Page 23 of Race to Me

I try to steady my breathing to speak; I look to him and can see his lips curve into a smile. He knows what he’s doing to me, and he likes it. “This one.” I point when my house comes into view, and he pulls in the drive.

“Shit,” He whistles, “You’re richer than I thought.”

I want to tell him it’s not all it’s cracked up to be when you live in this family. “Do you want to come in?”

He shakes his head, “Your parents are cool with me coming in?”

I bite my lip, and he looks towards it longingly. “They’re not here.”

He grips the leather steering wheel harder, fighting with himself. With me in the middle, our faces are not far apart, and his hand lingers on my thigh. “Are you sure you can handle me?” he asks, his eyes slicing through me.

When I nod, he helps me out of the car while I fumble to grip the keys.

Foster presses me against the door, similar to the tree, and I feel the heat rising in my core. In a frenzy, he takes the keys from my hands and slides it into the lock. Without hesitation, his tongue goes down my throat after his lips crash into mine.

“Fuck, Sky. I won’t be able to control myself once we walk through this door. Are you sure?” He looks to my eyes for permission, and I don’t hesitate.

“Yes,”

With strong arms, he grips the back of my thighs and I wrap my legs around him. He turns the knob, and we step inside the dark foyer. He maneuvers through a home he’s never been too, knocking down a vase on the way. I laugh when he apologizes, asking, “Where’s your room?”

I nod my head upward, but it’s too dark for him to see. “Upstairs,”

Then, the light clicks on.

“Skyler Johnson!” my mother’s voice screams.

Shit.

Ten

Foster takes his time setting me down on the marble flooring. The butterflies that once lived happily in my stomach are replaced with wasps that swarm in fury.

I fumble from his grip once my feet land on the ground, and my heart pounds from the look of my mother unexpectedly standing in a robe on the living room carpet. “Mom, I um—”

She points an accusatory finger at Foster, not waiting for me to explain. “Is this why you wanted to leave your school so badly?” She scoffs, scowling. “So, you could whore around with some—” Her cheeks redden as she takes in his tattoos. He crosses his arms and glares her down as I step closer to her. “Some low-life?” she finishes.

I shake my head, in shock that she would be this way in front of him. “Don’t talk about him that way!” I yell at her, not knowing where that came from; I never, ever yell. I look back to Foster and he shakes his head, not wanting me to defend him.

She runs a hand through her perfectly styled hair. Even at night, she looks ready for company. “You were supposed to be at Kate’s!”

The fact that Foster hasn’t budged or left gives me strength. “You were supposed to be on a flight.” I deadpan, which only makes her angrier.

Lightning cracks outside, and she gestures to the window with a wild hand. She hardly takes her eyes off of Foster and refuses to let me forget the disgust she feels by the look of her scrunched-up nose. “Delayed.” She spits.

I turn to Foster, “I’m sorry,” I mouth, nodding my head to the door.

“Warren will never want you now!” She huffs, and I cringe when Foster seems to deflate. Why did she have to bring that up? Embarrassment courses through me, from such a heated moment to now this, and when my father walks in, I step back towards Foster.

“What is all the yelling for?” he asks, remnants of sleep still etched on his face from the pillow. His eyes widen at the sight of the three of us. Mom boiling with rage. Me, embarrassed. Foster, walking up to shake my father’s hand.Shit, shit, shit.

“Get out of my house.” He sneers, gesturing to the door and refusing to touch Foster’s hand.

Foster just nods, sensing the tension, and as he walks past me his fingertips brush my shoulder.

Mom steps closer to me when Foster walks away, she opens her mouth to speak but shuts it for a moment. “Go to bed, young lady!”

I take in a deep breath as the front door clicks shut. “Talk to me however you want, but don’t speak to him that way again.”

---