Page 47 of One Last Verse

“I’m not feeling very comfortable with my brother driving a sixty-thousand-dollar car alone,” I said, scouring his features.

“He’ll be fine.”

A pause.

“I hate you a little bit right now.”

“Only a little bit?” Frank laughed softly. “You two owe me a ride, by the way.”

“I think we can arrange that. I don’t know where we’re going to put you, though.”

“We’ll probably have to go without you.”

“Ahh, I don’t know about that.” I shook my head. “You’re a bad influence, Frank Wallace.”

“I’m trying not to be.” There was no pretense in his voice. He spoke from his heart and he spoke the truth, and as much as I wanted to hate him for putting me through hell this past week, I couldn’t. There was something about him—maybe his vulnerability or maybe his efforts—that made me want to hug him and hold him close until the end of forever.

I loved him that much.

“Frank?” I reached for his hand, my gaze aimlessly roaming over the interior of the Escalade. “I think time apart is good for us.” I wasn’t sure I meant it.

“I think we’ve been apart enough.”

“Things have to change… You understand that, right?”

“Yes. I do. And I promise to work through my issues.”

“Thank you.”

He looked at me with such intensity, my cheeks started to burn. “I’ll call you later.” I slipped out of my seat. “I can’t let Ashton drive that car alone.”

“Okay.” Frank nodded.

I didn’t like how easily I’d forgiven him, but I didn’t like my life without him either.

My mother thought I was on drugs when I told her about the Z4.

“You’re joking!” she exclaimed over the phone.

“Mom, I’m not joking.”

“Well, who is this man?”

“I’ll tell you soon.” I had to. I couldn’t keep this secret from my own mother much longer, especially since Frank wasn’t being careful anymore.

Truth was, in my mind, we were back together. I simply hadn’t told him yet. He deserved to suffer just a bit more.

"Why can't you tell me now?” she insisted.

“I’ll see you in a couple of hours, Mom.”

“Did you have to get a two-seater?” I scolded Ashton as we cruised down Sunset Boulevard with the top down and Post Malone blasting on the radio.

"Sorry," he said in a singsong voice. “I wasn’t planning on driving my entire family around in this car.”

“Watch the road, Schumacher.”

“You need to chill, sis.” He laughed and turned up the volume. The shit-eating grin on his face grew wider.

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