Page 173 of Hate Mates

Mr. Drake sounds just like I remember, kinda raspy, almost like a smoker, but I’d never seen him touch a cigarette.

“Son.”

“Hey, Dad. You’re on speaker. I’m on the road now. How’s he doing?”

“He was excited last night when I told him you were driving up again.”

“Ah, missing me already? It’s only been three days.”

“Yeah.”

Three days is a lot when your days are numbered.

“How’s the weather?”

Lochlan sighs. It’s clear that he’s hoping to fabricate the truth, but he also doesn’t want to lie to his father. “Kinda bad.”

“Look, Son. I don’t want you to have an accident.”

“I won’t. I’m fine.”

“It’s a long way to travel by yourself in the snow.”

“I’m not by myself.”

“You’re not?”

“No, I-uh, I picked up Lourdez on the way. She’d broken down and was apparently on her way there, too.”

“Loch, is that a good idea?”

“Dad, you’re on speakerphone,” he reminds him.

“I know, and I haven’t said anything bad. I just, I don’t want any more trouble for you.”

“I understand that, but he wanted to see all his friends, so whether we’d traveled together or apart, we’d have run into each other today.”

“I guess.”

“I’m fine. Really.”

“Loch—”

“Dad, I get it, I do. But I’m okay, I swear.”

Lochlan’s eyes shift to me, all curled in on myself, feeling like I’m the worst person in the world because, to the Drakes, I am.

The car judders, and it pulls my eyebrows down. This happened earlier, too. It’s almost like the vehicle just wants to give up whenever Lochlan’s attention drifts.

He doesn’t seem to notice.

“Just drive safe, and I don’t want you to rush, but just know, he’s not like he was yesterday when you called.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“I think that when you leave here today, that’ll be the last time you see your brother.” A sniffle comes down the line.

I feel the same suffocation that Lochlan does as he tries to spit out his words—any words. Nothing leaves his mouth but his tongue wetting his lips.

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