d mentioned it this morning. Perhaps she was wishing she could have forgotten the night altogether. The others continued talking about last night, but I turned to Wes. He hadn’t touched his burger yet and was looking a little green in the face. He probably didn’t feel much like eating.
“How are you feeling about Sarah this morning?” I said, keeping my voice low so the others wouldn’t hear.
He sighed and slowly lowered his sunglasses from his face as he glanced my way. His eyes were red-rimmed and filled with pain. “I feel like she ran me over with a truck last night. When I woke this morning, I hoped it wasn’t real, but it is. We’re over.”
I reached out and gave his hand a squeeze, and he smiled down at the gesture.
“I’m sorry I was such a mess last night,” he said.
“I don’t blame you. You were hurting.”
“That doesn’t really excuse how I behaved. Did I really offer to be your rebound?”
I nervously glanced at the others, but they were all too busy chatting to hear what he was saying.
“Uh, sort of.” I laughed awkwardly. “But it’s okay. I knew it was only because you were drunk. Besides, we also agreed we were better as breakup buddies.”
“Breakup buddies?”
“Buddies who help each other through breakups.”
He smiled. “We are pretty good at that, aren’t we?”
“The best,” I agreed.
He exhaled loudly as he leaned back and put his glasses on. “It really is too bright out here.”
I laughed and nodded at his burger. “Maybe if you eat something, you’ll feel better.”
“You think this burger has the power to dial down the sun?”
“Well, it is a pretty good burger.”
“True.” He took a bite and chewed it cautiously. He normally devoured his food like it was going to disappear if he didn’t eat it quickly enough. Today, he was taking it awfully slowly. He must have been in a world of pain.
I considered taking a bite of my burger, but a laugh drew my attention, and I glanced up. A group of people were walking around the edge of the lake, coming back from the direction of the old boathouse. It was a mix of girls and guys. Luther and Kaden were in the group, but Noah held my gaze.
It felt like he was always around. Always there when I wanted nothing more than to escape him. It would make it so much easier to move on if I could. Instead, my heart lurched out of my chest whenever I saw him.
“Isobel?”
I turned to Wes. He hadn’t noticed Noah. I doubted he could see anything beyond his burger right now. “Yeah?”
“Promise to remind me to never to fall in love again.”
I felt an echoing twinge of pain at his words. I still wasn’t over Noah. Not even close. “I will, but you’ve got to promise me too.”
“Done.”
“Thanks, breakup buddy.” He lifted his burger as though to cheers mine, and I knocked my food against his. “Here’s to never falling in love again.”
I nodded but couldn’t help glancing in Noah’s direction once more. As I felt the ache in my chest return, I knew I was more than happy to live by those words.
