enough, tell me don’t or tell me do I baby…”
The song from famous country singer, Luke Bryan, fills my ears as Slade and I move. His eyes are on mine and for the life of me, I can’t force myself to look anywhere else. We’re staring at each other and it’s intense. His hips are moving against mine, our bodies are pressed together and I’m licking my lower lip like I want to crash tackle him to the ground and kiss him until he can’t breathe.
When the song finishes, Slade, reluctantly releases me. I swallow and force my legs to hold me up, even though they’re trembling so badly, I’m sure they’re going to collapse. Slade strokes my cheek softly, then he turns and walks off. The crowd all cheer and clap, and I’m left standing completely dazed and confused. I manage to get myself back to the table, and I sit down in my chair, taking deep breaths. Everyone is up and mingling again before dinner, so I take a moment to myself.
“Stay away from my son, Dasha.”
I whip my head around to see Michael approaching. Great. I stare up at him, furious that he just can’t seem to leave me alone.
“I have no interest in your son, Michael.”
“That’s not what I’ve heard and it’s certainly not what I just saw.”
“Well, you’re wrong.”
“I know what you’re doing, you’re trying to get close to him, so you can weaken him to win the race.”
“You really do have an overactive imagination.”
He glares at me and leans down close. “You don’t know my son anymore, Dasha Jewel. He is not for you, stay away or…”
“Or what?” I hiss. “What are you going to do?”
“You aren’t making this easy, do as I say…”
“No, I won’t do anything you say. I despise you and I am sick of you threatening me every chance you can. Slade is a grown man and he can make his own choices, why don’t you go and threaten him!”
“He didn’t tell you, did he?”
“Tell me what?” I hiss.
Michael chuckles and it sends shivers up my spine.
“He didn’t tell you what happened that night, why he ran away?”
My skin prickles and I close my eyes to try and calm myself. He’s trying to wind me up, that’s all.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Slade told me you were already going to leave with him.”
“Yeah we were, but not for a few months. The idiot stuffed it all up for himself that night and we were forced to leave the next day,” he says, then he leans down closer and whispers. “He drove home that night, drunk. He caused a traffic jam when he pulled up on the road because he was too inebriated to drive. Your mother and father…”
“No,” I cry.
“Your mother and father were driving home and didn’t see all the cars stopped, your father slammed right into them and your mother was lurched forward and hit her head so hard on the dashboard she died instantly. Those cars were stopped because of Slade.”
“No,” I whimper.
It’s not true. It can’t be true. I swallow the bile that rises in my throat, no…no…it’s a lie. He made it up. He lied. He’s lying.
“Now let’s see how much you care about him.”
He laughs and walks off, leaving me numb and shaking. I rock backwards and forwards, trying to process what just happened. It can’t be true. It can’t be true. Slade wouldn’t…he wouldn’t…he would have told me. He would have told me. Tears flow down my cheeks and I skid my chair back so quickly it smashes into a table behind me. The room falls silent. With trembling legs, I walk over to Slade, who is now staring at me wearily.
“Is it true?” I whisper when I reach him.
“What?”
“That night…you…drink driving…my parents.”
His face pales and it’s answer enough for me. I pull my hand back and I punch him so hard the crack echoes through the hall.
“HOW COULD YOU!?” I scream.
“Dash,” he whispers. “Please listen…”
“Go to hell!”
Chapter Twenty Three
It’s pouring rain and I’m running down the street,
The song from famous country singer, Luke Bryan, fills my ears as Slade and I move. His eyes are on mine and for the life of me, I can’t force myself to look anywhere else. We’re staring at each other and it’s intense. His hips are moving against mine, our bodies are pressed together and I’m licking my lower lip like I want to crash tackle him to the ground and kiss him until he can’t breathe.
When the song finishes, Slade, reluctantly releases me. I swallow and force my legs to hold me up, even though they’re trembling so badly, I’m sure they’re going to collapse. Slade strokes my cheek softly, then he turns and walks off. The crowd all cheer and clap, and I’m left standing completely dazed and confused. I manage to get myself back to the table, and I sit down in my chair, taking deep breaths. Everyone is up and mingling again before dinner, so I take a moment to myself.
“Stay away from my son, Dasha.”
I whip my head around to see Michael approaching. Great. I stare up at him, furious that he just can’t seem to leave me alone.
“I have no interest in your son, Michael.”
“That’s not what I’ve heard and it’s certainly not what I just saw.”
“Well, you’re wrong.”
“I know what you’re doing, you’re trying to get close to him, so you can weaken him to win the race.”
“You really do have an overactive imagination.”
He glares at me and leans down close. “You don’t know my son anymore, Dasha Jewel. He is not for you, stay away or…”
“Or what?” I hiss. “What are you going to do?”
“You aren’t making this easy, do as I say…”
“No, I won’t do anything you say. I despise you and I am sick of you threatening me every chance you can. Slade is a grown man and he can make his own choices, why don’t you go and threaten him!”
“He didn’t tell you, did he?”
“Tell me what?” I hiss.
Michael chuckles and it sends shivers up my spine.
“He didn’t tell you what happened that night, why he ran away?”
My skin prickles and I close my eyes to try and calm myself. He’s trying to wind me up, that’s all.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Slade told me you were already going to leave with him.”
“Yeah we were, but not for a few months. The idiot stuffed it all up for himself that night and we were forced to leave the next day,” he says, then he leans down closer and whispers. “He drove home that night, drunk. He caused a traffic jam when he pulled up on the road because he was too inebriated to drive. Your mother and father…”
“No,” I cry.
“Your mother and father were driving home and didn’t see all the cars stopped, your father slammed right into them and your mother was lurched forward and hit her head so hard on the dashboard she died instantly. Those cars were stopped because of Slade.”
“No,” I whimper.
It’s not true. It can’t be true. I swallow the bile that rises in my throat, no…no…it’s a lie. He made it up. He lied. He’s lying.
“Now let’s see how much you care about him.”
He laughs and walks off, leaving me numb and shaking. I rock backwards and forwards, trying to process what just happened. It can’t be true. It can’t be true. Slade wouldn’t…he wouldn’t…he would have told me. He would have told me. Tears flow down my cheeks and I skid my chair back so quickly it smashes into a table behind me. The room falls silent. With trembling legs, I walk over to Slade, who is now staring at me wearily.
“Is it true?” I whisper when I reach him.
“What?”
“That night…you…drink driving…my parents.”
His face pales and it’s answer enough for me. I pull my hand back and I punch him so hard the crack echoes through the hall.
“HOW COULD YOU!?” I scream.
“Dash,” he whispers. “Please listen…”
“Go to hell!”
Chapter Twenty Three
It’s pouring rain and I’m running down the street,
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