FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS OF THE CHEATER.FAKER.TROUBLEMAKER SERIES (WATTY'S 2016, FICTION AWARDS 2016, HACHETTE AUDIO 2017), JENNY ROSEN & KRISTEN MAGLONZO.
After bullies, braces, and brutal heartbreak shatters his faith in love, soon-to-be fre...
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NOTE: Check out this week's comical and romantic reading of Chapter 51 with kaelking12!
CHAPTER 51
Elias
So—I failed.
Badly.
Got to the DMV and was so nervous I straight-up forgot everything I learned in Driver's Ed. You'd think a guy with a brand new car and his reputation on the line would've found it in himself to pull it together—especially with his girl watching him.
You'd think that once I got behind the wheel, all those hours of mind-numbing classes would've popped back into my head and saved the day. But obviously, none of that happened. I blanked, turned on the car, and made a left turn into oncoming traffic within three minutes of starting the test.
And presto. Insta-fail.
I couldn't even argue with the ball-roasting I got from the DMV tester either.
I could've killed the woman.
I could've killed another driver or myself, but hey, looking back now, I kinda wish I did, 'cause I've spent the rest of the day trying to live down the "pity stares" and "I'm sorry's" raining down on me from my family.
We've been sitting around the dining room table for the past twenty minutes pretending to ignore the "Elias can't use his birthday present" elephant in the room. I glance up at the clock on the wall and find weird relief in the fact that my dad probably won't make it home in time for the cake.
After he gave me that keychain this morning, part of me was hoping he'd be here. But now I can't face him. Not after all that expectation I saw in his eyes when he talked to me earlier. It was nice—seeing him somewhat hopeful about something that had to do with me. I could count the times he's looked at me like that on one hand, but now I blew it. Like I always do.
"You okay?"
Lacey threads her fingers through mine under the table and smiles at me to check in. She's been the best out of everyone today. Unlike Tanner, who spent the last six hours talking about my test, Lacey hasn't brought it up once. She's just been here for me. Supporting me in all the subtle ways that she always does.
I walked out of that test mortified, trying my best to put on a brave face for my mom and her. But Lacey saw right through it. She walked up, caught me in her arms, and held onto me through all of my silent chaos.
She didn't ask questions. She didn't pry. She barely said anything at all aside from "let's go home", and weirdly enough, that's all I needed to hear. Now, she's doing what she does best all over again. Keeping me above water without even knowing it.
