“I told them I’d come get you. They’re at home. You sure you’re ready?”
“Yes, I’m definitely ready.” I storm out of the room, Teagan trailing behind me.
“But your ass is hanging out,” she says, coming up behind me as I move down the hall.
I clutch at the flapping material. “I don’t care. Just get me away from him before I … before I …” God, he’s so frustrating. I can’t even talk anymore. A lump fills up my throat, threatening to choke me.
Teagan puts her arm around my waist, effectively securing my gown closed and giving me the support I desperately need. “Don’t worry, Quinlan. Everything’s going to be fine. You’re not alone in this.”
I cry all the way to her Beetle.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
I’M SOBBING AND I CAN’T seem to stop. “I fucked up, Tea. I fucked up. I fucked up.”
She’s driving and patting me on the leg, the shoulder, the head, the face. “Shhhhh, babe, just relax. You are so on your period right now.”
“I’m not, I’m not … I fucked up. I said some seriously mean shit in there.” I keep replaying my own words in my head and I’m thoroughly disgusted with myself. My mouth just got away from me or something. I don’t know why I keep letting that happen. It’s like I’m in self-destruct mode or something.
“I need you to get your butt together. Alissa’s at the apartment and she’s already freaking out about every little thing. I can’t have her freaking out over you too. Seriously. Get those lady-balls out of your purse and put them in your panties, just for a few hours.”
“I can’t. I suck. I suck. Just bring me home.”
“Really?” She stops the car at the traffic light and looks at me. “You want to go home now instead of my place?”
“No. Yes. No. Take me home.” I breathe out heavily and lean back against the seat. “My mom is pissed at me. I was a shit to her too.”
Teagan does a massively illegal u-turn and heads the opposite direction. “We’ll go to your place first, get you cleaned up, you can apologize to your mom and then we’ll go to my place.”
“What’s so urgent about going to your place now? Can’t I go next week?” I seriously do not want to see any of those guys at Rebel Wheels ever again.
“Colin wants to talk to you. I think you should hear him out before he lets his mind wander too much and gets too worked up over everything that happened.”
“No. I’m done talking to that ass-monkey. He got me in big trouble. He almost killed his brother.”
“Mick started the fight, so no one is blaming Colin for that. Colin held back and got his face punched about five times before he swung one time.”
“That was one hell of a swing, though.”
“Yeah, well, he has anger management issues. He’s working on it.”
“Pfft. Better work harder.” I stare out the window, letting the scenery buzz by without paying it any attention. Since when did my life become so ridiculous? This summer was supposed to boring. I was going to knit scarves for shit’s sake.
We pull up into my driveway and no one comes out to greet me. “God, this sucks,” I say, staring at the front door. Not even Jersey is coming out. He always waits for me to come home.
“It’ll be fine.” She’s texting on her phone.
“Is Rebel expecting you back?”
“Yes. I’ll just walk you in and then come back later.”
I make my way up the front walkway slowly. My feet feel like they have cement boots on them.
“Come on, slow-poke.” Teagan pushes me along.
“Maybe I’ll just go to your place,” I say, stopping at the front door.
“Nope. We’re here now. Go take a shower, get on your cute jeans with the hole in the knees and call me. I’ll come get you.”
I turn the handle of the door. “I’m an asshole, Tea. You should just cut me loose right now.”
She leans forward and kisses me on the cheek. “You are my best friend and you couldn’t get rid of me if you tried. Now go.” She puts her hand over mine and turns the handle, pushing the door in when the latch releases.
“SURPRISE!”
The sound of a group of what sounds like fifty voices hits me full in the eardrums.
And then a puff of shredded paper smashes into my face, blinding me when some of it nails my eyeballs directly.