Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 146548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Farrow pops another bubble in his mouth. “Cobalts are something else.”
Ben glances quickly at Charlie. “Now that’s vague.”
Charlie pulls at his hair. “I wouldn’t expect anything more from someone who believes Maximoff is boyfriend material.”
Ouch.
Gotta give it to Charlie, he knows my insecurities.
“Jealous that he’s in a relationship?” Farrow asks easily while lifting his boot to the seat and balancing his arm on his knee. His confidence is radiating.
Charlie glares back at Farrow with a look that says you’re wrong.
Farrow combats him with a harder stare that says I’m right.
I wish Janie were here to help us stay on track. “What happened?” I ask Ben and Winona. “Did Xander get hurt?”
“Not exactly,” Winona says, brushing crumbs off her lap.
“I was friends with these guys at school,” Ben clarifies as he accelerates.
“Ben is friends with everyone,” Winona rephrases.
“Yeah, but when I brought Xander along, I always introduced him to these people that I thought he’d like…Is that a pap?”
“On your right,” Farrow confirms as three SUVs line up to obstruct Ben from taking an exit.
“Speed up,” I suggest. Since that’s the only way he can pass the cars and get off the highway.
Ben scoots forward, his visibility terrible as rain pelts the windshield. “It’s basically hailing. I can’t speed up.”
“It’s not hailing,” Farrow says matter-of-factly. “You’re fine. Stay in this lane until you feel comfortable.”
Farrow backseat driving is infuriatingly sexy.
Anyway, we have no destination, but my phone keeps vibrating in my pocket. Uncle Ryke and Aunt Daisy, Winona’s parents, are concerned since she’s past her curfew. When it hits 1:00 a.m., I expect the same onslaught of messages from Uncle Connor and Aunt Rose about Ben.
Once Ben leans back slightly, less edged, I ask, “So Xander met some guys through you at these soccer and hockey games?”
“Yeah,” Ben nods. “And I thought it’d be good for him. I didn’t think…I mean, I couldn’t have known…”
Winona drops her head, upset.
Ben scratches at his hair. “People at school knew that Xander is on antidepressants—rumors about that are all over the internet.”
I tense.
“Why is security’s car changing lanes?” Ben asks, almost panicked.
“Security is playing defense with the other vehicles,” Farrow explains. “SFO is stopping some cars from reaching yours. Don’t worry about them. Oscar is a good driver.”
“Okay…” Ben adjusts his grip on the wheel. “At the games, students asked Xander if they could have some pills, and Xander actually started giving them his meds—and I should’ve looked out for your brother, Moffy. It’s my fault.” Ben talks fast, the words rushing out of him all of a sudden. “He’s susceptible to peer pressure, and he didn’t ask for money or anything in return. He just wanted to be liked by these dudes.”
My heart is in my throat. He was only fourteen. “That’s why you had a falling out?” I realize.
“Yeah.” Ben flicks his blinker but decides not to switch lanes. He tries to ease back. “I figured if I stopped inviting Xander out with me, he couldn’t give anyone his pills. Since he’s homeschooled, it made it easier…” He wafts his Save the Planet shirt from his chest. “After a while, we stopped talking, and he just…”
Retreated.
My brother retreated and barely leaves the house.
I rub my jaw, my muscles searing. “Who knows about the pills?” I ask and eye Farrow who touches his earpiece. He checks over his shoulder, on the lookout for paparazzi traffic that steadily amasses.
Ben lowers the volume of his stereo as Charlie turns the radio on. “Some kids at school, me, Xander, and Nona know,” Ben says. “And now you three.”
Winona twists her otter pendant necklace. “Moffy,” she says to me. “We thought he stopped.”
My stomach caves.
“A kid in the neighborhood started texting me about it,” Ben finishes. “This morning.” He extends his arm backwards to pass me his phone, and the one gesture causes Charlie to stare out the window. He must feel like Ben just chose me over him.
My ribs shrink my lungs.
I could hand the phone back to Charlie, but with my little brother at the centerfold of this, I have an aching need to be in control.
So I do the shitty thing and keep the phone. I already know Ben’s passcode: the date his pet bird Pip-Squeak died. And then I open the most recent message from the neighborhood kid—
Farrow drops his foot to the floor. His nonchalance suddenly depletes.
When that happens, I feel like someone needs to hoist the Bat Signal in the air and call for the Avengers to Assemble.
“Farrow?” I whisper, catching his gaze. I lean back while Winona bends towards the middle console to speak to Ben in Spanish.
Farrow leans back with me, and he whispers, “Eight more cars, four are SUVs, and they most likely have cameras. Oscar can’t block them all. Ben’s about to get bombarded unless he can speed up and make an exit.”