CONFLICTED

Chapter 31| First impression

Chapter 31: First impression

Tracy

"Get in the car. I'll give you a ride home." he offered to my utmost surprise.

"No, I'm good. I'm taking a cab." I declined, already making my way past him.

"Oh don't be stubborn. We live in this same estate and our houses are not that far apart. I'll give you a lift to your place."

I looked at him suspiciously, trying to figure out what he had in mind.

"If your plan is to kidnap me, it won't work. I'm not that stupid." I folded my arms and found that I couldn't look away from his body which by the way, oozed sex appeal.

Christopher gave me a quizzical look and a disbelieving scoff left his lips in no time.

"And what do you think I'll do with you after kidnapping you?"

Well... He couldn't kidnap me for money. He had that already. And there was a high chance it wasn't to hit on me because come on, he couldn't stand me and I probably wasn't his type. Feeling's mutual.

I fumbled with the strap of my bag as I tried to think up something credulous but staring back at his face, he only looked at me like I was something ridiculous.

"Fine." I huffed and went around to the car's shotgun.

Taking the passenger seat, I watched him get behind the wheel and we pulled out of the parking lot in no time.

The car glided on the wet road at a regular pace and silence filled the car. When I couldn't contain myself anymore, I blurted out the first thing that popped into my mind.

"Why are you being nice all of a sudden?"

He had his infamous blank expression on, giving nothing away.

"I'm not being nice. I'm giving you a lift." was his curt reply.

I sensed he just wanted me to keep my mouth shut till we parted ways but I wasn't the type to keep shut, not that I could help it.

"Why? I thought you couldn't stand me. First, you shoved me to the ground for no reason. Then there was you being insensitive to me and when I tried to talk to you, all you did was blow me off. But today all of a sudden, you offer me a ride home after waiting for my shift to end. I don't know if I should be angry, sad, thankful or dreadful. You put me in a tight position here." I confessed.

He was silent and had a faraway look like he was actually giving a thought to my outburst. Still with his stoic face giving nothing away, he grunted out his reply.

"Then that was stepping out of my comfort zone, being nice to you. You can mark that one down in the books because it's not happening again."

My lips pursed in a tight line but eventually, I nodded stiffly and looked out the window. The drive became silent again as we went up the freeway, passing by a few cars and some factory buses. I watched a particular coach bus pass by us. It had some sleeping passengers and some of which I could make out in a short time, with faces buried in their phones.

It was a staff bus probably on its way to an industrial site after picking up the workers from their respective homes. My father had worked in a factory too before he... y'know. Life before coming to this estate six years ago came flooding back in a rush. Before my dad got a promotion at work and moved us here, into a more luxurious home. It had been a sweeter life. It had been tougher to live but it had been sweeter.

"You know," I started to say. "I wasn't trying to change you like you claimed at your house the other night, but I think I understand and respect the kind of person you are, a lot more now."