Shafted [ONC 2022]

Home Free

Kadin shrugged off his coat and draped it over Rukiya's legs. She'd fallen asleep halfway through eating the trail mix. He envied her. While the couches were comfy, they were far too small for him to stretch out, and he'd rather dive into a snowbank than sleep on the floor. He turned his attention back to the TV and checked the updated list of cleared roads. His wasn't up there yet, but the road a block from his was. Rukiya hadn't told him what street she lived on, but if she lived as nice as she dressed, he'd bet all his money that she owned an apartment near the city center.

And most of that had been cleared.

Kadin breathed a sigh and wandered over to the entrance in time to see the firetruck roll by. The glare of the sun on the snow forced his eyes into a squint. When he'd walked into this building yesterday morning, the sidewalk had been filled with people perusing the downtown area, the pizzeria had a line out the door, and the sheer volume of people had made him feel as though he'd suffocate. He liked it better like this. Quiet, desolate.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and strode back to the TV. His phone buzzed in his pocket—a text from Tobias. Just saw the plowers go by, think it's clear for you to drive.

A grin split his face. Thanks for looking out, man. Finally, his food, his bed, his TV. He laid a hand on Rukiya's shoulder. "Rukiya, hey."

She groaned and scrunched her brow.

"Hey, the road's clear. We can go now." Kadin shrugged into his coat and grabbed his backpack. While Rukiya tugged on her shoes, he switched off the TV.

"Looks like my road's clear too," she said as she tucked her phone away.

"What part of the city do you live in?"

"Rockwell Square. My building is right next to the park." Near the heart of the city, just like he thought.

"Alright. Let's get the hell out of here." Kadin led the way to the emergency exit and into the parking garage. A frigid blast of air hit them as soon as they breached the door and Rukiya hunched into her coat. Kadin cursed himself from parking so far. His truck sat about two hundred feet away, in what was the only available spot he'd found yesterday morning.

A dusting of snow had blown over the concrete, deep enough to catch his ankles, but nothing his truck couldn't handle. He hit the unlock button on the key fob, and his lights blinked. The shiny black F250 hadn't been his first choice, but his father needed help lugging machines back and forth, and he'd jump headlong into Mount Vesuvius for his dad.

They piled in, and Kadin wasted no time starting the car and cranking the heat to the max. It blew cold at first, as it always did. He reached under his seat for the pouch, where he kept his thermal blanket and passed it off to Rukiya.

"Are you always this prepared?" she asked, one eyebrow quirked.

"I wish. I, uh... I broke down one night when the temperature was in the negative." He shrugged a shoulder. "Probably the most miserable three hours of my life."

Rukiya grimaced. "Sounds rough." She wrapped the blanket tightly around her. "Thanks for this. For what it's worth, I'm glad I got stuck in that elevator with you and not some asshole."

"It's no trouble at all." Kadin's face burned, and thanked god his skin was dark enough to hide his blush. "I'm glad I got stuck with you, too."

They sat in companionable silence while the car warmed up, and the frost melted away from the windshield. Finally, blessedly, he pulled out of the parking space and exited the garage onto Bowton Boulevard. Piles of snow lined the streets, luminescent under the glare of the sun. Above them, a bit of blue sky peeked out from the breaks in the clouds—a welcomed sight after hours in the elevator.

He hazarded a quick glance at Rukiya. Her eyes were trained out the window, and her face veiled by her braids. The sunlight streaming through the windshield brought out the golden undertones in her skin in a way the oppressive elevator lights couldn't. She has a boyfriend, he reminded himself for the umpteenth time.

Minutes later, they pulled up to her building, a massive thirty-story apartment complex that overlooked Rockwell Square. Its windows gleamed in the muted light. In the park, he spotted a few kids riding little sleds down the snow-covered knolls.

"Well, this is me," Rukiya said with a smile. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem." Kadin returned her smile, but a sadness lingered behind it. This couldn't be it. Not after they'd spent all night cooped up in an elevator. Not after everything they'd shared. Not after their promise.

"Wait," he said when she cracked the door. "Is it alright if we exchange numbers?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Sure, why not?" They traded phones, and he added his private line to her contacts.

"Alright. Take care Rukiya."

"You too, Kadin." She hopped out and started up the path.

Kadin waited until she was safely through the glass doors before he pulled off the curb. And this time, when he smiled, it warmed him all the way to his soul.