Read Fugitive: A Bad Boy Romance (Northbridge Nights Book 2) for Free Online Page B

always out of love.”
    I rolled my eyes. “I need to call him. I've never stayed out all night without giving him a heads-up before.”
    “So you're whipped.”
    “No, Kieran. I'm being a responsible adult. You'll understand when you reach that point in your life.”
    “I am responsible,” Kieran retorted, rolling his eyes. “Most of the time.”
    I glared at him. “Last night you told me, and I quote, ‘fuck responsibilities'. Did you not?”
    “I was trying to encourage you to open up.”
    “I'm opening up to you now. I like being responsible. Both towards my job, my future husband, and to myself. Are we clear?”
    Kieran reached under his pillow and pulled out something. “Fine. Here...Use my phone.”
    “You mean I could've just called Terri last night and asked her to pick me up?”
    “It's for emergencies only,” Kieran said. “Normally I don't let strangers use my personal cell.”
    Strangers. “So I'm just a stranger then,” I said.
    Kieran stared at me with hard, gray eyes. “You can't be anything more than a stranger at the moment.”
    “And I don't want to be,” I said, snatching the phone from his hands. I quickly dialed Rob's number and he picked up after two rings. “Hey baby, it's me,” I said in a half-whisper.
    “Where the hell have you been? I was about to file a missing person's report!” Rob yelled.
    “I forgot my phone and purse in Terri's car. Sorry, baby.”
    “Where are you? I'm coming to pick you up.”
    Kieran, who was standing right next to me and eavesdropping on the whole conversation mouthed, ‘no’ and mimed a throat-slicing gesture. A few water droplets flew from his hair and landed on my forearm. I wiped them off.
    I furrowed my brows and whispered, “Well what the hell am I supposed to tell him?”
    “Babe, you still there? Who are you talking to?” Rob asked.
    Kieran whispered back, “Tell him you're at work.”
    I felt heat prickle along my neck. I didn't want to lie to Rob, but if I told him the truth, he'd be so hurt. And he'd probably want to kill Kieran.
    “I just got to work, baby. I'll see you later tonight, okay? Love you, bye!” I hung up before Rob could say more.
    Kieran held his palm up in the air. “High five.”
    I left him hanging. “I feel awful. And guilty. You're a horrible influence on me.”
    “You like it,” Kieran said. “Look at you, already skipping work and lying to your future husband. A badass in the making.”
    “And this badass is going to whoop your ass when she crushes you on the racetrack later,” I said before darting into the bathroom to freshen up.

    * * *
    W e hit the road around eight, after Kieran bought some clothes for me at a convenience store and we gorged ourselves on bacon and eggs at the diner nearby. All that grease and even the coffee couldn't quite wake me up though. I was nursing one of the worst hangovers I'd ever had.
    Stopping once in a while to check his phone, Kieran made most of the trip in silence. I was so groggy I fell into a half-sleep, startling every few minutes, terrified at the thought of falling off a bike going seventy-five miles an hour.
    When we arrived at Westport Go-Kart Racing, I could barely stand up. My bones had turned to mush during the ride and I could barely support my own body weight. I let out a drawn-out sigh when I suddenly realized I was getting married in six days. Everything was already planned down to the last detail. Lavish floral arrangements, check. Award-winning caterers, check. Live, four-string quartet, check. My rehearsal dinner was tomorrow night for God's sakes! All my relatives were flying in to see us. And here I was going go-karting with a stranger. What the hell was wrong with me?
    “You okay?” Kieran asked.
    “I'm fine.”
    “What are you thinking about?”
    “Nothing,” I said, smoothing out my wrinkled new hoodie. It had “Northbridge Rocks!” printed in bubble letters across the front. That's what I got for choosing a new wardrobe at the E-Z