Easier to Run by Silver Rain Page A

night questioning almost every play and rule of football—usually only one-word questions, but Ben didn't hesitate to explain until I was content. If I’d had my way, I would have been over there for every football game after that, but I never missed a Super Bowl from that day until I was sixteen.
    “I think I drove your brother crazy,” I mumbled, sinking into his hold.
    “Nah,” Ben said. “I think you won everyone in my family over.”
    I snorted and turned to face him, pressing my back against the cold wall of the cab. “D-do you still see me as that little girl?”
    Half of his mouth twisted upward and his gaze fell to where he held my hand. “You’ve never been an easy girl to classify.” His head shook slowly from side to side. “I don’t know where to put you, Cas. I never really did, but one thing I know for sure”—he looked me in the eye—“I don’t want to lose you again.”
    The truck swayed with the wind again, and I braced my hands against the mattress. “I don’t think I’m ready for that conversation tonight.”
    A black lid peeked out from the corner where it’d been tucked between the wall and mattress.
    “You’ve taken up drinking, too?” I asked, tapping it with my foot.
    “Sometimes.”
    I lifted out the bottle. It looked like barely a drink had been taken out of it. I twisted off the lid and sniffed it—the clay-like smell filling my nostrils. I took a long swig, and as soon as it hit my throat, I wanted to gag. It burned even as it settled in my gut, and I shivered as I tried to replace the lid. “Gah.”
    “What are you—” He chuckled and shook his head, lifting the bottle out of my hands and taking a sip. “Yeah, I didn’t figure that’d be your thing.”
    “Not the worst I’ve had,” I said, wiping my arm over my mouth as if it’d take care of the aftertaste.
    He quirked an eyebrow and offered me the bottle again.
    “I think it needs to settle.” I patted my stomach. Between that and the swaying effect of the storm, I wasn’t sure anything would stay down, but numb sounded appealing.
    “And how many different alcohols have you tried?” he asked, flashing me a bone-melting smile.
    I gave him a sideways glance as I got situated under the blankets again. “A few. I’ve only been drunk once, though. Haven’t really touched anything since.”
    “So, why tonight?”
    “Because, I want to shut down for a bit.” My mind wouldn’t stop racing. Even though I knew I had a bottle full of pills that would help stop that. Why did the liquid seem so much more appealing this time? “And, I know I’m safe.”
    Ben smiled and took me under his arm as we both stretched out—as much as two people could in a skinny bed anyway. Before he put the bottle away, I grabbed it and tipped it up for another drink. The second round wasn’t nearly as bad, but I still shuddered as Ben rescued the open bottle from my shaking hand.
    “Guess I shouldn’t be too surprised since you are of age.”
    I didn’t want to address that, so I bit my lip and tucked myself under the blanket.
    I couldn’t fool Ben though. He gave me a long stare until I wanted to pull the blanket over my face. “How old were you when you got drunk?”
    “Fifteen,” I admitted quietly, squeezing my eyes closed and wishing the alcohol would rush through my veins faster. “I raided Mitchel’s alcohol cabinet—thought if I just took a little here and a little there no one would notice. It was a teacher’s in-service day, so I was out of school, and he and Rachel were both supposed to be working late. I just wanted to be numb for a while.
    “Mitchel came home early,” I continued in a whisper, wrapping my arms around myself. “He… he jerked me off the couch. Said if I wanted to act l-like an adult I could learn what it really meant. I had no idea what he was talking about. I could b-barely even stand on my own two feet. He dragged me into the kitchen—” My body stiffened despite having Ben so