Page 1 of Stay With Me
Prologue
Tripp
*Author’s Note: The following triggers are mentioned and shown on page in the prologue: drunk driving, death due to drunk driving, and witnessing death. If any of these make you uncomfortable, please skip to chapter one. You don’t need to read the prologue to understand the rest of the story as it’ll be talked about briefly in other parts of the book.
“What?” I snap into the phone, thenroll over and flick on my bedside lamp. This better be good.
“Duuuuuuude,” Billy shouts over the loud music playing in the background. “Why aren’t you here? There’s so much pussy, man.”
Rubbing my eyes, I clear my dry throat. “Are you seriously callin’ me at three in the mornin’ drunk off your ass?”
I have to be up in three hours, and I only picked up my phone because I forgot to turn it on silent mode.
“I’ll come get ya!” he yells louder.
I stretch my arm to avoid my eardrum getting blown out. “Billy, no. You can’t drive. And I gotta work.” Ranch chores start before sunrise.
“It’s the last party before graduation! Live a little and come out to Miller’s! There’s like three kegs and a dozen bottles of liquor.” The slurring of his words gets worse as I sit up and blink until my eyes adjust to the bright light. “You gotta get over that stupid crush of yours anyway.”
“Not interested,” I say harshly. Not about the crush part, but the drinking and partying part. But I don’t say that. “Stay there, Billy. Crash on the couch or find a bed.”
“I gotta find me a lady first…” He cracks upat his own words. “There are so many options, bro. I’ll save ya one. You want a blonde or a brunette? I already called the redhead. She looks feisty.Rawr.”
Jesus Christ.I pinch the bridge of my nose and blow out a breath, trying not to lose my shit on his drunken, stupid ass.
Billy Hendersen’s been my best friend since kindergarten and has always been a decent guy, but after his parents split up last year, he’s been wild and reckless. After showing up late to football practice multiple times, he eventually got benched. Then he pulled three no-shows at his part-time job and got fired. Now he’s hanging on by a thread to graduate.
“No, thanks. Imma go back to bed.” Groaning, I fall back on the mattress.
“Yousuuuuck.” He shouts something at the party, and they all holler in return. “That’s it. I’m comin’ to get ya. I’m sick of yourmopey sad, woe-is-meattitude. I’ll drag your ass out of bed if I haveta.”
When I hear keys rattling, I sit up in a panic.Goddamn him.
“No! Fine, I’ll come. Justdon’tdrive.” I grab clothes out of my closet and toss them on the bed. “And I ain’t actin’ that way, so shut the hell up.”
“Nah…you’re just sayin’ that. You ain’t gonna come unless I carry you out here. Which I’ll do because I’m twice your size.” He cackles to himself, and then I hear the sound of an engine roaring.
“Billy! Goddamn, I’m comin’!” I nearly shout. Everyone in the house is asleep and the last thing I need is to wake up my parents as I sneak out of the house. “Get out of your truck.Now.”
“Betta hurry up then…” His taunting voice is unsettling, urging me to get dressed and slide on my boots in a hurry.
“I’m on my way. Seriously. Stay there.” Once I grab my wallet and keys, I go downstairs and rush to my truck. I need to keep him on the phone so I know he doesn’t do anything stupid.
He revs up the gas as if this is a game. “Wanna race? If I get to your house before you get here, you owe me a hundred bucks.”
Fucking hell. “Dude, I’ll give you two hundred to stay put.”
“What fun is that?” I hear him shift into gear and my heart races at the thought of him driving not only intoxicated but in the pitch black. There are no lights on these country roads, and Miller lives on a small dairy ranch with dim lighting. I’ve gone to his parties several times, but everyone always crashes in the loft of the old barn. No one’s allowed to leave if they’ve been drinking.
“Where’s Miller?” I ask.
“With Sabrina.”
“Go find him for me,” I demand, hoping it’ll stall him a little longer as I speed over.
“I ain’t walkin’ in on them fuckin’. Noooo, thank you.”
“Billy, stay there. Please. I’m already on my way,” I grit out between my teeth.
