Page 41 of Trusting Blake
“You know what would be romantic?” Tori muses, gazing dreamily up at the ceiling. “If you went with him.”
I stare at her. “To Memphis?”
“Well, yeah. Why not? Both of you are in trouble with your parents, so why not take off together until things cool down?”
“I’m in trouble with my parentsbecauseI keep taking off with Blake,” I point out, but her idea fizzes inside of me, a playful suggestion that grows bigger and bigger. “I snuck out with you guys to go to Nashville last weekend, and then I snuck outagainyesterday to see him.”
Tori smirks. “So, what’s a third time?”
“Tori, you are theworstinfluence,” Savannah tuts, shaking her head disapprovingly as her earrings dangle wildly.
“I’d rather be a bad influence than an Everett Harding superfan,” Tori fires back, grabbing one of the cushions next to me and flinging it across the living room at her. “When you post that photo on Instagram later, please mention in the caption that you were a stuttering mess.”
Savannah launches the cushion back at her, but Tori bats it away and then dives toward Savannah on the couch, wrestling with her. The two of them are in fits of giggles as they play-fight, poking each other in the ribs and trying to shove the other to the floor.
But I’m not part of this easy friendship. My mind is all out of focus, foggy but with the idea of Memphis sparking little fires of possibility. I stare at a smudge on the TV screen as my head thumps with thoughts of Blake. I’m already in everyone’s bad books. There’s not much more my parents can do to punish me at this point, so Tori’s joking suggestion poses a valid question. Whatisa third time in the grand scheme of things? How much worse can it get?
“Guys,” I snap, and Savannah and Tori abruptly pause their gentle wrestling to look at me. “I need to borrow one of your phones.”
16
“They’re going to kill me this time for sure,” I murmur.
Wedged in between Savannah and Tori, I sprint down the dirt track toward the gate. We have to move quickly and escape out to the other side of the gate before my parents or Ruben discover I’ve left the house. There’s a small duffel bag over my shoulder that I threw together in five minutes flat, because Blake plans to spend the night in Memphis. So not only am I sneaking out, but I may actually be running away, at least for twenty-four hours. I’ve left a note promising that I will, indeed, come back.
“Ihatewhen they make us run track at school,” Tori says, wiping sweat from her brow. “I can’t believe I’m doing this for you, Mila.”
“You hate everything at school, Tori,” Savannah points out.
We stop just in front of the gate to inhale a gulp of fresh air before the real cardio workout begins. We need to race to the Willowbank ranch at full speed, not only to avoid a barrage of questions from the press outside, but also because Blake is waiting for me there. Myles is looking after Bailey for the night, because there’s no way LeAnne would ever take sole responsibility for a dog she never wanted Blake to get in the first place.
“Ready?” I whisper, but I don’t wait for the thumbs-up. I point my remote at the gate and open it. “Go!”
And like a bat out of hell, I take off running, my strides long. Savannah is close on my heels, though Tori lags behind a little, panting and muttering, “Why would anyone do this forfun?”
The paparazzi scrambles to grab their cameras and a few of them chase us, but they quickly realize a boring picture of the sweaty back of Everett Harding’s daughter isn’t what they’re holding out for, so they soon back off. But we don’t stop running, just in case.
“I see Blake’s truck!” Savannah pants as she sprints alongside me, pointing a shaky arm out toward her ranch as we approach.
I squint through the tinted lenses of my sunglasses. Blake’s truckisparked outside Savannah’s home, ready to make a getaway. Even though my energy is running out, I find my legs moving faster, leaving even Savannah in the dust.
“Thanks, guys!” I call back to my friends as I slow into a jog up the dirt track, heading through the Bennett property toward the truck. “I’ll use Blake’s phone to keep in touch!”
“You owe me!BIG TIME!” Tori yells back, doubling over with her hands on her knees, gasping for air like she’s just run a world-record marathon.
“Have fun!” Savannah says with an enthusiastic wave. “Make it worth the trouble you guys are going to be in when you get back!”
Breathless, I jump into the truck, place my duffel bag down at my feet, and turn to Blake with a smirk so mischievous it could compete with his. “Hey, boyfriend. You thought you’d go to Memphis without me, huh?”
Blake leans over and kisses me, one hand cupping my jaw and his lips forming a soft smile, a promise against mine. He was more than happy when I called and asked to join him. This might be the craziest thing I’ve ever done, but I think I like the feel of crazy.
It’s a straightforward, three-hour drive down the highway to Memphis from Fairview. We have the windows cracked open and the breeze ruffles my hair, but it’s refreshing and I stick my arm out every once in a while, feeling the wind whistle through my fingers. As always, there is a constant stream of music that Blake can’t help but sing along to.
“Wait, can I hear youhummingthe lyrics?” Blake asks, cutting off the volume to catch me in the act.
I immediately stop my bumbling attempt at singing. “You play this song all the time! I know the chorus by now.”
“Hit it then,” he says, blasting the volume back up as the song enters its chorus for the final time.
