He grins at me and then retrieves his phone out of his pocket to call his mom. I keep an eye on Mikey’s car, hoping he stays in there until we’re gone, because if he gets out and Micha finds out he hit me, all shit’s going to hit the fan. Micha isn’t the most violent person, except when it comes to me. I remember how Micha told me he punched Grantford Davis because he was the one who drove me to the bridge that night.

“Okay, she’ll be here in, like, five,” Micha announces, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. Then he steps forward, rubbing his hands together, breathing out a cloud of air. “Now for some leg rubbing.”

I laugh as he backs me up against the car and then lifts me and sits me down on his lap as he sinks into the driver’s seat and shuts the door. He starts rubbing his hands up and down my legs, tickling my thighs and making the air feel sweltering even though it’s below zero out. Ethan and Lila start making out in the passenger seat, making these breathless noises, and Micha whispers something about them challenging us and then kisses me roughly.

The next few minutes move by in a blurry haze full of kissing and touching and awkwardness because Lila and Ethan are in the seat next to us doing the same thing. But everyone’s too drunk to care and by the time Micha’s mom pulls up beside us in Thomas’s old pickup, she damn near gets an eyeful.

Thankfully, everyone’s clothes are still on when she raps on the window. She makes Micha and I get out, cracking a joke about us acting like teenagers again, almost like she sort of misses it.

Micha and I get in the backseat and Ethan climbs back, too, ungracefully diving over the console. Then Lila follows him, jumping onto his lap. We’re crammed in the backseat, Lila’s knees pressing against mine as I pretty much ball myself up on Micha’s lap.

“There’s room up here,” Micha’s mom says, patting the empty passenger seat and then she adjusts the rearview mirror.

“We’re good,” the four of us say nearly in sync and then we laugh.

Micha’s mom sighs and then follows Thomas out of the parking lot, leaving the bar, Mikey, and our past behind. At least for now.

Chapter 16

Micha

I feel bad about getting wasted, but I was having fun hanging out and drinking beers and shots with Ethan and I got a little carried away. I promise myself that I won’t be mean to Ella no matter what and it’s actually pretty easy, considering the moment I see her I want to tear off her clothes and bury myself inside her.