40

Useless Alibis

Zoey rubbed her head. The rocks from last night had softened to packing peanuts, a slight improvement. She’d been so stupid. Groaning, she rested her forehead against the rough blanket over her bent knees.

“Why’d she leave?” Sawyer’s words drummed like shots from a nail gun.

“Probably because of what she saw.” Yuck, her mouth tasted like packing peanuts too.

“I look that bad without a shirt?”

Was he serious? Zoey squinted at him trying to clear her fuzzy vision. “I think it was me in your bed that made her leave.”

A full second passed before the confusion cleared from his face. Then he swore. “Sorry,” he added.

Whoa. Had Sawyer just apologized for cussing? Her head ached from trying to process that. The world really had flipped upside-down; she’d taken drugs, and Sawyer was apologizing for his language. No, forget an upside-down world; she’d entered a parallel universe.

Sawyer dove for the window, sending the bed swaying and rocking. He peeked through the blinds. “She’s gone.” The words traveled on a dejected sigh. He collapsed onto the end of the bed.

Zoey’s stomach lurched. “Please stop bouncing.”

He wiggled back and forth on the mattress.

At least some things hadn’t changed.

“Thanks for coming last night.” Her gratitude sounded lame after running off Chey.

“You sounded pretty messed up. What happened anyway?”

“Aurora Fire kicked me out after I...” She stared at the blanket, accordion folding it over her legs. She felt like throwing up but didn’t think the beer or pill were to blame. “I passed out and couldn’t sing.”

“Why’d you pass out?” His eyes narrowed, as if he suspected the answer, but wanted to hear her say it.

She’d rather keep the truth to herself. “I was really nervous, and Bailee gave me something to calm me down.”

“What kind of something?”

“I don’t know.” Her voice came out in a scared little whisper. “Some sort of pill.”

“You took drugs from someone without knowing what it was?” Sawyer blasted her. “How could you be so stupid?”

Tears spilled onto her cheeks.

“Even I’m smart enough to know better.”

“I know.” Shame knotted her stomach. First Vance chewed her out for cheating on Justin, now Sawyer was laying into her over taking drugs. Would the devil lecture her for her sins next?

“Stop crying.” He lightly backhanded her leg. “That’s what started this mess—you crying, me trying to make you feel better. I’m not doing that again.”

She giggled through the tears. His attitude was so comfortably Sawyer that it cheered her. Or maybe she was still a little high.

“Is that keyboard Chey’s?” She touched the gray side, only inches from the bed.

“Yeah. She’s really good.” A compliment wrapped in a tone of sadness. Two things rarely heard from him.

“I’m sorry about Chey. But explaining things—”

“Why should I?” Sawyer shifted back into his normal grumpy. “I didn’t do anything.”

“I know, but if you like her, you’ll have to tell her what she saw wasn’t what she thinks she saw.”

“No matter how many times I’ve said that what happened between us meant nothing, she doesn't believe me. Why would she believe me about this?”

An awkward silence settled on the room. Zoey tugged out her necklace. “Did it really mean nothing to you?”

Sawyer turned toward her, but she kept her gaze focused on the beads of the necklace.

“You’re Justin’s girlfriend.”

“We broke up.” She lifted her chin, staring into his eyes and feeling exposed and vulnerable. Goose bumps tingled down her legs. “Doesn’t that mean I can date whoever I want?”

He stared back for a long moment. She tried to read the emotions on his face, but all she saw was regret.

“Yeah, I guess. And I can date whoever I want. That’ll never be you.” Despite the cruelty of the words, Sawyer’s voice wasn’t cruel. More like firm. Certain. Definite. He pushed off the bed and left the room. A door in the hall clicked shut.

Zoey stared into space, emptiness crowding her soul. Only three weeks ago, she’d believed all her dreams were coming true. But she’d thrown it all away last night. No, she’d lost her dreams the day she ditched Justin and Sawyer for Aurora Fire. She climbed off the bed anchoring her feet to the floor until her head stopped swimming. If this was the after effects of drugs, she’d never make that mistake again. Feeling as if she had the flu wasn’t her type of recreational fun.

After closing the door, she eased on her black denim shorts and her shoes. She balled up the stockings and her shirt, vowing to return Sawyer’s tee later. Then she crept into the hall.

The crashing water of the shower echoed through the bathroom door. Zoey leaned against the wall. Her house was a ten-minute walk, but she doubted she could stay upright that long. Livvy might be home, but her car was still at the club so she couldn’t come get Zoey. Closing her eyes, Zoey groaned. How would she explain?

A door creaked. Her eyes popped open, and she straightened trying to look alert.

Sawyer’s mom stepped into the hall. Her gaze traveled down, and her eyebrows inched up.

Heat climbed her neck. Zoey hugged her arms around Sawyer’s shirt trying to hide it. This had to look bad. Really bad. Worse-than-what-Chey-thought bad. As if Lexi could think anything worse. But she was a mom. It was worse.

“Zoey. I didn’t know you were here.”

“Uh, yeah.” Goody, that sounded intelligent. But she couldn’t exactly say, yeah, been here since about two a.m. That would only support the thoughts registering on Lexi’s face.

“So...” Awkward silence swallowed Lexi’s word. “You hanging out here for a while?”

“No. Actually, I need a ride home.”

“I’m heading for work, but I can drop you off on my way.”

“Thanks.”

Lexi knocked on the bathroom door. “I’m leaving for work and giving Zoey a ride home.”

Zoey walked into the living room missing Sawyer’s response, but it must have satisfied Lexi.

“C’mon.” Lexi waved her hand toward the door and breezed past.

Dragging her feet, Zoey followed. Lexi was cool and probably wouldn’t ask any questions, which was why Zoey called Sawyer last night—not that she had any other decent options. But Lexi was still a mom who had just found a girl hanging around her son’s room wearing his clothes.

Maybe she should’ve attempted walking home.

In the car, Zoey fastened her seatbelt and waited for Lexi to start driving. But after the engine roared to life, Lexi gripped the steering wheel staring through the windshield for several seconds.

“OK, what happened?” Lexi twisted to face Zoey, the demand in her voice and eyes. “I know about the kiss, but Sawyer’s been hanging out with Chey and you’re Justin’s girlfriend, so what’s going on?”

Something blazed inside Zoey’s chest. Had someone tattooed “Justin’s girlfriend” on her forehead? They’d broken up! She was just Zoey. “Nothing happened. I got into trouble last night and needed someone to...rescue me.”

“What kind of trouble?”

She ducked to avoid Lexi’s hard stare.

“Look, I can see it in your face, and the fact you came here last night instead of going home.” Lexi let out a sigh. “Drinking, drugs, whatever it was, I’ve lived it.”

She peeked around her curtain of hair. A parent admitting to those things?

“I wasn’t in a band—Sawyer got his talent from his dad—but I met Toby Sawyer at a club where his band was playing. I know what that culture can be like.” Lexi’s voice faded and then returned stronger. “But you and Justin, you’ve always been good kids and a good influence on Sawyer. I don’t want him—or you—to lose that by getting into trouble. My kind of trouble. Understand?”

She nodded. Yeah, she understood all right, but it was a little too late. She’d already lost Justin and her “good kid” status. Her heart shattered again. How many times could a heart break?

“But if you do need rescuing again, don’t hesitate to call Sawyer or me, OK?” Lexi pulled away from the curb.

What would she need rescuing from? No band. No friends. No future. Her dreams were destroyed.

For once, she was glad Mama wasn’t around.