We waded through a sea of people who were drinking and dancing and laughing. It kind of looked like fun. I still felt that bubbly, floating sensation, and it made me want to stay and have fun, too. My attention was on some girls dancing and drinking in the corner, and when Carver stopped walking, I bumped into his back.
His arms stretched back, barring me from moving anywhere else. I peeked over his shoulder, and tiny pinpricks dotted my skin.
“Roland,” Noah spat, then smiled as he noticed me standing behind him.
“Hudson.” Their formalities jumped to their last names like the last time they fought. Carver’s fingers sprawled along my side.
“See you brought Lyra along.” Noah’s eyes fell to my exposed leg, shifting into something I knew immediately—hunger. Andnot the kind I felt at that moment. I doubted a cheeseburger and french fries covered in cheese sauce was what he was looking for. “How is that goin’? You ask her to prom yet?”
“Prom?” I asked and Carver stiffened.
“Aw, he hasn’t asked you?” Noah Hudson made a tsking sound, and a rumble moved through Car’s back, seeping into my front. “It’s in, what, five days? Time’s a tickin’.”
“Fuck off, Hudson. I told you to leave her the hell alone.”
Noah crossed his arms over his broad chest. “I’m not the one who signed up to do anythingbutthat, now am I?”
Signed up? What was Carver signing up for? Did he mean because he was with me? I didn’t know getting a girlfriend meant you had to take her to prom. I couldn’t exactly afford a nice enough gown for it, anyway.
"We're leaving." Carver took my hand again and dragged me right past Noah’s smug face that was glued to my legs and ass as we all but rushed from the party. I flicked my middle finger over my ass, and Noah’s laughter followed us out.
Car’s shoulders were tense as he helped me into the truck like he had before, only this time the door shut a little too hard. He turned the key in the ignition and shifted the car into drive immediately.
“Is this about prom? We don’t have to go—”
“No, I—” His hands tightened around the steering wheel, and I could see those deep breaths he was taking level out his frame once more. Calming him. When his hand slid into mine, it warmed me back up, soothing those pinpricks that Noah had formed. “I do want to take you.”
“You do?”
“Of course, I do. I just—” He exhaled another big breath. “I was gonna ask you tonight, after the party.”
I arched a brow. “You were? You aren’t just saying that because of what Noah said?”
His hand twitched in mine. “What did he say?”
“Just now? He basically said that you being my boyfriend meant you had to take me to prom.” Maybe he hadn’t heard because he was too mad to focus on the words.
Car nodded slowly, then released an odd laugh I’d never heard from him before. “Yeah, guess he’d be right about that.”
“You don’t need to feel pressured to take me, just like you aren’t pressuring me to meet your parents. I know showing up to a school thing with me might be pushin’ it a bit—”
“What?” His eyes found mine, all narrowed and confused. “Why would you think that?”
I shrugged. “I figured people might look at you weird. You’re more popular than I am, if you haven’t noticed.”
“Screw all of them.” His thumb rubbed soothing circles along mine. “Lyra Thomas, would you please do me the honor of attending prom with me? I’m not nearly as cool or smart or beautiful as you, but I think I can clean up nice and smile real big for the pictures they take.”
He flashed a grin, and those same darn butterflies went haywire. Carver Roland had no idea what he was doing to me, to my logic, to my way of life. He was disrupting everything—and I couldn’t find it within myself to care about any of that as I said, “Yes.”
18
Carver
The Gasoline
Ihadn’t planned to go into work on a Saturday, but I’d go crazy if I waited for Lyra to come out of the bedroom any longer.
My horse was ready for a run to the facility, both of our energies matched—or maybe it was mine feeding into hers. Mares were finicky. Lyra and her would get along well.
