Smitten || DeAndre Jordan {Crush Sequel}

Chapter Fifteen

DeAndre

I glanced over at Cami, the glow from the dashboard softly lighting her features. She'd been asleep for the better part of the ride home. I was happy to see her relaxed again.

"I'd feel much safer if you kept your eyes on the road rather than on your girlfriend," Blake said sarcastically from the back seat. "Not much room back here for me to get tossed around like a hot potato if you decide to roll this sucker."

I stared at him through the rear view mirror. "Have I ever wrecked a car yet?"

"Eyes—road," he said again, gesturing with two fingers from his eyes toward the windshield, and I laughed.

"Wanna walk the rest of the way?"

"Whatever I need to do to live."

I chuckled again, shaking my head. "You're such a dick, man. I've missed you."

"Oh, I'm the dick–me–the innocent, helpless passenger in the backseat. That's kind of you. At least I'm not a whipped little bitch like you." He grinned and nodded toward Cami.

"Would you like to drive?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Hell no, what do you think I am? A chauffeur? That's what I have you for!" He leaned forward and punched me in the shoulder.

"Hey now! Hands to yourself or I'm gonna pull this car over right now and beat your ass."

"Do it," he replied with a grin. "That's a slam dunk case for police brutality if I ever saw one."

"Because you've been such an expert witness for police brutality in your life," I bantered back.

"Yeah, well, there's always a first time," he came back with a grin.

"Jerk wad."

"Douchebag."

"Hey, my girlfriend is in the car. Chill, be nice."

"So you can dish it but you can't take it? You got to hide behind your little girlfriend." He laughed and batted his eyelashes, raising his voice. "It's okay sweetie. I'll protect you. Come to mommy."

"Man, what have you been smokin' today?" He was on one tonight.

"Nothing–I swear," he replied suddenly serious. "Drinking beer and smoking cigarettes is the worst thing I've done since I was in the hospital. I guess that's one good thing James did for me."

"Scared you straight?" I glanced back through the mirror.

He sighed heavily. "Pretty much, yeah. I don't ever want to go through that again."

"I don't blame you. I'm not gonna lie–I didn't think you'd make it. I've seen cases like yours out in the field. None of them survived. You were in bad shape." The memories of Blake foaming at the mouth as he seized in my arms would be something that haunted me forever.

He let out a puff of air. "I'm resilient like that. No way were you getting rid of me that easy," he replied, immediately lightening the mood again.