"Do what?" "I know you're curious about what I want to do after graduation, and I know it's because you want us to be okay," he shifts so he's facing me. "I'm going to do me, and you're going to do you, and we're going to be okay. I promise." I'm not sure when I'm going to talk to Xavier, but I think I've made my decision. I can't wait until after I talk to Xavier to break up with Dylan. It has to be now. "You can't promise something like that," I say quietly. He stares at me before talking again. "Where did you go yesterday? Because I have a feeling that's why you're acting weird now." I haven't come up with a lie to cover me, and I don't have enough time to think of one. It's time to come clean. "I was at Raven's." He arches his brow. "By yourself?" Getting the boys in trouble with him isn't my goal, but I don't want to completely lie to him. The lies are overwhelming at this point. "I was with the boys. And Derrick." "Why are you with them?" "I needed their opinions. Going behind Xavier and Kay's backs isn't working. I was just asking them what we should do," I say, trying to read his face. The frown on his face deepens. "You told them about us?" "I had to. I can't think of a way out of all of this and I wanted to know what they thought." His anger is evident on his face now and I'm getting more anxious. "Everything is fine, Lacey. Kay didn't suspect anything. Now you told all my friends, who I purposely left out of this secret," his voice raises. "Everything is not fine," I stress. "Xavier came to my apartment and threatened my aunt and Casey. What am I supposed to do? Just sit back and let him control what we do? And if we don't follow his rules he hurts someone I care about?" I demand from him. "That's not how I planned on spending my senior year." He leans forward. "He was at your apartment?" "He said he drove by your house the other night and saw my car there. I told him we were working on school stuff, but he drove by your house, Dylan," I say. Talking about this with him is refreshing, but it's still too much. "I'm going to kill him," Dylan faces forward and grips the steering wheel tightly. "I'm taking you home and I'm going to deal with him." "No," I say immediately. "You'll only make him angrier and what's he going to do then? He'll want to hurt you, so he'll hurt me." Dylan's whole demeanor is deadly. I'm sure something is ticking in his brain, waiting to be set off. He stays that way for a few minutes, cueing the deafening silence. "You weren't going to tell me, were you?" he asks me. I bite my lip. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt—" "So instead you were just going to go behind my back and make all these decisions without me?" "This affects my aunt and Casey, Dylan," my own voice raises as I speak. "You aren't the only person I care about." Reaching over, he pulls his seatbelt on. "I'm taking you home." I don't protest, but it makes me nervous for what is to come. Dylan's mood has shifted completely and I have the feeling he's thinking the same thing I am. We need to end things. When he parks in front of my apartment, he doesn't say anything. My heart is pounding in my chest and I feel the tears wanting to come out. "Lacey..." he says. "I know," my voice cracks as I say it. "I'll figure it out. I promise," he says, not looking at me. I can't stand it. I don't want it to be over, but it has to be. Kay and Xavier want everything to revolve around their needs, and I'm sick of it. I want to be done with their world and I want Dylan to be done with their world. Before he can say anything else, I open the passenger door and run up the stairs to my apartment. My chest is heavy as I fumble with the keys before letting myself into the dark apartment. My aunt must be with James. The tears come out as I slide to the ground. I'm going to stand up to go to my room when there's a rapid knocking at the door. I open it hesitantly. Dylan is standing there with a blank expression, like he hasn't realized he's come to the door. He steps forward and grabs my face. His cold lips touch mine and it's like an electric bolt shoots through my body. "Lace," he says breathlessly after backing away. "I'm sorry." He puts his hands on his face. My head is screwed up, and I'm not thinking straight. Kissing him is a mistake. His hair, getting a little longer, is sticking up slightly and I reach out to fix it. He grabs my hand and pulls me towards him. Instead of kissing me, he wraps his arms around in a hug. "After this, we can't see each other," he says, his voice muffled by my hair. "And anything you see me and Kay up to doesn't mean a damn thing. She doesn't mean anything to me." Seeing them is going to be even harder. She's going to have him completely this time. "I know." Dylan doesn't say anything else. He silently walks to the door and shuts it behind him. The heavy feeling returns to my chest and my breathing becomes ragged as everything settles in me. I've lost Dylan.