Page 87 of Cruise Control

“God, he’s socontrolling.”

And that was it. Parker knew he'd lost. Lost to a douchebag with messy hair and tight jeans, all because the douche had given Paige a ride two years ago and knew the magic word. Parker could see the curtain drop behind her eyes. It was like watching a door slam shut in his face. Still, he could be a man about this. A really pissed off, ready to kill someone, burn down this fucking house man, but a man nonetheless.

“Okay. Paige, I'm leaving. I'm going to walk out that door and I'm going to drive away and I'm not going to come back,” he said, starting to walk backwards. She stared at him defiantly.

“You can’t get to tell me what to do, Parker, you don't own me,” she replied. He opened the door.

“Paige, if you would just stop and use your fucking head for once, instead of trying so hard to prove you're not reliving the past, you’d realize I'venevertold you want to do,” he said. Her hands balled into fists.

“But you’re always making me feel like Ishoulddo whatever you want!” she yelled. Parker sighed, not sure what else to say. He finally just shrugged one shoulder and turned away from her.

“It didn’t have to be like this.”

And he walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

He angrily sat down in his car and slammed the door shut. He started backing out of the driveway, but then spied Paige’s backpack in his back seat. He slammed on the brakes, reached back and grabbed it, then chucked it out the passenger window onto the lawn. Then he hit the gas and peeled out of Trent’s driveway before roaring down the street.

Fuck all of them.

*

IALWAYS THINK I’VEgone too far, and then I manage to do something even worse than the time before.

Paige held back a curtain and watched out the window as Parker threw her backpack out of his car. She flinched when his tires squealed against the pavement. And then he was gone, his taillights flashing as he took a corner too fast.

“I amnotgoing to come back,”his voice echoed through her brain.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” she mumbled, still staring out the window. She felt Trent’s hands on her shoulders, massaging her.

“He was a dick. We all know what a free spirit you are, you can’t be contained,” he told her.

“I still shouldn’t have done that. I should’ve gone with him,” she replied.

“After what he said about me? He’s a dick!” Trent repeated, digging his fingers into her flesh before working them lower.

“No, he’s not. He’s just mad at me. I should leave,” she said, chewing on the side of her thumbnail. Trent’s massaging slowed down and she felt his palms press flat against her back.

“No, that’s stupid. Stay, I’ve got a spare room, you can crash here until you’re ready to go. I still owe you breakfast,” he chuckled. She frowned. His hands were perilously close to her ass.

“Trent, stop,” she muttered, waving his hands away. He moved them to her hips.

“Have I told you how good you look? It’s been a long time, Paige,” he whispered near her ear.

“I should go after him. Thanks for inviting me, I had an awesome time,” she said, pushing away and heading towards the door. She'd barely cracked it open when Trent's hand appeared above her head and shut it.

“Don’t go yet, Paige. We’ve barely gotten to talk, that jerk off was always cockblocking me,” Trent said softly, leaning his head down so it was almost touching her shoulder. His hands came around her waist.

“Trent. Stop. I’m not doing this, I’ve been with Parker this whole time,” she told him, pushing at his hands. He spun her around.

“You said he wasn’t your boyfriend,” he pointed out. She nodded.

“Well, he’s not, but we -MMPH!” her voice was cut off by Trent pressing his lips to hers, his tongue invading her mouth. She pushed him off.

“Wow, been alongtime, huh, Paige?” he asked with a leer.

“I'm outta here,” she grumbled, turning around and opening the door. His hand was suddenly there, shutting it again.

“C’mon, baby, don’t be cold to me,” he said, running a hand down her back. She shuddered, pulling at the door knob.

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