“Killian, wait!” I call after him and his hand stills on the door handle. “You’re right, okay? And I’m sorry. I am a hypocrite. Just… please don’t leave,” I continue. “My car was smoking and I have no idea what to do.”
He spins to face me, a flash of amusement crossing his features. “Say it again.”
I frown. “Say what again?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
I roll my eyes. The asshole’s enjoying this. “Please. I’m sorry, okay?Pleasewill you help me?”
He considers it for a moment, dragging out the suspense just toy with me. “Since you asked so nicely,” he says with a grin before heading back over to me.
I cross my arms over my chest. “You don’t have to be so smug about it.”
His grin widens. “Will it start?”
I round the front of the car and climb in behind the wheel and turn the ignition, but I get no response from the engine.
“Pop the hood, would you?” he calls from outside the car.
I pull the lever before joining him as he lifts the hood and flicks the arm up that keeps it in place. He pokes around for a moment, fiddling and wiggling things and all I can do is watch.
“What do you think is wrong with it?”
He pulls back and scratches his forehead, that response alone not filling me with much hope. “You said it was smoking? Engine must’ve overheated. My best guess is it’s probably a blown head gasket or a faulty cooling system.”
“Can you fix it?”
He raises an eyebrow. “I know bikes, babe, not cars. Besides, there’s nothing I can do without tools,” he tells me. He glances down at his watch and curses under his breath. “Look, I uh, I have somewhere to be right now, but… I guess I can give you a ride if you want?”
“Yeah, no. I’m good, but thanks.” No way am I getting in acar with him. He might be trying to help me out with my car, but I still don’t trust him.
“So you’re just gonna stand out here for the next few hours in the hopes another car comes by?”
“I’ll just walk back to town. It’s not that far.”
“You sure?” He glances up at the sky which looks menacingly gloomy, thick dark clouds rolling in, carried by the wind that has strengthened since I’ve been out here. “Looks like it’s gonna rain. I can give you a ride and get one of the guys to give it a tow back into town.”
“Cool, I’ll just ride back with one of them.”
“It won’t be for a few hours. There’s no signal out here, and there’s somewhere I need to be. So, you can come with me or enjoy the rainstorm. Your choice.” He slams the hood closed and retreats back to his truck.
The first spot of rain lands square on my forehead and judging by the colour of the sky above me, I don’t think I want to be out here when the rain comes.
Fuck my life.
I race around my car to retrieve my bag before chasing after Killian. “Hey, wait up!”
I swing open the passenger door of his truck and climb in, and the second the door closes, the heavens open and a torrent of rain batters the truck, raindrops bouncing off the hood as a deep rumble of thunder crackles above us.
“So where are we going?” I ask, clipping my seat belt into place and pulling it tight around me as he pulls out onto the road.
“Just an errand,” he says dismissively.
It’s clear he’s not going to tell me no matter how many times I ask, so I don’t bother pushing, I’ll find out sooner orlater anyway. But there’s something niggling in the back of my mind that’s telling me I’m not going to like where we’re going.
Many miles down the road, the rain has eased to a miserable drizzle though the clouds above us are thick and heavy, threatening more rain, and I can only imagine the air outside the truck is just as palpable as it is inside.
The atmosphere filling the cab is so thick you could cut through it with a blunt butter knife. I don’t want to be here any more than Killian does, which is why we’ve spent the last twenty minutes in total silence, and not a comfortable one.
