Bad Habits

11

“No worries princess, yeh’r ridin wit meh.”

He places his large hand at the small of my back pushing me toward his black car. I focus on not stumbling over my own two feet trying to keep up with his quick pace. I finally come to my senses planting my heels into the ground and stopping. I turn to face him not realizing how close he is actually standing next to me.

“What do you think you are doing?” I somewhat yell.

The blue inside of his eyes sparkle like the way water inside of a summer pool would beneath the light of the burning sun. I try hard to not suck in a breath in awe of how beautiful they look at the moment. He doesn’t seem phased at all by my little outburst, if anything he looks amused. My chest begins to rise and fall quickly as he takes another step toward me with our chests nearly touching. He chews on the black ring around his bottom lip for a second insantly replacing my anger with something worse..attraction. 

“Get in da car Amelia.”

The finalization in his deep voice sends shivers straight down my spine. He grabs my wrist pulling me to the passenger side of his car and shoving me in quickly. He reaches over me to strap me inside of the seatbelt. Having him this close to me is intoxicating. He smells of a morning breeze, yet sweet and rich with a hint of fresh mint. I inhale deeply just as he stops right in front of my face.

“Trust meh?” He whispers.

I gulp at his close proximity, “Do I really have a choice here?”

He laughs, “nah, yeh don’t.”

When he closes the door, I exhale loudly trying to figure out what is even going on. I can feel my head beginning to feel light headed and its definitely because of him and his crazy mood swings. I don’t think I have ever encountered someone as confusing as him.

The driver side door swings open and he falls inside of the seat instantly brining the loud engine to life. He presses the foot of the gas pedal down a few times allowing to beast to roar making its presence known. He pulls out onto the road leaving me confused for only a short amount of time before another car pulls up right next to him. Oh god no.

“Wha..what are you doing?!” I practically shriek.

Out of nowhere someone stands in between both cars where Niall and the other driver can see them clearly. He doesn’t answer, instead only looking ahead of him. I look to where he is looking and see nothing but dark night. My body begins to shake slightly fearing what’s to come. The yellow car beside us revs their engine, the beast following in its steps. Not a second later do I think I see a small light flash before I am jerked back into my seat my hand finding the arm rail of the door.

“Niall?!” I think I whisper.

“It’s only drivin princess..” he reaches over with his right hand squeezing the upper part of my thigh.

My eyes shut tightly as he rounds a curve removing his hand from my leg switching the gear in the shaft. I can feel my body sliding from side to side in the seat. I look to my left to see the head of the yellow car pushing forward and passed us. I look at Niall to see him smirk. I follow down his body noticing how broad his shoulders look in the black t-shirt he is wearing. His bicep flexes with each movement in his arm. The beautiful black inked lines of tribal are more visible in the moonlight. I follow the vein that runs down his arm leading to his hand that is resting lightly on top of the drive shaft.

“Who’d ya half lunch wit?”

I struggle to hear what he says over the loud engine but that isn’t why I am confused. “What?” I look over to see him down shift again making the car move from side to side attempting to pass the yellow car in front of us.  

“Earlier ya said yeh were eatin lunch wit someone.” He looks over at me quickly before looking back to the road.

“You can’t be serious.”

He jerks the car roughly to the right missing a dead animal in the road. My right shoulder slams into the door slightly sure to leave a small bruise for tomorrow. How is he seriously concerned about that when we are about to experience near death if not death itself?

“Who was it?” He asks again eerily silent.

I watch in horror as the front of his bumper softly touches the back bumper of the small yellow car in front of us making the other persons car swerve slightly. I quickly glance at his speedometer seeing 125 making my stomach lunge through my throat.

“Oh god, I’m going to be sick,” I say placing my hand on my stomach.

I close my eyes once more feeling the car move from side to side. I say a silent prayer in case I drive to my death in the next few minutes.

“Mia!”

I jump hearing the anger inside of his voice. My eyes open instantly just as he rounds another sharp curve right behind the car in front of him. I turn to him to see him looking at me very intently. He’s serious.

“I bought lunch for my receptionist!” I finally shriek out.

I can’t read his emotion as he down shifts once more pressing his foot into the pedal. I can hear myself yell out as he swings the car to the left strongly drifting to the side of the yellow car nearly touching its side and swerving around it. Niall quickly shifts upward launching the car forward ahead of the yellow car just before what I assume to be the finish line. As soon as we pass a group of cheerful swarmer’s he swings the car around making us face the crowd. I’m still screaming when the engine shuts off. I can see the nervous sweat all over my skin in the light of the moon as people begin to rush toward the now parked car that we sit in.

“You’re insane.” I breathe out.

My emotions are all over the place, and his presence in the small space of his car is too distracting for me to get them under control. I realize his seat belt is already off as he leans over the console to release me from mine never looking away from my face. When he slowly reaches his hand upward to rest on my neck gripping it softly is when I realize my lips are quivering. He stops them with his thumb running it smoothly over my bottom lip tracing the outline of it. His face is inches from my own. I watch as his eyes move slowly to my lips and then down to my rising chest.

“Yeh sure bout dat luv?”

I visibly gulp. Who is this guy and what is he doing to me?

“Red looks good on ya.” He says gruffly.

A loud knock is heard on the glass making me jump and breaking whatever world we were both entranced in. He licks his lips dropping his hand from my face faster than he put it there and rolling his window down. A guy hands him a gold envelope discretely.

“See you soon Horan.” He states before walking away.

He watches the envelope in his hand with determination and hope making me very intrigued by whatever is inside of it. My body finally relaxes from the commotion of the last ten minutes of my life allowing me to catch my breath and somewhat form thoughts.

“What is that?” I ask him quietly.

He looks at me as if he wants to say something but his face changes so suddenly making his clear blue eyes darken. “Nothin for ya tah worry yer pretty little head over.” He says annoyed.

Confusion and anger surge through me, how is it ok for him to ask me questions that he expects me to answer but wont return the matter for me when I ask something. Before I can get another word out, the door on my side is opened and someone pulls me right out of the car. The loud cheers drowning out whatever thought I was about to voice.