Page 13 of Shallow

“I’m glad you could borrow something to wear.” The words slip out before I can stopthem.

“This old thing?” Carrick grins a wide smile that’s much too large for his slim face. “I’ve had it for years. I’m wearing it to the White House nextweek.”

I giggle. The truth is, he looks handsome. Normally clad in grass-stained jeans and hand-me-down t-shirts, he almost exudes confidence in the outdated tuxedo. Although his slender frame and wiry limbs make the jacket sleeves a bit too long and the hem on the pants drag the floor, I can tell he took great pride in his appearance tonight. He looks almostdashing.

I wish I could tell him that, but the laughter grows louder around me. I have to get rid of him. Carrick has invaded the sacred circle for toolong.

“Shiloh, I know the prom queen is supposed to dance with the king, but Ross will get over it. Will you dance withme?”

The sacred circle closes in, flinging a chorus of insults in their usual mob mentality. Everything in me screams at me to defendhim.

But I don’t. I never have. I neverwill.

“Hey, Lawn Boy.” Ross staggers beside me moments before his eighty-proof breath does. “Why don’t you go home and jerk off to my girl’s picture somemore?”

Carrick’s face darkens. “I wasn’t talking to you. I was speaking toShy.”

Ross smirks and nudges me forward. “Go ahead,Shy. Give Lawn Boy ananswer.”

The sacred circle crowds me, daring my break from the herd. So, I do the only thing I can do. The thing I’m the bestat.

I chooseme.

“I don’t want to dance with you.” I’m surprised at how steady my voice sounds when I’m screaming inside. “You don’t belong here. Why don’t you save yourself the embarrassment and go home?” Vomit rises in my throat as his facefalls.

Cheers erupt around me, and I think I hear Ross tell him to fuck off as I’m guided away into the center of our circle of destruction. Because that’s what we are. It’s all we’ll ever be unless we get the hell out of this town. I honestly don’t care if any of them do or don’t. I’ve already got one foot out the door and the other ready torun.

I can still feel Carrick’s stare on me as Ross slaps my ass and tosses back another drink. Suddenly, I’m envious of hisnickname.

LawnBoy.

He’ll outgrow that. He’s brilliant. He’ll rule the world one day and shame us all. But mine will stick to me like a secondskin.

Because you can’t outrun who youare.

Not when you’re shallow asfuck.

* * *

Present Day

Familiar sights breakup the memory as I turn my watery gaze outside the passenger’s side window. I clench my jaw as beach store after beach store rush by me until they’re just a streak of brightly colored lights and towels. I’d give anything to go back in time and erase that night from existence. Not just because it was the catalyst for his downfall, but for the selfish act that preceded itall.

“Miss West? Are you all right?” Glancing up, I see William Emerson alternately shifting his gaze from me to theroad.

“Yeah,” I answer in a distant voice that matches my mood. “It’s just strange being back here after solong.”

“Not much has changed, I assume.” He motions toward the windshield. “Tourists and tanning lotion—they’re astaple.”

I just nod. “Shiloh.”

“I’msorry?”

“You keep calling me Miss West. My name isShiloh.”

“Will,” he says, pulling into the right-hand lane. “We’re almost there, Shiloh. Are youready?”

“Not in theleast.”