Pretty Toxic - A New Adult Romance (Imperfectly Yours) by A. Gardner Page A

automatic. A breeze blows through the rocks and I shudder. The last time we spoke in person I told him I was ready to spend the night with him. Dane knows that he’d be my first.
    Not anymore.
    How am I supposed to tell him what happened between Kade and me? It was a mistake. I was drunk and depressed. My cloudy head even played tricks on me and in the moment I thought I was with Dane.
    “I made you a promise that night in the park. I promise you I’m yours when this is over.”
    “And your family?” I respond, testing the waters. The grin leaves his face.
    “Trust me, you don’t want to get involved with them.”
    A.k.a. we are still keeping our relationship a secret.
    I slowly nod, glancing out into the sunny sky.
    “You know where we are?” I ask.
    “Yes.”
    “And . . . you don’t think-”
    “Try not to worry about being followed,” Dane interrupts. “The second we’re in town those guys will back off.”
    “How can you be so sure?” My hands go shaky just thinking about what I saw.
    “I just know.” He sits up and attempts to stand. I jump to my feet and grab his arm to help steady his balance. He’s limping. His hands are folded around his stomach. We inch into the light and I see just how pale his face really is. It scares me. The fiery spark has left his eyes.
    “Which way?” I glance in every direction. My chest pounds as I search for a face hiding behind the bushes but the skeleton man is nowhere in sight.
    “This way,” Dane instructs. We begin walking in the opposite direction of Bristlecone. I feel like we’re getting more and more lost as the forest becomes denser.
    Birds chirp in the trees and we hike over branches and rocks in our path. I can tell Dane’s energy is waning. His steps are slow and lethargic. His mouth is hanging open for air. He stares blankly ahead as he walks. I eagerly peer around each aspen tree hoping to see signs of a small town. So far no luck.
    My conscience is screaming in my ear. I’m horrible at holding things in. I have to tell him what happened last night.
    Bad timing, Mikki.
    “We drove all day yesterday,” I begin.
    “Who’s we ?”
    “Me and  . . . Zanna.”
    “You brought Zanna,” he shakes his head.
    “I had to,” I reply. “She figured us out.”
    Dane looks away. I bite my lip and keep going. My eyes stare down at the dirt. I lift my foot over a jagged boulder.
    “Where did you tell your Aunt you were going?”
    “Oh,” I mumble. The story of Aunt Scarlett and Dane’s dad is news for another day. Maybe even never. “Spontaneous road trip,” I lie.
    “And she went for that? Doesn’t sound like her.”
    I ignore his statement and continue. Thinking of Aunt Scarlett only makes my heart beat faster. I’m still upset with her.
    “We stopped last night and stayed with Zanna’s cousin.” I swallow hard. “His name is Kade.” It’s weird to say his name out loud . . . in front of Dane.
    “Oh by the way,” Dane interrupts. “Have you seen my dad around?” I let out a large breath. The truth was yes. I saw him meeting in secret with Aunt Scarlett.
    “No,” I say through my teeth. “Sorry, I haven’t.” I help him maneuver over a fallen log.
    “I must be the talk of the town right now.” Dane rolls his eyes. “Mom will love that.”
    I hear the crunch of a twig behind us. I jerk my head around.
    “It was only a chipmunk,” Dane responds.
    “Right,” I nod. I’m not convinced. The skeleton man knows what I saw. He won’t just walk away.
    “Look.” Dane points ahead of us. We’ve reached the outside of town. Another crunch behind us makes me jump forward. I look behind me and see open forest.
    “Chipmunk again?” I whisper. Dane’s eyes go wide.
    “On three,” he says softly. His eyes focus on the nearest building in view. I know what he’s about to do.
    “One. Two. Three.”
    Dane sprints down the mountain side and I follow. He is practically hopping because he has to propel his dead leg forward. I keep up