Page 35 of Midnights
We don't.
We don’t have any plans tomorrow. And wedefinitelydon’t have any friends here.Theydon’t know that, though.
But before I can fully detach myself from this moment, Cam speaks up. “Why don’t you let us give you a ride?”
I freeze, glancing at Rachel, hoping she’s about to bail us out of this mess, but she tilts her head looking intrigued.Of course she does.I brace myself for whatever is about to come out of her mouth.
“Thank you, but we’re fine,” Rachel tells them. “Our place isn’t too far, just a few blocks.”
Thank Fuck.
Kane just stares at me, not saying a word.
“What?” I frown. “Why are you looking at us like that?”
He huffs, shaking his head. “A few blocks? You can’t seriously think we’re going to let you just walk home. Especially when you’re drunk in a foreign country.”
His tone is final, like this is not up for debate.
I fold my arms, trying to ignore the way he’s looking at me. He’s acting like he's already decided how this is going to go.
“I appreciate the concern,” I try to keep my voice level. “But it’s really not necessary. Plus, it's a nice night.”
Rachel shifts beside me, her eyes flicking between us like she’s debating whether or not she should step in or let me dig my own grave.
Before I can say anything else, Cam grins and shakes his head. “For real, what kind of men do you think we are? Letting two beautiful women walk home alone in the dark? That’s how horror movies start. Next thing you know, you’ll turn into pumpkins.”
I snort.What?
Rachel, on the other hand, thrives in moments like these and doesn’t miss a beat. “First of all, it was just thecarriagethat turned into a pumpkin,notCinderella,” she corrects, hands on her hips. “And second, we’re not even remotely Cinderellas. We don’t need saving.”
She flashes a wicked grin. “But hey, close enough.Anyway, bye!”
Before they can argue, she grabs my arm and starts to drag me down the sidewalk.
Kane clears his throat. “We insist. Excuse me, ladies. Right this way.”
His hand touches the small of my back for just a second longer than necessary, guiding us down the street like he’s completely unbothered by the fact that we already said no.
I spin around, placing a hand over my heart. “Goodness,” I say, pretending to be shocked. “You really should work on your people skills.”
His lips twitch and he exhales sharply, shaking his head like we’re both insufferable. “Okay. But don’t think for a second that we’re letting you walk just because you’re determined to be stubborn.”
His smirk is lazy, but no less confident. “Consider it my good deed for the evening.”
I arch a brow. “A good deed? Wow, how selfless of you.”
Rachel hums thoughtfully. “We wouldn’t want you to ruin your fancy shoes.”
Cam bursts into laughter. “Fuck, I like you two.”
Kane’s eyes gleam with amusement as he watches me like he enjoys getting under my skin.
“Fine,” I mutter, cutting my losses. “You can walk us home. But you’re not driving us anywhere.”
Rachel grins. “We’re not about to give you an opportunity to kidnap us with your car.”
Kane scoffs, shaking his head. “Christ, you two are exhausting.”
