Rampage ✔

Chapter twenty eight

"What took you so long?" Reece pushes himself off of my car as I amble closer to him.

    "Sorry," I mumble, "I got held up with something."

    "You ready for those nuggets?"

    My mind being distracted, I toss him the keys, "you drive."

    Reece catches them easily, his eyes surprised. "Really?"

    My mind keeps replaying Kayden's kiss in my head. Why would he kiss me? I mean, I thought he might have a crush on me but I never thought he'd act on it, especially not like that. Why did he act like that after? He acted like he was angry, but not with me, more with himself. I don't understand what's going on with him.

    "Yeah," I nod. "I don't feel like driving today."

    "Okay," Reece says once we're on the road. "What's going on?"

    "Nothing."

    "Quinn, you promised you wouldn't keep anything from me anymore."

    I glance at him to see he's frowning at the road. "This doesn't have anything to do with my stalker."

    "Aha!" he exclaims. "So you admit there's something going on."

    I scoff. "You're ridiculous."

    "But you love me," he smirks.

    Oh Reece, I think to myself. You have no idea.

    Pulling into the Mcdonald's drive-thru, he orders for us before continuing, "Seriously though, is there something wrong?"

    I sigh heavily knowing he isn't going to drop it. "What I'm about to tell you, you can't repeat to anyone."

    He gives me a look. "Who would I tell?"

    I shrug, taking a deep breath. "Kayden kissed me."

    His head snaps to look at me so fast I'm afraid he got whiplash. "What!?"

    "Kayden kissed me."

    He turns back to look out the windshield, hands tightening on the wheel. "Did you kiss him back?"

    "No," I shake my head, "I pushed him away. He was acting weird after though."

    Reece's hands slowly loosen on the wheel. "That's because the girl he liked just rejected him."

    "It was more than that. He didn't really seem upset about me pushing him away at all. It was something else, I just don't know what."

    "Hmm," Reece mutters, "weird."

    "Extremely."

    The window slides open and the worker hands Reece a paper bag and two drinks. He parks the car in the back of the lot and passes me my box of chicken nuggets. "Maybe he realized he didn't like you after all?"

    "What do you mean?"

    He shoves a fry in his mouth. "Maybe the kiss didn't live up to his expectations and he realized he only liked the idea of you."

    I blink. "Are you lowkey saying I'm a bad kisser?"

    "No!" He bursts out laughing. "That's not what I meant at all."

    The night of spin the bottle comes to mind and I remember him whispering to me that I wasn't a bad kisser. My face flames at the memory and I quickly stuff my mouth with a nugget. Maybe what Reece said is true though. Kayden could have realized he didn't actually like me and felt awkward afterwards.

    "All I'm saying," Reece continues, "is that I wouldn't put too much thought into it. He seems to have taken the hint that you aren't into him."

    I chew thoughtfully, "yeah."

    Reece's eyes flick to me. "You don't like him, right?"

    "No!"

    "Then you have nothing to worry about. I'm sure it'll blow over soon."

    My phone beeps with a text.

    Quinn,

    You're testing my patience. Don't make me do something we'll both regret.

    The food I just ate threatens to come back up as I read the message over and over again. There's no way he could know about the kiss with Kayden. Unless... unless he's talking about Reece? We are sitting out in the open in the car together. It wouldn't be hard to see us.

    My head swivels around to look out the windows, trying to find anyone who looks suspicious around.

    "What's wrong?" Reece asks, taking in my expression.

    "I just got another text."

    He snatches the phone out of my hand, reading the message quickly. His nostrils flare as his fingers tighten around my phone. "Is he watching us right now?"

    I shake my head. "I don't know, probably."

    Reece throws the rest of his food into the paper bag and starts the car.

    "Where are we going?" I ask, fastening my seatbelt.

    "Back to school," he says. "It's safer there."

    "You don't think he'd do anything in broad daylight, do you?"

    My stalker isn't crazy enough to do that, is he? Who knows. This guy could be anyone, I don't know what he's crazy enough to do. I mean, he's crazy enough to stalk a seventeen year old girl, there's no telling what else he'd do.

    Reece glances at me, taking in my terrified eyes, and interlaces his hand with mine. "No, I don't think he would."

    His hand instantly warms my own frozen fingers and has a calming effect on me. One touch from Reece and my terror fades into feeling safe and protected. Reece has my back no matter what, I know that now, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.