Play The Part (Player Next Door Book 3)

09 | Foggy Car Scene

Titanic reference anyone?

Chapter 09: Foggy Car Scene

*Millie's POV*

All Luke wanted was to eat BBQ.

My sweet, devious, deceptively innocent boyfriend.

Now he'd been roped into an elaborate 'Unleash Cearra' and 'Project Austerra' scheme, and he may have signed up for some dance classes.

I ran towards Luke's car, losing the ability to keep up with Austin really quickly. Austin floated ahead of me, and I watched him rip open Luke's car door and swing inside like the smooth, coordinated man he was....

If only that was me.

A smooth, coordinated man?

Maybe I take that back.

Fifteen years later, I finally reached the car and yanked at the handle, breathing heavily. It took me two tries before I successfully peeled it open. I stuck my head inside the car.

"We," I wheezed, "Made," wheezed, "It."

Three people stared back at me.

"Oh look, the smoker made it," Austin teased.

"Millie! You rescued me," Cearra hugged me from the passenger seat, "Here, let's trade places. You should sit up front."

I glanced over at Luke, my boyfriend, in the driver's seat and the only person yet to greet me. He was leaning against the window, elbow resting on its edge as he watched me with an eyebrow slightly raised.

Shame he looks so hot. It's hard be mad at him.

Cearra unbuckled her seatbelt and took her bag and jacket with her as she stepped out of the front seat.

On her way, she knocked over the little box on the floor and leaned over to pick it up, "Oh, wait a sec, what's this?"

"Don't!" Luke and I exclaimed at the same time.

Aha, Luke finally looking a little ruffled. Cearra glanced at us.

She was holding the blackmailer's box.

A box of disease. A box of ill will. A box of the seven deadly sins.

I don't know what was in that box, but it couldn't be good.

"Woah, woah, relax," she said, lowering the box back in its place, "You think if it was that precious you wouldn't leave it on the car floor. You're acting like it's an engagement ring or something."

I looked over at Austin. He was staring down at his phone.

Is that weird? Is that a suspicious reaction to the blackmailer's box?

I glanced back and realized that a pair of blue eyes were watching me.

And they looked angry.

Luke had seen where my gaze had travelled, and he hated that I was still considering Austin as the blackmailer.

I love Austin, I really do, and I hope he has nothing to do with this terror, but I've been raised not to trust anybody. Not even my own family.

I've learnt that lesson the hard way.

Cearra touched my shoulder, "I'm just joking. It's not an engagement ring. You don't need to look so terrified."

I faked a smile and got into the front seat. All the feelings of the blackmailer's return were slowly creeping up on me.