Emma slumps back into her seat, dragging her handsdown her face. “I can’t believe this.”
“It’s your fault.”
“My fault? You’re the one who didn’t stop for gas.”
“You’re the reason I’ve driven all night long. If it wasn’t for your absurd ideas, we wouldn’t be here in the first place. We’d be in bed.” I choke. “That’s not—I, uh—not in the same bed. You’d be in yours, and I’d be in mine.”
Her eyes bug out of her head. “Oh, my word. Just stop talking and drive.”
I do because my last sentence haunts me. Why did I have to say something so embarrassing? If I’ve moved on, why does she make me tongue-tied like I’m still the fourteen-year-old boy who couldn’t exist without her?
I keep focused on the road ahead, using my phone to light my path even though I know it’ll drain my battery.
The next few miles are quiet. Emma doesn’t speak and I’m too scared to. I know I’ll only say something foolish.
Then the engine sputters as if it’s coughing, and I take my foot off the gas. I coast to the shoulder of the road, letting it roll to a stop.
“We’re out of gas.”
I continue to stare forward. I can see the tops of buildings ahead, but it’s still far. “Yup.”
“What do we do now? Should I push your car again?”
“No, we’re still at least a couple miles away.”
I let my head fall back, hitting the chair. I know what I have to do, but I don’t want to do it. I’m exhausted and emotionally drained. Yet, I open the door.
“What are you doing?”
“I have to walk to a gas station.”
She dives toward me and grabs my shirt. “You can’t just start walking.”
“Yeah, what else are we going to do?”
“I don’t know. Maybe there’s someone we can call.”
I roll my eyes. “Did you forget we’re hours from home?” I pull her hand off. “It won’t take that long.”
“Okay,” she says, but she seems doubtful.
I leave the keys on the seat. “Lock the car while I’m gone.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No. I don’t want my car getting towed.”
“But—”
“It’s not like I’m going to walk back home and find Mallory.”
She shuts her mouth and glares. “Fine.”
I step out of the car onto the empty road. I’m not that worried about my car being towed, but I need a break from her. I want time to clear my head and ignore all of the chaos from the last few days. It’s getting to be too much.
I don’t know what to do with her. I can’t ignore her, but I can’t be around her either. I feel like a toy being thrown around, and I don’t understand why she had to choose now of all times to mess with me. There’s already enough on my mind with baseball and Mallory.I’m almost four hours away from home and I still have to figure out how to get back in time for my game.
The minutes drag by. My legs cramp and my stomach growls as I near the town. By the time I get there, I’ve been walking over an hour. I wonder what Emma is doing back in my car. I’m not sure I should trust her alone, but then again, there’s no gas so it’s not like she can do much harm.
