I Shouldn’t Love Him (Book 2) – Chapter 70
LAC
Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry
If I so much as glanced, the officer would find me in the back of the truck, take us back to camp, tell Gary and to my father, maybe even stop Manning – and it would all be my fault. I asked Manning to take me, take me for a ride, put me in the water.
all dark space. Last I heard, Manning asked why the cop wanted him out of the car.
upidly tried to kiss him. I hadn’t touched him, I hadn’t gotten physical enough. Tiffany did it, and I needed it too.
g.
girl.
Tiffany.
e, about to get arrested, because
bass in Manning’s voice, the only thing that calmed my heart a little. He wouldn’t let the man find me. He wouldn’t leave me here. Eventually they got close enough to the window that I could hear them. “Only if you don’t mind,” Manning said as he opened the door.
he officer said. “If that doesn’t work, I have a friend I can wake up to take a look. Or I’ll drive you back to camp if you want, and you can take care of it in th
to shiver.
nd there was a loud, awkward pop from the front. “Here w
me over the partition. I nodded. head to let him know I was okay, even though I was holding back my sobs. He left for
p.
u damn,” Manning said under his breath.
he officer said. “Your lucky night.”
Yes sir.”
t for a few seconds. I could
for your help,” he said through the window.
We were on the road for a few minutes before either of us spoke.
mirror. I was too afraid to speak, let alone move. After a minute, he waved out the window and started driving. We were on the road for a few minutes before either of us spoke.
ou?” he asked without turning around.
?”
t, not really. I had gone too far. Manning had been good to me the last five weeks. Protected me. Taug
.
ected him to scold me, but inst
ave nothing to regret.”
k to me. “No one can know about tonight. Already.”
o anything, even though it was our last chance. I can’t say goodbye to you tomorrow. I will not do
bridge of his nose and inhaled. “Listen to me, Lake. Yo
“But-”
o.”
hat too
ng…” “
you to understand.”
ee me as Tiffany. If Tiffany found out, she would be embarrassed. And the reality was that Manning could have gotten in trouble tonight because of what I did. I was a minor. He wasn’t. He would be punished like an adult. He had no family on his side – in fact, maybe Tiffany and I were all he had at the
r me too,” I said.
at.”
what happens, where you go, where I go, it won’t change the fact – I’ll be eighteen in two years.”
, Lake. Me too.
ssenger door. “Go straight to your cabin.”
r, grabbed my flip flops, and closed the door. “Good evening.”
as I drove away I just heard him respond, “‘Night, Lake.”
not to make any noise. I passed Tiffany’s cabin on the way to mine. For a moment, I was tempted to climb into her sleeping bag instead and hold on to her.
anged limb by limb without making a sound. When I opened my sleeping bag, the zipper whistled.
you?”
nt to the bathroom,”
over in my head.
fingers, moving closer to my shorts.
.
The flannel felt smooth on the back of my hand. The crinkled polyester sleeping bag. My heart was beating steadily in my chest, but if I stood still, I could feel my puls
dn’t even done? Manning would have said it, even
u can’t move the stars.
le.