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He sucked in his cheeks and continued down the highway

As I glanced at the speedo over eighty noredto be situations you can’t handle, Tate Nate Dietrich wasn’t going to take too kindly to what you did to hi to be the end of it? He would’ve coain Do you kno badly Madoc wanted to do so after you broke his nose? He didn’t want to hurt you, but he wanted to retaliate"

Why didn’t he then?

Madoc had been huo when I broke his nose But he’d just let it roll off hiht any payback Thanks to Jared

I guess Nate Dietrich wouldn’t be seeking retribution, either Not with Jared involved

I felt gravity pull my body towards the other side of the car, anddown as we rounded the soft turn

"You need to slon"

Jared snorted "No, I don’t think so, Tate You wanted the full high school experience, didn’t you? Football player boyfriend, casual sex, reckless behavior?" He goadedabout? I never wanted that stuff I just wanted to be norhts

Oh, God

The road was black, and I couldn’t see more than a foot in front of us Thankfully, there were reflectors that separated our lane fro traffic, but the country roads were busy with deer and other ani?

"Jared, stop it! Turn on the lights!" I braced one hand on the dash as I turned to confront hi speed, and a lump formed in my throat

The tattoo on his ar s eak, and for the first ti time, I was too scared to think

"Jared, stop the car now!" I yelled "Please!"

"Why? This isn’t fun?" Jared’s voice was disturbingly calm None of this scared hi airheads I’ve had sitting in that seat? They loved it" His eyebrows pinched together as he looked atwith dread He was going to kill us

Jared twisted his head to face me "You knohy you don’t like this? Because you’re not like them, Tate You never were Why do you think I kept everyone away frory, but clear He wasn’t drunk, at least I didn’t think he was, and this was more emotion than I’d experienced froht of the kiss

He kept everyone away from me? What did that mean? Why?

The tires screeched as he rounded another turn, and we drifted into the other lane I was breathing as fast as the car was speeding noas sure We were going to hit so car!" I belloith the full force ofhi I wanted to do was distract hi at a speed like that, but it worked Jared sla some choice words directed at me and down-shifted as he veered to the side of the road and stopped

I scrambled out of the car, and Jared hopped out at the same time We both leaned over the roof, eye to eye

"Get back in the car" Jared’s teeth were bared as he growled

"You could’ve killed us!" My throat tightened, and I noticed his furious eyes graze over my ripped shirt that had poked out of the button doas still wearing

"Get back in the damn car!" He slammed his palm down on the roof, his eyes on fire

"Why?" I asked, tears threatening

"Because you need to go home," he spat out like ‘duh’

"No" I shook my head "Why did you keep everyone away from me?" He’d started this conversation, and I had every intention of finishing it

"Because you didn’t belong with the rest of us You still don’t" Jared’s eyes narrowed in disgust, anddeplorable as usual

I hate hirabbed Jared’s keys out of the ignition Rounding the car door, I ran a few yards ahead and unfastened the twist oval key ring Slipping one of his keys off, I held it in a fist near ?" He approached slowly, annoyance evident in his eyes

"Oneone of your keys Not sure if it’s the car key, but eventually I’ll get to that one" I loaded my arm behind my head, ready to toss it at any second He halted

"I’ you leave We’re notfrom this spot until you’ve told me the truth"