“Good god, Callan! Are you trying to kill me already?” The words slip out before I can stop them, but it doesn’t matter. I can’t even hear myself over the ringing in my ears.
He immediately eases off the gas, and the truck slows down, the roar of the engine fading. For a moment, there’s nothing but the pounding of my heart, loud enough to drown out the world.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he says, his tone shifting in an instant. “I’m sorry.”
His usual playfulness is gone, replaced with worry. His eyes flick over to me for a fraction of a second, then back to the road, his grip on the wheel tightening just a little. It’s like he’s trying to read me.
“I’m just messing around,” he adds, quieter this time. “I wouldn’t put you in any real danger. You’re way too precious for that.”
The words should be comforting, but I’ve learned to respond to danger in ways that no one can fix with a smile or a joke. Ineedto feel safe. Right now, all I feel is the tightness in my chest.
three
CALLAN
Idon’t know Bree well enough to say something’s off, but, uh…yeah, something’s definitely off. She’s lost somewhere in her head, twisting the edge of her sleeve. And those eyes of hers? Normally, they’re steady. You could dive into those bright blue pools and just float, no problem. But right now? They’re all over the place, darting around like she’s trapped in some maze and can’t find her way out.
I clear my throat, drumming my fingers on the wheel. “You good?”
She blinks like she didn’t hear me the first time, then gives this little shrug that’s way too casual to be real. “Peachy.”
“Right. And I’m a nun.”
That earns me a snort, but I don’t let it drop. “Seriously. You sure you’re good?”
She shoots me an unamused look, but there’s a flicker of panic behind it, gone so fast I almost think I imagined it.
“I’m fine, Callan,” she says.
And then, like the flip of a switch, she’s back atit, firing off some witty comment like nothing ever happened. Maybe she’s just weird. I can deal with weird. Weird is fun.
I like Bree. She’s got that kind of humor that always keeps me on the edge of a laugh, and she’s just as reckless as I am. We’d be a damn disaster waiting to happen, but the kind that’d be exhilarating as hell. Too bad she’s off-limits. Her boyfriend’s a lucky bastard.
“So, how’s Jamie?” she asks. “That’s who you were seeing last time I was here, right?”
“Aye, that was her. Didn’t go anywhere, though. I was just a rebound. Too feral for her taste.”
Her comforting, easy laugh bursts out, filling up the whole cab. It’s one of those laughs that makes the air lighter, like it’s not just noise but sunlight. I wasn’t kidding when I called her Sunshine. She really is like that.
“Feral,” she laughs, shaking her head. “That’s the most accurate description of you I’ve ever heard.”
I chuckle, a little too loudly, and quickly change the subject. “And how’s your guy? I thought he might’ve come with you.”
The silence that stretches out after my question makes a knot twist in my stomach. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked. I should’ve kept it light like we always do. Then again, it’s me. I’m always running my mouth without thinking.
And there she goes again, fiddling with the edge of her sleeve like it’s the only thing keeping her from falling apart. It’s like watching someone try to hold themselves together. I can’t help but feel like I’m seeing something I shouldn’t.
“He, uh, couldn’t get time off.”
“Ah, that stinks.” I offer a sympathetic shrug.
She shakes her head, a small smile pulling at her lips. “It’s okay. It’ll be nice to spend some time away, just me and Jules.”
The way her voice falters a little makes my stomachtighten. I can be a bit pushy sometimes, but something is telling me not to. Instead, I clear my throat. “Aye, but just so you know, ‘good’ doesn’t exactly scream ‘living your best life,’ you know?”
Another hint of a smile tugs at her lips, and I exhale a quiet sigh of relief. That’s better. I don’t do well with sad shit.
“Maybe I’m just after a sliver of peace for a change.”
