A low, Frankenstein’s monster-like moan came from the end of the hallway. Hannah craned her neck around the corner, glancing down the hall as her brother came stumbling out of the bedroom with his hand clutched to his head. “Neveragain…”
“Dear Lord,” she sighed. “Daddy’s gonna know you’ve been drinking.” The second she got within three feet of him, she waved her hand in front of her face, her nose wrinkling. “You smell like a Tennesseedistillery.”
Bo slumped against the wall and glared at her. “Nothelping.”
“Give him some gum and he’ll be fine,” Isaid.
“I don’t think gum is gonna help”—she circled her hand over his face—“this.”
Shrugging a shoulder, I nodded toward the door. “Come on. Let’s get your truckout.”
_______
I leaned through the open window of the truck and glanced back at Hannah sitting behind the wheel of mine. She looked so tiny and out of place. “Back itup.”
She pulled the gear down so hard her hair bounced, then she floored it. I pressed my foot on the gas, but the wheels only spun. Dirt and mud slung everywhere. I put it back in park and leaned through the window again. “Hang on a sec, Hannah.” I turned the wheel. “Alright. Floorit.”
The engine revved. I watched in the rearview as the truck fishtailed. “It’s fine,” I shouted as loud as I could, pressing the accelerator. The tires squealed. The Bible on John’s dashboard flew into the floorboard when the tires jumped over the rut the truck was stuck in. I slammed on the brakes, put it in park, and opened the door, leaving the truckrunning.
Bo stumbled into the tree line to vomit. Hannah was already climbing out of my truck. “Thanks,” she said, shutting thedoor.
“Noproblem.”
She tossed my keys at me when she passed by, and I grabbed onto her arm, stopping her. “It was nice hanging out with you last night, you know, just talking.” I looked her in the eyes, hard. I wanted her to know that wasn’t some bullshit line. I meantit.
A soft smile slowly inched over her lips. “Itwas…”
Bo staggered out from the tree line, wiping his mouth before he yanked open the door to their truck and crawledinside.
“Seriously, give him somewhiskey.”
“What? Are you crazy, he’ll vomit everywhere. He needsfluids.”
Half rolling my eyes, I patted her back. “Yeah, yeah, nursey, I know, but I’m telling you, give him some whiskey, some water, and a Tylenol. He’ll be fuckinggolden.”
She glared at me with curiosity, and I liked it. I liked the way she looked at me like I was something she shouldn’t touch but wanted to, because that was exactly how I felt about her. “Trust me,” Isaid.
“Okay, Noah Greyson, I’ll trust you this once.” She smiled before pulling herself into the cab of the truck. Without another word, she shut the door and spun the truckaround.
I took a step back, watching the taillights disappear down the overgrownpath.
That girl… God, I knew I could hurt her and I didn’t want to do that, so as much as it felt like the planets lined up just to throw us into each other’s orbits, I swore to myself I would ignore it and walkaway.
Some things in life, you just don’t want totaint.
14
Hannah
The long country road stretched out in front of me for what seemed like forever. Blue skies hung overhead with only a few, puffyclouds.
I kept replaying the way Noah sang to me the night before. The way he didn’t try anything—The truck bounced over a pothole and Bo grunted. “What are you over there grinnin’ about?” Boasked.
“What?”
“You’ve got this dumb grin on your face.” He rested his head against thewindow.
I glanced in the rearview. Sure enough, I had the stupidest looking smile plastered on myface.
