Page 85 of Subscriber Wars

Aspen: Of course. Are you okay?

I look at the girl staring back at me in the bedroom mirror. Her makeup is smudged, and she looks like she’s been rocking in a corner. Her eyeliner would make her uncle Pe proud, though. Even through that sweaty, fantastic as shit sex, her eyeliner held up.

I force a smile to the mirror and text her back.

Me: I’m fine. Just miss your face.

I pick up Sebastian’s phone from where he threw it and leave it on the bed, before hurrying to my room. I need to get the hell out of here. My heart is acting like it’s breaking, and my head is feeling guilty. How did I not know Brick was an assmonkey? I need—I need a damn hug and maybe a shower.

Me: You promise you won’t be mad?

Dad: I promise I won’t kill anyone. Will that work?

I smile. My dad is ridiculous.

Me: You promise not to tell Mom?

Dad: You’re asking a lot of me, kiddo.

Me: Please.

I know he’ll agree eventually. He always does.

Dad: Deal, but if she finds out, I will throw you under the bus.

Me: Deal. Can you come pick me up?

His response is almost instant.

Dad: Where are you?

Ugh. Why couldn’t Aspen and the guys have been home?

Me: At the lake house.

Dad: Alone?

I bite my lip and say a little prayer. My dad is a calm man, but sometimes, he loses his shit. I can only hope this isn’t one of those times.

Me: I am now.

Dad: Thankfully, you have an hour and a half to pray I cool down before I get to you.

Me: Maybe bring Uncle Mason as a witness?

Uncle Mason won’t let my dad go all Hulk-like when he gets here and finds out I spent the weekend with a boy. I might be nineteen and a grown woman, but my dad gives zero shits about my age. To him, I will always be his little girl.

Dad: Don’t you move until I get there.

As scary as my Dad is when he’s mad, for some reason, it’s a lot better than riding home with Sebastian, who basically just told me it was all over and to pack my shit, so we can go home and go back to being enemies.

No thank you. I’d rather my dad yell at me and then hug me before he feels bad and takes me out for tacos and ice cream. My mother broke him in well.

“Vee! Let’s go!”

At Sebastian’s angry roar, I come out of my room and hover in the doorway of the guest room. “I think I’m going to stay here for a while.”

Sebastian’s hair is a mess, like he’s been raking his hands in it. “You want to stay?”

---