Thief (A Bad Boy Romance)(26)
The train’s long gone, and Blaine’s not here.
I drive in silence back across Shelter Harbor to my parents’ place, letting the streetlight trail across the windshield and my thoughts trail across my mind until I pull the car back into their driveway.
Then the phone rings.
And I know I should let him wait. I should hold off until the very last ring to pick up. But I of course answer halfway through the first damn ring.
“Hey!”
Blaine clears his throat. “Hey.”
“Did you miss the train?” I hate how eager, how needing my voice is.
There’s a silence for another few seconds before he answers.
“No, Ivy.”
I let out a sigh. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I missed you then! I’m so sorry!” I grin, reaching for the keys. “Hang on, I’ll come back to the station and get-“
“No, Ivy, I mean I didn’t miss the train because I never took it.”
I blink in the darkness of the car, my brow wrinkling. “What?”
“Look, Ivy-”
“On purpose?” My voice squeaks.
“Uh, yeah.”
I shake my head, frowning and trying to wrap my head around this. “Blaine, if you didn’t want to come out here, you just had to tell me. I mean, my parents really want to see you, and of course I want to see you, but if you aren’t feeling it, you just have to-”
“Ivy, I’ve been thinking.”
I freeze, a sinking feeling in my stomach.
I swallow the thick lump that forms in my throat. “About?”
Blaine sighs heavily. “About us.”
The sinking feeling starts to burn hot.
“What do you mean?” I almost whisper into the phone.
“Look, babe-”
“What are you saying, Blaine?” I suddenly find my volume, and my voice ratchets up in loudness, a buzzing sound starting to ring in my ears.
“Look, I-” he groans. “Babe, I just don’t know if I’m ready for the life you want.”
My eyes start to narrow as the anger starts to bloom inside. “And what life is that, exactly?”
“Ivy, I don’t know, I’m just-” He take a beat. “I’m just not ready to settle down I guess.”
The floor drops out from under me. And I want to feel crushed, or broken, or hell, even sad.
But all I feel is anger.
“Is there another girl.” My voice is edged, my hand gripping the steering wheel of the dark car with a death-grip.
Blaine clears his throat. “Ivy-“
“IS THERE,” I belt out. The front door to my parents’ house opens as Sierra pops her head out. She raises her brow at me, but I shake my head, waving her back.
“Blaine.”
“I don’t know how you want me to answer that.”
The sound that comes out of my lips is anything but a laugh - this harsh, cracked sound. “I think you know how I want you to answer that, Blaine.”
He sighs again. “Ivy, it’s more complicated than that.”
I slump in the driver’s seat as Sierra slowly makes her way down the front steps, a worried look on her face.
“No, Blaine, it’s not. Just answer the damn quest-”
“Yes.”
The world goes quiet.
“Yes, there is.”
It isn’t until I hang up the phone that I let the scream that’s been bottled up in my chest come ripping out. I yell as loud as I can, squeezing my eyes shut and pounding on the steering wheel, only barely aware of my younger sister opening the door and helping me out. She hugs me, stroking my back like I need comforting.
Except I don’t. I don’t need comforting, not for what I feel inside. Because I’m not sad or heartbroken or anything like that. I’m furious.
“I need to get out of here,” I mumble out, starting to open her car door again.
“Hang on,” Sierra looks at me with her lip between her teeth, her face fallen. “Where are you going?”
“Out. Somewhere.” I shake my head, breathing hard and feeling the blood pounding in my ears. “Anywhere. I don’t know.”
She shakes her head. “Not in my car you’re not. Not like this.” She gingerly pulls her keys out of my hand, and I scowl at her.
“Sierra-”
“Blaine?”
My scowl deepens as I nod and look away.
She puts a hand on my arm. “You want some company?”
“Nope.”
She closes her mouth and nods. “You do know I’m not going to let you drive like this though, right?”
“Fine.”
I turn and start to head back down the driveway on foot.
“Ivy!”
“I’m just going for a walk, okay?” I throw back, my sandals flapping against the sidewalk as I stomp down the street.