The Forever of Ella and Micha

love you,” he says with a frown developing at lips. “It pisses me off how he looks at you, like that night at the restaurant. You may not see it, but even through my drunk eyes it was completely obvious.”
    I take in the jealously written all over his face. “You’re jealous of Blake?”
    “Of course I’m fucking jealous.” He gapes at me like I’m a moron. “He gets to be around you all day because you go to the same school. Plus, who knows how many times you hung out with him while I was on the road.”
    “Twice outside of class.” I hurl myself into the backseat and accidentally bump the top of my head on the ceiling. “And once was because Lila needed to get off campus for a day.”
    “You’re breaking a code even talking to him,” he tells me with sternness.
    My jaw drops. “A
code
? Are you crazy?”
    He props his foot on the sidestep of the lifted truck and puts his hand on the back of the seat. “Scoot over.”
    I move over into the middle of the seat and he scoots into the backseat beside me. Folding my arms, I aim an irritated look of him. “So about these codes, you might need to let me know what they are. I mean, am I breaking some kind of
code
by being by myself in the backseat?”
    He blinks, unentertained. “Argue all you want, but you didn’t see the way he was looking at you.”
    “Micha, I’m not some prize everyone wants.” I inch toward the door to put more distance between us. I’m pissed off at his accusations and the fact that he doesn’t seem to trust me. “I’m a brat who has mental issues and who can’t make up her mind about anything.”
    “Just the fact that you can admit that out loud,” he says as he slides closer me with his arm draped over the back of the seat, “makes you something special. Do you know how many people won’t admit their flaws and the things they need to work on—how many people can’t even see themselves?” He sneaks his hand between my thighs, his eyes forceful as he lures me back over to him and my heart leaps inside my chest. “You’re fucking special and if I want to act all possessive over you when some stupid art guy hits on you right in front of me, I’m going to. Either that or I’m going to have Ethan chase him down right now so I can punch him in the face.”
    I clamp my jaw shut to stop my smile from appearing. “You’re funny when you’re like this.”
    He kisses my temple. “Well, I’m glad you find my pain so entertaining.”
    I peer up at him through me eyelashes. “I just have to say that I’ve seen you flirting with girls many times, making out with girls, taking them to your bedroom.”
    He winces at the last part. “But what did I always say when you asked me about it?”
    A smile breaks through. “That you were just buying time until I came around.”
    “Exactly.” He rubs his lips together and all I want to do is lick them, take his lip ring into my mouth, and stroke his with my tongue. I want to do a lot of dirty things to him right now.
    “Your mind’s going into the gutter, isn’t it,” he mocks arrogantly. “I can see lust written all over your face.”
    I direct my concentration to the window, laughing under my breath. “You know, for someone who’s so sure of himself, you worry an awful lot about losing me.”
    “That’s because I’d be lost without you.”
    “Total player’s line, Micha Scott.”
    Fixing a finger under my chin, he angles my head back toward him, so our lips are inches apart. “Remember the pact. You and I are in it for the long haul.”
    “What pact?” Lila asks as she jumps up into the passenger seat, breathless from the climb into the tall truck. She has a large bag of Skittles and a bottle of water in her hand.
    “A secret pact.” He beams a grin at me.
    I’d almost forgotten about the pact made by two children trying to seek something that they could never really have—normalcy.
    Ethan gets into the truck and spins the tires as he drives away from the gas station, racing toward the freeway, cranking up “Silhouettes” by Smile Empty Soul.
    “I think we need a drink,” Micha declares, reaching for the back sliding window, so he can get into the cooler.
    I seize his hand and hold it against my chest over my heart. “Not while we’re driving.”
    Daggers shoot from his eyes as he scowls at my hand over his. “Why not? I’m not the driver.”
    My lips part, about to confront him about his drinking, but I hear Anna’s warning echo in my head and