Page 48 of Beneath the Surface

This made my heart stop. If my face had been red before, it was drained of color now.

“W-what?”

I forgot about Mr. Pierce knowing about us going to the tracks. Did that mean my dad knew as well?

My dad waved me off and finished chewing on the piece he had in his mouth.

“A few days ago, a concerned parent said you had gone to the racetracks with your friends.”

My father took one look at me and laughed at my mortification.

“I’m not mad, Ava.”

“Y-y-you’re not?”

He laughed.

“You’re in college. Everyone is doing reckless shit. I know you value your skating and won’t do anything to jeopardize that.”

His confidence in me felt like a kick to my gut.

“Mr. Pierce wasn’t happy about it,” I confessed.

“He didn’t like the fact I hired Cruz, either.” My dad sighed and shook his head. “I like the guy, but sometimes he gets his head so far up his own ass he sounds worse than the Enlightenment fellowship fools.”

God, my dad was awesome.

“Daddy,” I said, my voice sounding hoarse.

He raised a brow, waiting for me to continue.

“Thank you for everything.”

He looked a little concerned at first, but then he smiled at me.

“Thanks for this sandwich.”

I laughed.

“I’m going to go check on Cruz,” I said, motioning behind me with my thumb.

My dad lost his easy smile when I mentioned his name, which filled me with dread. Was he rethinking his decision to hire him?

“Ava,” he said, his tone serious. “Be careful with him. I know he didn’t get that shiner because a crowbar fell on him.”

I bit my lip and nodded.

At that moment, I heard my phone ping, and in the distance, I heard Cruz’s phone do the same. It was either the guys sending us a message—or we were overdue in the taunting game we had found ourselves in. I turned around and walked away from my dad’s office as calmly as possible. I took my phone out, and I was glad I was no longer facing my dad because I would not have been able to hide my dread.

1…2…3…4…

See what happens in the great outdoors.

The photo was grainy and black and white, almost as if it had been taken with a night camera. In the middle were Micah and Cruz, looking at one another.

When I looked up, Cruz was already looking at me. His expression mirrored my own.

Just then, our phones pinged once more.

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