Broken Bay

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

In and out of the camper took a quick minute. Lucy would be furious when she realized I ditched the party.

Going vertical, I skimmed along the sardine packed cars. I remembered all my keys were lost somewhere at the bottom of my gigantic bag. Mentally berating my carelessness momentarily took my thoughts back to warm house keys in my hand and mint.

Fear of exposure and getting caught settled in my gut as I rummaged through the bottom of my bag listening for jingling keys. After snatching them up, I hurriedly unlocked the door to Red, got in, threw my bag carelessly in the passenger side seat, and turned on the car while securing my seat belt. As I pushed the break to switch gears into reverse, a whispered tap on the window caught my attention. A shrill scream escaped from deep within my chest. I flew out of the seat creating tension on the seatbelt and a line of fire seared across my chest and neck. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the glimpse of a faceless head floating in the pitch black like some bodiless ghost.

A tidal wave of deafening blood rushed through my ears, and my heart climbed into my throat. Panic paralyzed me, and just as I decided to punch the gas and peel out, recognizable features materialized on the detached form.

"What in the hell?" Surprises weren't my style, and it took all the restraint in my body not to again scream in a window shattering pitch. I sat motionless and attempted to catch my breath and regulate my thundering heart before rolling down the window. Pushing through the open space, a face caught the light of the dashboard and came alive. "Gavin! You freaking scared the shit out of me." The words came out strangled. "I almost ran your ass over." Confusion muddled my thoughts when I saw his now familiar secret smile. I didn't smile back.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to make you propel yourself through the roof of your car."

"This is not funny so you can just wipe that look off your face right now."

"You're awfully jumpy for someone who is a supposed wild-child."

"Oh, will you shut up already, I get it, okay?" I smiled in spite of myself.

He crouched down so his face was level with mine and held onto the windowsill for balance. Mint mingled with the fresh air, melting me into a pooled puddle. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Would you mind taking me home?" He held my gaze. I wished he would stop looking at me like that. "Since we are neighbors now."

"Uh," I hesitated before saying, "yeah, sure." Simmering blood bloomed under my skin like a bruise. Being alone in a car with him in such close proximity wasn't smart. "Get in."

"Thanks." He slid into the car with surprising grace.

"You'll have to direct me once we get closer. I'm not exactly sure which street leads to your place." The highway that allowed sweet escape from Lucy's well-meaning camping party came into view, but my muscles were still tense.

"It's the first right before your street. Our houses are literally on opposite sides of the woods from each other."

"Alright." The cab was quiet but, from my peripheral, an expectant expression formed on his face. "What?"

"I was just thinking about history class last year. We sat next to each other and didn't speak once."

"That's probably my fault. I tend to get lost in my head sometimes, and according to Lucy, it makes me unapproachable." Thinking back, I remembered history was one of the easier classes to get away with writing during lecture. Since I was taking notes and all.

"It's not that you're unapproachable, it's more an intimidation. And I don't mean that in a bad way. I've seen how you scribble in that tattered old brown book of yours, and I think whoever talks to you knows they better have something worthy to say." He rubbed his hands up and down his thighs.