Page 17 of The Retaliation You Deliver

But it’s the lesser of two evils.

I either stay in the house that I hate or I force myself to endure his scent for the long journey back to Maddison.

Leon might have hurt me yesterday but even still, he’s the lesser monster when the choice comes down to my memories of my uncle or him.

Sucking in a deep breath, I lower myself into his driver’s seat, unable to stop the laugh falling from my lips when my feet are miles away from the pedals.

It takes me a few minutes but eventually I manage to figure out how to move his seat, get the engine started and the mirrors just right.

Driving his car without him, possibly without his permission, feels all kinds of wrong. But it’s better than staying here or taking a bus back to campus.

Without overthinking it, I put the car into drive and press my foot on the accelerator, immediately regretting it when the car jolts forward with power that I’m not used to.

“Holy crap,” I breathe, my heart thundering in my chest, my foot slamming the brake pedal through the floor. “Shit.”

It takes me a few seconds to get a grip on myself, and when I’m ready to try again, I press it a little gentler. The last thing Leon needs right now is for his car to be smashed into pieces by me.

I’ve already done enough damage.

He might not deserve it, but I can’t help feeling like the least I can do is deliver his baby back to him in one piece.

The drive back to Maddison is long, but quick and that’s probably my own fault because I refuse to stop.

Once I was on the highway, all I wanted to do was to get as far away from Miami as possible, as quickly as possible.

By the time I pull up outside the address that Peyton messaged me with, it’s dark and my body aches from sitting in the same position for hours. My head steadily throbs from my concentration and dehydration. But none of it was enough to make me prolong this more than necessary.

My hands tremble as I stare up at the house he lives in for the first time.

It never really occurred to me before that he’d never invited me back here. He’d told me that it was full of football players and that was enough information for me not to walk through the front door, even if I was with him.

But now, I realize just how big of a red flag that probably should’ve been.

I was so swept away by the whirlwind that was Leon Dunn that I never really stopped to question some of the most obvious things.

I was too lost in my own insecurities. Too distracted by him to see it.

Feeling stupid, I climb out of the car, needing to get away from the constant reminder of him.

Pulling my cell from my bag, I find Peyton’s conversation and tap out a message to let her know that I’m here before taking off in the opposite direction of the house.

I have no idea if she’s inside. If he’s inside. But I do know that I haven’t got the energy to see either of them.

Every step I take away from the house feels like I’m walking through wet cement.

My eyes burn with tears but I refuse to shed any more.

I’m back now. I’m home.

I can put the past two weeks behind me like they never happened and move on with my quiet, secluded life without any parties or hot football players to distract me from what’s important.

My future.

My goals.

The walk back to my building is longer than I was expecting and by the time I step up to the front door, I can hardly keep my eyes open so the last thing I need is to find Letty sitting against the wall waiting for me.

“There you are,” Letty breathes, rushing over to me and pulling me into a hug.