Break Me (Brayshaw High #5)(16)
And what do you know, Royce slips in beside me.
Neither he nor Mac talk much on the drive, so I sit as quietly as they do until I realize we’re pulling up at one of the two hotels in this town.
A heavy strain tugs at my muscles and I push my hands into the worn seats. “Yeah, no. I’m not about to go inside there with you two.”
They laugh but say nothing, both climbing out and meeting near the back of the car.
I start to sweat.
Are they planning my demise?
Confirming where to drop the body?
Taking it back to Brayshaw where no one would dare come looking for it?
Tension threatens to rise as I try to read their lips but fail. This could quickly turn into something really bad for me if I don’t stay calm, but then Mac passes off the keys to Royce as he steps up to another small car parked beside us, and with that one move, I’m able to settle myself.
He opens the driver’s door, so I decide it’s safe for me to climb out and eavesdrop.
“So you’ll go straight to the school, figure out what’s going on?” Royce asks him, glancing my way quickly when I close the door. “None of us will be back on campus until I’m home. My brothers are on a hump-cation until I get back.”
Mac chuckles. “As soon as I get home, I’m there. I’ll find out what has the school on edge, check in throughout the day.”
“Thanks, man, now go home to your girl, put her to bed.”
Mac grins. “She’ll just be waking up by the time I get there.”
“And she hasn’t been dicked down in a few days,” Royce jokes. “I believe in you.”
Mac laughs, his fist lifting to meet Royce’s. “Later, bro.” He tips his chin, glancing at me with a smirk and low salute. “Later, Bishop.”
I smash my lips together, offering a small wave, and then we watch him drive away.
As I look back, I find Royce’s attention on me, where it stays for several seconds.
Studying.
Measuring.
Curious?
He looks off, slipping right into the driver’s seat so I make my way into the passenger’s.
A few minutes up the road he pulls into a Cruiser’s station and unbuckles his seat belt, so I step out with him.
As we walk in, he follows behind, crowding my space the second I open the glass door to the cold drinks.
His pecs are pretty much equal with my shoulder blades, the buckle of his belt gently scraping at the high curve of my back as he presses me forward. He cages me there, shuffling closer until he’s so close, I have to bring my hand up to grip the cool plastic racks to keep me from falling against the shelving.
In contrast with the chilled air blowing against my front, his heated breath burns along the skin behind my ear, and I incline my chin just enough to meet his eyes.
“Are you trying to seduce me in the fridge of a mini-mart that smells like recycled mop water?”
“Come on now, little Bishop, you’re smarter than that.” He leans in, his smirk a mischievous one. “If I wanted to seduce you, you’d be in my hotel room already.”
Before I can blink, the chilled air wraps around my back, the heat of his body having disappeared, but you bet your ass he can hear my laughter wherever it is he ran off to.
I smile to myself.
Man, he’s seriously on that pro ho level.
It’s over the top and unnecessary, but it’s also a breath of fresh air, loosening it a bit.
With a shake of my head, I grab my drink, circling the back of the store in search of my go-to breakfast, and make my way toward the register.
As I round one corner, Royce does the other, both of us already biting into our item of choice—a chocolate-covered donut with sprinkles.
His eyes narrow, dropping to the Yoo-hoo in my left hand as I spot the one tucked beneath his arm.
“You don’t have to get the same shit I do,” he scolds me like a child. “I’ll buy you whatever you want.”
My eyes widen. “Oh, I copied you? Nice try. What, you afraid to show your food of choice?”
He glares. “This is my food of choice.”
I shrug, biting at a small piece of the chocolate glaze before it falls and set my drink on the counter. “Well, mine, too, and before you convince yourself otherwise, know I can pay for a three-dollar meal.”
He’s full of suspicion as he lowers his drink beside mine on the countertop, and with more force than necessary. He ignores what I said about paying, throws a twenty down, and walks out.
He doesn’t speak once back in the car, and before I know it, we’re pulling up at my aunt’s house. He puts the car in park, grabs his phone, and starts pressing buttons.
I hesitate, taking my time looping my backpack through my arms as I wait for some sort of insight as to why today happened, but he doesn’t take his face from his screen, so I step out and close the door behind me.
My feet have barely crossed the curb when he’s pulling away.
I’m not sure why he bothered to be there after school and insisted I ride with him when all he did was silently bring me back here, but does it really matter?
I keep my head held high as I walk around to the back yard and set my bag down on the grass.
From the far side of the house, I grab the small milk crate basket, and bring it around, laying out the blanket stuffed inside it, and flip the thing upside down.