Page 24

Maybe not even that deep.
Maybe not even that far into the future.
I squeeze my eyes shut and pinch the bridge of my nose. This is torture of the worst kind. Why am I still here?
Rap, rap, rap!
My eyes fly open, and I twist to my left to see a very pissed-off face staring into my window. I press the button to lower it, my eyes drooping when I see him.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Sloane’s dad growls, arms folded.
“Hey, Mr. C. I, um, I was just—”
“I don’t care why you’re here!” he bellows, sticking a finger right in my face. “Do you know what you did to my daughter last night? Do you know how devastated she was?”
“Yes,” I say, dropping my eyes to my lap. I have no defense, not one I can let him in on, anyway.
“Look at me!”
I raise my head. “What I did was wrong—”
“Wrong? Wrong?” He lets out a dry laugh. “What you did was exactly right, Max! For once! I shouldn’t have worried about you. I knew it was only a matter of time before you messed up again. But Sloane…you crushed her. She wanted you to be there last night, and as usual, you found something better to do with your pathetic life.” He nods at my bruised face. “Exactly the kind of thing I don’t want my daughter around. So I really am here to thank you, not to berate you. Sloane will be just fine. She’s beautiful, smart, and a good person. You…you’re a fucking disaster with no goals, no direction, and no understanding of how to treat people who care about you. I don’t want you tainting her anymore. Just let her go, Max. She doesn’t need someone like you messing up her life.” With that, he turns and walks to the front door of his house, looking back only once to shake his head at me before going inside.
My chest tightens when the door slams shut behind him.
I know I fucked up, and I do want a chance to make things right with Sloane.
But I’m on borrowed time now.