Page 34 of Riding the Sugar High

Making herself even prettier.

For Kyle.

She turns to me, abandoning her lipstick on the table, and waits. I should tell her she looks good.Have fun, orBe safe, or whatever. Instead, I mutter, “Those shoes are ridiculous,” and her smile falls.

“Nobody asked you.”

“He’s bringing you to the valley. It gets muddy there after it rains, and it’s been pouring down for a week.”

She shrugs. “Nobody asked you that either.”

“Fine. Don’t come crying to me when you get hurt.”

“I wouldn’t come to you crying or otherwise,” she says as she struts past me.

Good. Maybe Kyle should deal with Derek then, since he’s the one who gets to take her out. I don’t need the headache.

Fuck.Why am I so annoyed?

“I’m going on a ride,” I mumble as I grab my bike keys. The two piglets, resting beside the couch, scurry away, probably unnerved by the edge in our voices, and without looking back, I leave out the door, ignoring her quick steps behind me.

“A ride? Seriously?”

I ignore that too and strut to the garage.

“It’s dangerous, Logan. What if you have another panic?—”

“You don’tknowthat it was a panic attack,” I quickly interrupt. “And anyway, don’t you have a date to go on?”

She flinches, then scowls. “It’s not a date. He wanted to hang out.”

“Yeah. ’Cause he wants to fuck you.”

“No,” she says pointedly. “Because I’m a nice person.”

She crosses her arms, and I slip my helmet on. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t like ‘nice.’ I don’t do ‘nice.’”

“Yeah, clearly. Why are you so angry, huh? Are you weirdly jealous or something?”

“Jealous? Of Kyle? I don’t evenlikeyou. We’re not friends, or more than friends, or less than friends—we’re nothing, okay?”

“Dude!” We both spin to find Kyle, arms wide and a shocked expression on his face. “What the fuck? Do you mind?”

Jesus Christ.Whatam I doing?

Primrose slowly exhales, her crystal blue eyes meeting mine. “For the record, I meant jealous of me hanging out with your friend. I understand how you feel about me.” She shrugs and, before turning around, mumbles, “I’m microwaved leftovers.”

you’re stubborn

Logan

My eyesopen on the second ring, my heart immediately rumbling in my chest like a fully powered engine. I wasn’t sleeping—only just managed to close my eyes after an hour of tossing left and right in bed.

I stand, rush to the living room, and grab the landline receiver. For some reason, the word ‘police’ keeps banging in my mind, though they likely wouldn’t call this late. But knowing they’re preparing a case against us is unnerving.

“What?” I bark as I bring the receiver to my ear.

“Hey, boss,” Kyle says with an apologetic voice. “Sorry to wake you up.”