The Forever of Ella and Micha

shutting it.
    He walks around to the driver’s-side window and waits for me to roll it down.
    “Be careful,” he reminds me in a serious tone and I nod.
    Flashing me a grin, he heads off to the house as Lila dives over the console and into the front seat.
    “Be careful,” she says in a low, mocking voice. “I’m trying to be so sexy.”
    “He didn’t sound like that.” I pull out onto the street.
    “You’re so blind.”
    “And sometimes you see too much.”
    I merge out onto the freeway and into the fast lane, but resist the urge to punch the pedal to the floor and get us there in half the time. Lila takes a nap with her head resting against the window and I bask in the peace of being on the road until we brink the edge of town, which glows against the night.
    I nudge Lila’s shoulder to wake her up. “We’re here.”
    She blinks her weary eyes and sits up in the seat. “What’s up? Where are we?”
    “We’re in LA. Or on the outskirts of it anyway,” I say as her eyes sweep the towering buildings and the considerable amount of traffic in front of us. “Can you look up the address on your phone?”
    She cracks her window, letting the warm air blow in. “Can’t you just call him and tell him you’re coming?”
    “I want it to be a surprise.”
    “Why? Are you trying to catch him doing something wrong, like, say, with Naomi?”
    “No.” I flip on the blinker and check my mirror. “I trust Micha.”
    “But you don’t trust
her
.” A large truck honks its horn and Lila glances out the window. “I don’t blame you. From the stories you’ve told me, she seems a little sketchy. In fact, maybe while we’re here, we could have a little talk with her.” She pops her knuckles and I bust up laughing.
    “Oh my God, what have you been watching?” Tapping the brakes, I slow down the car to match the traffic.
    “How to beat the girl who’s hitting on your best friend’s boyfriend.” She grins at me and retrieves the phone out of her purse. “What’s the name of the place?”
    “The Slam,” I tell her and she arcs her eyebrows. “What? That’s what it’s called?”
    “Are you sure it’s not called The Slam-er?” She laughs cleverly.
    I roll my eyes. “Ha-ha. You’re so funny.”
    She enters the location into the GPS and frowns at the long line of cars in front of us. “It says it’s like five miles into town… It’s going to take forever.”
    My eyes narrow on the road as the traffic crawls forward. “No, it won’t.”
    “
Hey.
” Lila stabs a finger at me, reeling in her seat. “You promised Blake you wouldn’t race his car.”
    I down shift and the engine purrs to life. “I’m not going to race it. I’m just going to shoot the gaps.”
    She secures her seatbelt over her shoulder. “I don’t even want to know what that means, but I swear to God, if we end up driving into the median, I’ll never talk to you again.”
    “O ye of little faith.” I rev up the RPMs and swerve over to the next lane, cutting off a red Camry. The driver honks the horn and Lila grips the edge of the leather seat. “You know I’ve seen you drive this crazy before, right?”
    She glares at me. “And I’m okay when I’m the driver and know I have control of the situation.” I flinch at her words and she adds, “It gives me a sense of safety.”
    I loathe hearing the word “control.” It reminds me of how much my mind craves it. It’s sort of like an addiction, like alcohol or cigarettes.
    I hit the brakes as the front of the car verges on the back end of a lifted truck. There’s a tiny gap over to the next lane and I debate if it’s doable.
    “Don’t you dare,” Lila warns with fear in her blue eyes. “It’s too narrow.”
    The guy in the side lane slows down and I redline the RPMs, crank the wheel at the last second, and squeeze us over easily.
    Lila huffs out a breath as she slumps back in the seat. “If I didn’t love you so much, I’d totally hate you.” She fusses with her blonde hair and wipes some smeared eyeliner out from underneath her eyes.
    I continue dodging in and out of traffic until we reach the exit. Driving like this makes me feel alive and by the time we reach the club Micha is playing at, adrenaline is coursing through my body.
    “This place looks sketchy.” Lila crinkles her nose at the warehouse nestled between Larry’s Biker Bar and The Adult Video Store. It’s late, and the stars and moon light up the dry leaves and cigarette butts on the