Page 12 of Drive

Paige sighed. “Penis and vagina?”

“Well, I’m only going into my third year of college. Experimenting hasn’t started yet, but I’ll keep you updated.”

Reid’s head shot back on a laugh. I ignored him and moved forward, gripping my sister’s headrest as I spoke to her. “What’s got you acting all Mary Poppins all of a sudden? You know I can handle myself.”

“You just got dumped by the lead singer of a band calledMeat.”

Pissed at my sister’s inability to keep my private crap between us, I fired back. “And I saw the vibrator in your dresser drawer. Are we going to openly discuss every private detail in front ofhim?” Paige slammed on the brakes at a stoplight and turned around to glare at me.

“What in the hell, Stella? You’re going through my shit?”

“What in the hell, Paige? You had to mentionhim? Equally as personal of a detail. Just forget it. I don’t want to go out with you. I’ll get the key and take a cab home.”

“You don’t have any money,” she snapped.

“I’ll find some. Green light.”

I pointed to the neon light in front of us just as someone sounded their horn. The car stayed quiet until we pulled up to El Plato Cantina—The Plate Bar. The dumbest damn name for a Tex-Mex restaurant imaginable. It was obvious the owners were white and had thrown the title together without much thought before they forked out a fortune to open a restaurant.

Reid pulled two clean aprons from Paige’s glove compartment as she fumed in the front seat.

“No one’s judging. I commend you for being so adventurous, sis.” I got out of the car as Reid belted out another laugh before he caught a direct chest slap from my sister. She ripped the keys from the ignition, got out of the car, and then laid into me.

“Stay out of my crap!”

“I’m not going through your crap. I had just laundered your underwear and was putting it away when I stumbled upon it. You really should invest in something a little more risqué.”

Reid struggled to tie his apron on with the burden of his cast. I was just about to ask him how he could possibly wait tables and thought better of it when my sister slapped me with a dose of unnecessary tough love.

“Maybe itwasn’tsuch a good idea for you to come here.”

Hurt, and more than pissed off, I gave as good as I got. “Really, Paige? You’re going to turn on me that fast? For someone so concerned for my well-being, you had no issue making me feel unwelcome in a city I’m unfamiliar with. And instead ofhelpingme, you spend the last hour making jokes at my expense with yourbest friendand telling him shit about me that’s none of his business!”

“Ladies,” Reid said carefully, eyeing us over the roof of the car.

“You stay out of it,” I snapped as he held up his hands, looking more bored than defensive. Paige was just about to go off again when I stopped her. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be out with my first paycheck.”

“Stella—”

I was already walking toward . . . well, I had no idea, but I would have a job by the time I went back to her place. “Sorry about the interruption, Paige. I’ll let you get back to your amazing life!”

“A little dramatic, don’t you think?” she retorted. “But that’s you, isn’t it, Stella? Always the drama queen. Maybe that’s why—”

I turned back to glare at her so fast, it caused one of those horrific burns to spark and fizzle up the back of my head. “Really? That’s why my boyfriend dumped me? Is that what you were about to say?”

Paige stood fuming as Reid rounded her hood and walked toward the restaurant.

Letting my anger get the best of me, I gave him a little venom, too. “And you’re an asshole!”

Paige’s pale neck turned crimson. “All right, that’s enough, Stella!”

“Hey—” I shrugged “—as long as we’re clearing the air.”

Reid smirked and walked through the doors of the rapidly filling restaurant. I would make it my mission to piss him off the same way.

Annoyed that a ten-minute car ride was about to come between us, I extended a slightly thorny olive branch. “Look, I’m sorry, but that was an asshole thing to do, Paige. This is exactly what I’m afraid of. Rubbing you or Neil the wrong way and being shooed back to Dallas. I’m thankful for you putting me up, you know that. And you know the week I’ve had. I’m a bit on edge, and I’m at your mercy. You know that, too. I’m helpless here!”

She chewed her lip as she looked at the ground between us. “I know. I’m sorry. Reid’s a great guy. You just have to get to know him and give him a chance. I shouldn’t have said those things in front of him, but honestly, he knows a ton about you. He’s my best friend.”