“Yep. I have a friend who’s an actor; he showed me a video of his makeup artist using it on his own facial piercings for a casting call. I waited until my dad was out of town on a business trip, so I’d have time to heal and just … did it.” He grins even bigger, gaze focused out the windshield as rain begins to fall, thick and heavy on the roof of the car. “I almost shit my pants when he came home, and I tried the filler for the first time; I was sure he’d be able to tell.”
“Of course you have a friend who’s an actor,” I murmur with a roll of my eyes, but I’m already looking up videos of the topical filler he’s telling me about. Hot damn. I’ll admit: I’m impressed. It seems like you take a bit of clear silicone-like stuff and colored foundation, mix them together, and apply it. A rubber pad is laid over the top until it dries, leaving the skin whole and clear. “I didn’t even know something like this existed.”
“Neither does my dad,” Chasm says with a dark laugh, turning into a gravel road and then winding us through a thicket of trees. “Nobody’s renting the cabin tonight, so it should be empty …”
He seems to be mostly talking to himself, so I don’t bother responding. Instead, I stare down at my phone—which is still on silent, because Jesus Christ it’s blowing up—and see that Tess has messaged me.
The show is over. If you have your phone, now is the time to admit it. I’ll also be calling Chasm.
I delete her message and when Chasm’s screen lights up with an incoming call from her, I pick it up without asking, and reject it. He glances my way but doesn’t stop me.
What can she possibly do to me that’ll hurt more than what she’s already done? She already stripped me of my old life and forced me into a new one that I didn’t want. Ground me, Tess. Take my electronics away … oh, wait, you already fucking did that.
Except for my phone.
At least I’ve got my phone.
Thanks to Parrish, that is.
There aren’t any messages from him. I try not to be disappointed about that, sliding my phone into the pocket of the blazer as Chasm parks the car near the impressive bulk of a log cabin. And by log cabin, I mean it has walls made out of logs. It’s the size of Tess and Paul’s house, and probably outfitted with just as many luxury amenities.
“What is this place?” I ask as Chasm turns off the car and climbs out, standing on the driveway and fiddling with his phone. After a moment, he seems to find what he’s looking for and glances up at me as I come around the front of the hood.
“This is one of my dad’s rentals,” he says, gesturing in the direction of the house with his chin. “But there’s nobody here tonight. Come on, I’ve got the code.” Chasm grabs my hand and I’m instantly reminded of Parrish, his warm fingers curling around mine as he yanked me up from my seat and ran with me through the halls of the studio until we burst outside.
I exhale sharply as Chasm pulls me along behind him, taking me up the front steps and inputting the code from his phone into the lock. The door clicks open, and we step into a massive open kitchen/living room area with a wall of windows facing the river.
Chasm doesn’t bother to turn the lights on, guiding me through the living room and then letting go of my hand so that he can unlock the back door. We step out onto a deck, pausing beneath an overhang that keeps the furniture dry from the rain.
It’s still early, but it’s dark today, misty and wet and miserable. Not that I’m complaining; it suits my mood just fine.
“What are we doing here?” I ask, because even though Chasm is sort of part of the Vanguard family, in reality he’s a stranger to me. We’re alone at an empty house in a town I’m not familiar with and nobody knows where we are. I chew the inside of my cheek and then pull my phone out, sending a quick text to Parrish.
At some sort of cabin-house with Chas, I send as Chasm turns around and leans his back against the railing.
“Checking in with someone? You should do that. Don’t get in cars with random boys and let them drive you somewhere remote.”
“Don’t mansplain to me how to keep myself safe. Be accountable for your own actions.”
Chasm smiles lazily at me and offers up a hand in acquiescence. At the same moment, I get an incoming text from Parrish. I know where that is. See you at home when you get here.
