Page 101 of Drive

Rolling down the window, I decided I wasn’t done with my finger or my farewell. “You kids have fun.” I pointed in their direction. Nate gave them man hugs and soon we were off. I turned on Nate’s radio and “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga echoed out the speakers mid-song.

“Oh, she’s good,” I said, shaking my shit in the passenger seat, playing maestro with my finger.

Nate looked over at me. “Youreallyneeded to get out.”

“Right,” I said, pointing our way through the parking lot. I pressed the tip of my finger into his face. “You’re going to take a left up here.” I barked out a laugh as Nate turned the heat up, his laugh echoing mine. Nate sped out of the parking lot in an attempt to miss traffic.

“Why are we in such a hurry?” I asked as he easily navigated us out.

“Didn’t you say you had a show tonight?”

“Not going,” I said, putting my finger on the floor. “I’ve got a better idea.”

He looked over at me and read my mind. “NO!”

“YES!” I said, settling the matter.

“Hell no. No way in hell. No.”

“YES!”

“No,” he said as he turned into my driveway with a chuckle, his protest fruitless.

Xanadu.

Hours later, I was jerked from sleep on the couch by Lexi’s shriek as she burst through our front door. “Stella!”

Slightly hung over, I looked for Nate, who must have slipped out when I fell asleep. For a second, I got disheartened. It was all lighthearted play; at least I thought it was. I had forced him to watchXanaduwhile I did commentary. I slapped my own forehead and grimaced.

That nagging awareness I may need to apologize struck fast. The thickness of my tongue told me it may be the one responsible for his absence. That heavy feeling hit until I saw I had a note waiting from him on top of my foam finger with the game schedule printed on the back. It was the promise of another game. Lexi waited for my attention, and I gave her a sleepy smile.

“What is it?” I asked, rubbing my eyes free from debris. She wanted my full attention, but I couldn’t shake the awareness of the man who left me covered in a warm blanket on the couch. He’d even cleaned the table and put all the Chinese food up. There was nothing about Nate Butler I didn’t like.Nothing.

Lexi walked over to me and eyed my new sweatshirt as Ben burst through the door.

“Did you tell her?”

“No,” she answered quickly, throwing him a forced smile. Why was she faking smiles for Ben?

“Why didn’t you show?” she asked with her arms crossed. She was irritated, and it took a lot to get her there. Still, I couldn’t miss the undertone of hurt. She had needed me.

“I’m sorry. I was with Nate,” I said with a whiskey-coated throat. I needed a toothbrush. “I meant to come but I got too buzzed at the game.”

Lexi looked me over. “You don’t like football.”

“I do now. I’m not missing a game. You have got to come with me to one of them, so much fun!”

Lexi said something under her breath about a clear schedule, and I leaned toward her with drawn brows.

“What?”

“They got signed,” Lexi said with an apprehensive smile.

“Signed?” I looked to Ben, who nodded. Suddenly, their world seemed planets away. “The Sergeants got signed? By who?”

“Sony,” Ben said with the most beautiful smile on his face as he looked over to me. “One of the scouts for Sony read an article about an up-and-coming band. I think we might owe her for part of it.”

I was glad I was sitting. My heart was pounding wildly as I tried to absorb his words.