Ride Or Die | Book #1 ✓

Chapter 32

My eyes flickered open and the surrounding environment wasn't my room. I shot up in the realization that I fell asleep at Pierce's last night when I was supposed to get home before Aster so he wouldn't notice I had been gone. I grabbed my phone, looking through the text from Evangeline and Aster as well as the many missed calls.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath as I threw the blankets off of my body and started strapping my heels on. Pierce groaned before rubbing his eyes and sitting up in bed, the blanket falling to his lap only to reveal his built chest. "What the hell are you doing? It's nine in the morning." Pierce's voice was filled with raspiness.

"I was supposed to go home, Aster is going to kill me!" I ran a hand through my hair as I stood up straight after strapping on my heels. I looked at Pierce, sending him a look that he needed to bring me home immediately. Pierce groaned as he forced himself out of bed and grabbed a pair of black jeans and a plain white v neckline t-shirt. Pierce searched for his keys and I walked out of his room as I twiddled my thumb over my screen; not knowing what to send Aster.

"Aspen?" A voice questioned in confusion. My head snapped up from my phone as I stared at Juniper who stared back at Pierce and me confused as to why we were coming out of his bedroom. "What are you doing here? And why are you still in your clothes from last night?"

Her eyes glanced between Pierce and me, making me freeze in my spot. Think! I racked my brain as I tried to figure out what else to say. "Uh.." I trailed off "I just um, last night I came back with Pierce for a bit and I just got really tired and fell asleep."

"Why did you come back with Pierce?" She narrowed her eyes at me, and I knew the interrogation was about to come. Juniper was going to tell Triston, they were both going to blow up my phone all day wanting to know why I came back with Pierce last night after the party. It was already suspicious enough because they both knew I like him, it was just a matter of time before one of us slipped up.

"We have to go, June." Pierce sent her a glare before grabbing my wrist and pulling me down the staircase. We managed to slip out the front door, avoiding Mr. and Mrs. Gunner. I didn't know how much more interrogation I could take, knowing I'd be hit with a thousand bricks when I got home to Aster. I buckled up in the passenger seat before Pierce slammed on the gas as he drove down the street.

"Where was Reese?" I asked, knowing I didn't see her downstairs. At her age I loved Christmas and opening all the presents, I would wake my parents up at the crack of dawn every year. "Asleep." Pierce muttered, "We don't really do Christmas in my house, so she doesn't rush to wake up."

Doesn't do Christmas? I wasn't surprised though after thinking it over. I hadn't even seen a tree put up in the living room let alone presents underneath to be opened. My thought was that it was an act of the Grinch himself- Mr. Gunner. He was selfish and probably refused to spend any money on anyone else, the holiday spirit may do him some good though.

"What about June?" I asked, knowing that Pierce would get the same interrogation when he got home. June would be the most suspicious of us, but she wasn't who I had been worried about. I had no idea how Aster, Archer, or Xander would take it. I wasn't ready to handle Mercury either but I was ready to see the look on her face.

"I'll handle her later." Pierce's eyes rolled "She's going to ask me a million questions, I'll just come up with some excuse and tell you what it is later. It's not June who I'm worried about."

We soon came to my house and Pierce pulled up the side of the curb, before walking me inside. I began mentally preparing myself for Aster to freak out on me as I entered the door, while Pierce shut it behind him. The door entered right into the kitchen and my eyes widened in response as I looked around the kitchen table.