Huh?
揘ot much. He just told me he didn抰 have all the details. Her death was strange and untimely, he said.?
Blinding headlights flash in my eyes. A long, blaring honk from a passing truck cuts through the storm.
For a second, I抦 about to scream, but it whips past.
A red car swerves ahead just behind it and goes skidding off the road, sending a wave of water spraying across our windshield. The lights skim diagonally over Troy抯 wild-eyed snarl.
揙h my God,?I whisper, gripping my thigh.
揇ickheads! They should pay more attention to the storm, right??His voice is pure ice.
You were probably in their lane, jackass.
揥e should stop. What if they抮e hurt??I venture, latching on to any small reason to get away from this madness.
I抣l take my chances getting drenched.
But he抯 not stopping. The car speeds up, lurching ahead faster.
揟roy!?
揘ot our problem. You抳e got a flight to catch and I抦 not going to make you late.?The worst part is, he almost sounds normal now.
Jesus, what have I gotten myself into?
揟roy, it doesn抰 matter. I can always take a later plane. They…they slid off the road. They could be hurt, and I think it might be because棓
He snorts loudly, sending me a caustic look. 揇on抰 be so dramatic. There抯 plenty of traffic around, and someone else will call it in. They抣l just have to wait for a tow truck, that抯 all.?
I hope he抯 right.
I hope something stops him before we抮e a lot less lucky than the spinout car.
And his eyes are on my hand again. I know it before I even look.
揟roy, please,?I whisper. 揧ou need to watch the road.?
揧ou know what I don抰 need??he asks quietly.
揥hat??
揇irections from a twenty-something who thinks she抯 hot shit because she slept with the CEO and got a job she didn抰 deserve.?
My breath cuts off and my face goes hot.
He laughs again, and I finally notice how cruel that loud, obnoxious laugh of his sounds.
揧ou抮e not going to try to deny it, huh? Or does my driving freak you out that much??
I glance over, trying not to glare. 揑 had the job first. Long before Cole and I ever…？
揈ver what??he urges.
揓esus. I didn抰 do anything underhanded to get the job. I already had it. Not that it抯 any of your business,?I add, probably against my better judgment.
Again, that horrible grinding laugh echoes through the car. 揋ood for you! What did he say about me??
I stare at him. 揥hat do you mean??
揅ole. Old friend, old buddy, old bossman. What the fuck did he say about me, Eliza??
Just when I didn抰 think the eerie glint in his eyes could get crazier…
揘ot much, honestly. Before Hawaii, he never mentioned you much at all.?
You抮e not that important, prick.
揇id he ever mention me when he talked about Aster??
I blink slowly.
What is he talking about?
揘o. But why would he? Everyone says she was sick and killed herself. No big mystery.?
揑 was there that week,?he says, his voice dropping an octave to this soft, restless rumble. 揑 thought my name would come up.?
揌e might have told me you were there when it happened. I don抰 remember.?I don抰 have to lie about that. I抦 sure this road trip with a psycho is doing wonders for my memory.
揈-liz-ah,?he sings my name in three eerie syllables. 揟hink harder. I need you to remember what your boyfriend said about me.?
I eye him for a minute, not wanting to, pushing down the lump of ice in my throat.
揟roy, you know how Cole is. He cares about two things: Wired Cup and himself. And yeah, to be fair, he cares about Destiny, too. He barely ever mentioned you. I抦 really not sure what you抮e looking for.?
When I shake my head, it feels so light it could float away.
He inhales sharply, squeezing the steering wheel a few times, pumping blood in and out of his fingers.
揥hat??I force out when I can抰 take the killing silence. 揟roy, what is it you抮e so worried about??
揜ight now, you, Miss Eliza. You really shouldn抰 bullshit a master bullshitter.?
What the hell does that mean?
I glare at him, searching his face for any way to deescalate this total insanity.
揧ou really want the truth??I whisper, racking my brain. 揌e says…he says you抮e immature and self-centered.?
He tosses his head from side to side. 揊uck him. He always said that about her.?
揌er??I echo dryly.
揌e thought Aster was self-centered. But she wasn抰 nearly as self-centered as he thinks. He was always too harsh on her, too serious when she just wanted to have fun. He didn抰 fucking deserve her, and if he wasn抰 Mr. Gold Dick, she抎 have never married him in a billion years.?