I’d told her that my ride was otherwise occupied at the field party. She’d asked me who my ride was, and when I said Gunner Lawton, she rolled her eyes, muttered, “Figures,” and offered to give me a lift to my house. She was about my age, but I hadn’t seen her at school.

“Thanks,” I said as she pulled back onto the road after I got in.

“No problem. It’s not exactly safe to be walking out at night. Where do you live?”

“You know Gunner?” I asked.

She made a grimace and nodded.

“Do you know where his house is?”

She glanced at me before looking back at the road. “Everyone knows where the Lawton mansion is.”

“I live in the cottage to the back west corner.”

She looked at me again. “You live in Ms. Ames’s house?”

So she was from around here. I wondered if she went to my school and I’d somehow missed her. “That’s my grandmother.”

A grin broke across her face. “Willa Ames has returned to Lawton.”

And she knew my name.

“You know who I am?” It was a valid question, but I was still surprised.

She laughed. “I just moved back to town too. Although I’ve only been gone two years. I was here back then, when you, Gunner, and Brady were always together. Every girl in school wanted to be you. Two best friends like that. I was envious of you just like the rest of them. Even if we were just kids.”

None of the other girls remembered me. I was surprised this one did. “I didn’t realize that.” I paused, then glanced back at her. “Thanks for the ride . . .” I left it hanging. Hoping she’d supply me with her name. It almost felt rude to ask.

She grinned, and I felt comfortable with her. It was a smile that wasn’t fake but wasn’t complete, either. Much like my own.

“Riley Young,” she finally said. “The town’s most hated citizen.”

Hated? That was odd. She was my age and looked nice enough. “Why are you hated?” I asked her, wondering again why I hadn’t seen her at school if we’d gone to school together when we were younger.

“No one wants the truth when it doesn’t suit. They prefer to weave lies and live in them. It’s the way of this place. God knows why I came back.”

That wasn’t an answer. But it was true. I knew all about truths and the way they hurt too much. Lies made it easier on the living. So I’d suffered the lies told in order to cover the painful reality.

“It’s not just that way in this town. It’s that way in life,” I replied.

She swung her gaze back to me almost as if she was studying me. Surprised by my response. I wondered how many she’d said those same words to who disagreed or didn’t understand.

“What brought you back, Willa Ames?” she said, adding my full name as if I were famous.

“Lies that covered the truth,” I simply stated.

“That’s a bitch, isn’t it?”

I nodded. Because it was a bitch. A painful, life-altering bitch.

“Gunner gonna go looking for you and worry over where you are?” Riley asked.

I wasn’t sure. Possibly, and I felt guilty for that. Although I’d seen him drink a beer, and I wasn’t comfortable riding with someone who had been drinking. I was still on probation. I couldn’t mess up. That would definitely be messing up.

“I don’t think so,” I said, hoping Brady had told him I’d left.

Brady. My face felt hot as I thought about the kiss. I hadn’t been able to face him after that. I never wanted to face him again. I’d rather hide in my room and read and block out what I’d done or allowed myself to do.

“Damn. I wanted the asshole to have something to worry about,” she said, sounding like she meant it. Apparently she wasn’t a fan of Gunner. I wondered if she was one of his many past females.

“I take it you know him well.” I was being curious.

She smirked, then shrugged. “Well enough. Better than I’d like. My life would be easier if I’d never had to return to this town.”

Her tone was sad, and I wondered what had happened here. She was my ride home, though, not my new best friend. I wouldn’t push for more than she wanted to give me. I stayed silent, and we rode the short distance left to my nonna’s.

When her car pulled to a stop outside, I thanked her and got out. Just before I walked inside, I heard her call my name. Stopping, I glanced back at her.

“Be careful who you choose to trust. This place will turn on you without question.” Then she gave me a small smile that didn’t meet her eyes before rolling back up her window and driving away.

She had been hurt here. That much was obvious.

I Hated Riley Young

CHAPTER 19

GUNNER

My hand tightened on the steering wheel as the red Mustang pulled out of the entrance to our estate. She wasn’t welcome here. The restraining order against her was enough for me to call the police. Why was she back? No one wanted her here.

With a jerk of my wheel, I cut her escape off and slammed on my brakes. I didn’t think it through. I was angry. Seeing her here as if she had the right to drive on my land infuriated me. The lying bitch needed to take her ass back to wherever she ran off to. Lawton didn’t want her here.

“Who the fuck do you think you are!” I roared as I stalked toward her car. The shiny red Mustang her mother had bought her to help ease the fact she’d lied about my brother.

She stared at me as if she were bored and rolled down her window. The urge to bash her headlights with a baseball bat was strong.