Page 15 of Need for Speed

“Then we deal with it. I’ve got your back regardless,” he pauses before looking over at me, “but I think once Axell has some time to come to terms with it and realize why you lied, he’ll come around.”

“Well, he’ll have plenty of time once I leave for South Carolina. Who knows how long I’ll be stuck down there.”

Seth sighs. “Look, I’ll go with you if you want me to.”

My head whips in his direction, “What?”

“I’m not saying I really want to, but I will because you need me. It’s not for her, it’s for you,” Seth says quietly.

Tears prickle my eyes to think of how much he’s sacrificing for me by offering to go. He has no idea how much that means to me. I reach over and squeeze his hand. “Thank you but I think this is something I need to do on my own. Plus, I don’t want youto go see her unless it’s for you.” We sit in a comfortable silence for a while. “So, what are we going to do about Lyndsay?”

“What about Lyndsay?”

I sit up straighter, a plan already formulating in my mind. “For us to get her back for you.”

“No.”

“Yes, you care about her. I can see that, and I was wrong for thinking otherwise. So, now I need to fix this for you guys before I leave,” I explain to him.

“You and plans are never a good thing.”

Once I felt certain that my plan would work for Seth and Lyndsay, I left him to finish it up. I had a lunch date with a hungover Jovi. I had no doubt that Axell was making him pay for his night of sneaking out and drinking but at the moment that was the least of my worries. I’m more concerned about the fact that he wants to enlist in the Marines.

The Marines? Really? How the hell did this even happen? Jovi has never mentioned anything about the army, let alone the Marines. It’s not a family thing for him either. I don’t know what brought on this change of heart. For as long as I can remember he wanted to go into computer science.

As I pull into the driveway, I have to take a moment to remind myself to go easy on him at lunch. For some reason he has decided he wants to do this, and I need to hear him out. I may not agree, but I do need to try and understand where he is coming from. I’m just about to call his phone when he steps out of the house. He’s grown up so much over the last few months. He shot up in height overnight it feels like. He’s at least 6’2” now, but his eyes are hid behind his aviator style type sunglasses. He dresses similar to his brothers. Today, he’s sporting aPop Evilconcert t-shirt, khaki shorts, and a pair of flip flops. His messy brown hair moves with every step he takes. He slides into the passenger seat. “How has your morning been?” I ask.

I see him shrug out of the corner of my eye. “It’s been fine.”

“Look, I know something is bothering you. Last night was nothing like you and I plan to get to the bottom of it today at lunch. I won’t push you right this moment but I’m also not going to let this go. We apparently have a lot to talk about,” I tell him while giving him a pointed look.

We pull into the parking lot of the restaurant. Jovi is silent but just like the gentleman he is, he makes sure to open the door for me. Once we’re seated and have ordered, Jovi clears his throat. “I know you heard dad this morning about the Marines, but you haven’t said anything about it yet, why?”

“Well, I’m not happy about that decision, but I do realize that it is your life and your decision to make. I would like to hear why this choice has surfaced now.”

I watch as Jovi pulls his sunglasses from his eyes and slips them into the collar of his shirt. “Multiple reasons really. I never gave it much thought until they showed up at our school. I like the idea of being able to help people and learning my limits both physically and mentally. I’d get to see some parts of the world that I would probably never get the chance to otherwise. It could also turn out to be a great stepping stone for a career. There’s also the fact that they will pay for my college education.”

“If you’re worried about the money for college, you don’t need to. Axell and I have that covered.”

He shakes his head, “It’s not that. I just honestly feel like this is the best decision for me.”

“What does Monrowe think?” I ask

Jovi is too much like his brothers, too good at hiding his emotions, but luckily, I’ve had enough experience with the James boys to catch the sad look that flashes through his eyes. “She hates the idea. She’s made that very clear,” he says with a shrug.

“Can you blame her?”

“A little. She’s supposed to love me and support me. I’d support her if the roles were reversed but she’s just being…impossible. It’s like she wants to throw our relationship away. I mean, I factored her into my decision. The Marines is also good for our future. Why do I feel like dad is the only one supporting me right now?”

I reach across and take his hand in mine. “He’s not but this coming out of the blue so you have to give the rest of us some time to get used to this. Now, why did last night happen?”

“Can we do this once we are back in the car, please?” Jovi asks, and I hear the plead in his voice, so I just nod. Once we’re back in the car Jovi leans forward and turns down the radio. “I’m sorry about last night. I was on the phone with Monrowe and she was telling me that she didn’t think I really loved her and that maybe it was best if we ended things now. I kept trying to explain things to her, but she wouldn’t listen. Eventually, she hung up on me, but I knew she was crying so I felt like I had to go to her. I got dressed and snuck out of the house but when I got there, she wouldn’t talk to me, but I guess I started to raise my voice, so she came outside and we went to the beach.”

What he says makes sense, but he didn’t explain one thing, “And the beer?”

“A really dumb decision. I got it before I picked up Monrowe. I just feel like my life should be sorting out and moving on, it’s just getting messier and I’m moving backwards,” he explains.

“How did you get the beer, Jovi?”

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