Taming the Street Racer ✔️

46 | piece together

The next day, Peyton and Violet check up on me together, apparently finding strength in numbers. Violet is carrying a Chick-fil-A bag and Pey holds three milkshakes. All three cherries are already placed on the chocolate milkshake, just for me. I hug them both as they sit down on my bed. I'm careful not to hurt Vi, who is still nursing two broken ribs and a broken arm.

"Sadie and Tommy?" I ask, sipping my milkshake. They're both staring at me with poorly-disguised happiness while watching me talk and eat.

Peyton snaps out of her surprise first. "Sadie's...um...at the hospital. I think she told me she was going to paint Gracie's nails...."

She trails off and I press my lips together. "You can talk about Gracie around me, you know? I won't break," I say.

Violet raises her eyebrows. "Are you sure, Riv? Because you've been pretty fragile for the past two weeks."

Pey nudges her lightly for being so straightforward, but I don't feel attacked. Vi's tone wasn't mean, just very matter-of-fact. A kick in the ass. It seems like she's taking a different approach to jolting me out of my post-break-up misery.

I promise, "I'm fine, really. Fine enough." Then the truth presses at my lips. I add, "At least...I'm trying to be fine. It's an uphill battle right now."

Peyton gives me a reassuring smile, satisfied by what I'm saying. "That's great, Riv. Everything that you're going through right now is totally normal. All that matters is that you're trying to move on."

Violet grabs my hand. "Yeah, do whatever you need to do, babe. Cry, kick, scream, destroy, anything. Whatever it takes to get you past this."

I grip my comforter in my hands and stare at them warmly, remembering the love I was receiving long before I met Gray. They take my burdens as theirs, not because I force them to, but because they'd do anything to help me. Peyton and Violet have been here to support me during my darkest times, and that hasn't changed just because he came along.

I hate that it's taken a harsh breakup for me to truly appreciate them.

I take an appreciative bite of a chicken nugget and the three of us chew in silence. Then I remember my thought from earlier. "Where's Tommy?"

Peyton and Violet pause mid-chew, looking at each other quickly. They try to hide their panic but I catch it. "What? Is he okay? I thought he was discharged the same day as you, Vi."

Vi nods her head slowly. "He did. Tommy's fine. He's just..."

"I can handle it."

"He's at Trevor's funeral right now."

My bite of chicken feels like a rock sliding down my throat. "Why didn't anyone tell me? I should have gone. I owe him that."

Peyton scoffs. "You don't owe him anything, Riv. He almost killed Gracie, Violet, and Tommy. Intentionally. And we're pretty sure that his real targets were you and Grayson. If Tommy hadn't taken Grayson's car that night, who knows what Trevor would have been planning to do to you and Grayson for revenge? That kid was a maniac, and I don't feel bad for saying that even though he's dead."

"But he did that because of me. I led him on. I broke his fucking heart and, in the end, three of the people closest to me ended up getting hurt," I say, staring down at my food. "It's my fault that Gracie almost di--"

"Riv, no," Vi says, shaking me. "You can't blame yourself for the shit that Trevor decided to do. He decided to target Grayson's car. He decided to injure innocent people. It's all him, Riv. The only reason Tommy went was to get one last look at that manic fucker."