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with my parents, or approve of the way they’d raised me, but I never would wish them dead. I couldn’t imagine how tough that must have been, and at such a crazy age too. “Why don’t you guys get along? Is it because he’s an addict, like you said?”
    Craig shifted his eyes from the road to glare at me. “Why are you asking so many questions about him, Paige?”
    His words took me by surprise. “I’m not. I’m just curious as to why there’s so much hostility between the two of you.” Mainly Craig. Cameron didn’t seem too aggressive toward him. In fact, he seemed to enjoy pushing Craig’s buttons and teasing him. That was part of the reason I’d thought they might be brothers.
    “It’s none of your business why; just know that I don’t want him around you. He’s not someone you need in your life.”
    Coldness slipped through my core at his words. What the hell was with him tonight? He was being an ass.
    “Don’t you think I can pick and choose who I want in my life?” I wasn’t normally one who dealt well with confrontation, but sometimes there were moments when you had to have a little backbone with people.
    Craig inhaled and then exhaled, as though he were frustrated with me beyond comprehension. His features softened and his grip relaxed on the steering wheel. “He’s an addict, Paige. He’s manipulative and can’t be trusted. It’s best if you stay away from him.” I took note of his concerned tone as his hand moved to rest on my thigh.
    “Okay.” I shifted to look out the passenger window, glad I was going home. Craig was a little too intense for me tonight, and now that Cameron was here, I was sure that intensity would only magnify.
    The leaves on the trees caught my attention as we passed by an overlook area where you could see mountains for miles. It was only the end of September, but the leaves were already in the midst of changing from green to gold. Pressing the button for my window, I cracked it, letting in the cool night air. I let out a loud sigh and felt Craig’s thumb move in a lazy pattern across my skin.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so much like a dick tonight.” He turned onto the street before mine. “Cameron caught me off guard, and I hated the fact he’d been standing with you on my porch, making you laugh like that. I got jealous. Can you forgive me?” I glanced at him. His bottom lip was poking out. He shifted his eyes from the road to me for a split-second, just long enough for me to see that they were wide and innocent. “Please?”
    I laughed. “I guess…but you were being an ass tonight.”
    “I know. You can teach me a lesson for being such a bad boy another night, promise.” A mischievous smirk stretched across his face.
    “Oh, really?” I teased.
    He glanced at me, raising one eyebrow. “Really.”
    “I think I like the sound of that.”
    Craig turned into the Calmount Apartments entrance and slowed his Explorer. I scanned the parking lot for Blaire’s little Mazda. It was parked in its usual spot and right beside it was her boyfriend Jason’s blue Jeep. I frowned, wondering if I should send her a text to see if they were busy or something.
    “What time did you say you were meeting with your parents tomorrow?” Craig asked. He pulled into a parking space and shifted into park. Letting the engine idle, he then placed his hand back on my thigh.
    “About ten, why?”
    “Just wondering, I’d like to have dinner or something with you afterward.”
    I shifted in my seat to face him better. “Actually, I’m supposed to go out for dinner with Lauren and Blaire tomorrow night.” Craig pressed his lips together and I felt my stomach twist. I hated seeing him disappointed. “We haven’t gotten to hang out just the three of us since Blaire’s incident. Lauren and I both think she needs a good dose of girl time to slip a little farther out of her depression.” I wasn’t sure what possessed me to explain myself, but I had, with the