Grayson’s voice came over the phone. “Cop up ahead in the shoulder.”
“Shit.” Reece’s stomach plummeted.
“You trust me?”
“Yeah.” Not a lie, some distant part of Reece’s brain noticed.
“Drive into me.”
“What?”
“Carefully, obviously,” said Grayson. “I know you got the skills to do it.”
Oh, this better work. Reece took a deep breath, then pressed on the gas. His car inched forward, the back of the truck rapidly approaching. His roof wasn’t much higher than the top of the tailgate; this was going to wreck the front of his car, but better his headlights than someone else.
The impact rattled Reece in his seat as the front of the Smart car knocked into the F-150’s bumper. But Grayson was still moving at almost exactly the same speed he was, and it wasn’t hard enough to set off the airbags.
Grayson’s drawl came through the phone again. “Ready?”
Reece took a breath as Grayson’s brake lights lit up, only a couple feet away, illuminating Reece and the dashboard in red.
“Keep your foot off the gas.”
And as Grayson’s truck began to slow, Reece’s Smart car slowed with him.
“Oh my God,” Reece said shakily, watching his speedometer finally sink. “Oh my God, I think I’m in love with your truck.”
“We can talk about your kinks later. Gotta brake harder or we’re gonna rear-end that cop.”
Reece yanked up the e-brake, which screeched as his car coasted over the shoulder and grass, the friction of the dirt dragging on the Smart car’s tires as Grayson’s truck acted like a giant tugboat slowing a tiny barge. He watched his speedometer fall to twenty, then fifteen, and then finally his car came to a complete stop, half on the grass, the steep hill rising up on his right and cars rushing by on I-5 on the left.
“Evan, Jesus.” He slumped in his seat. “I will never complain about your driving again.”
Lie.Reece couldn’t even groan. He let his head fall forward and land on the steering wheel, taking deep breaths, his heart racing and tears threatening from the flood of adrenaline that had left him shaking.
A moment later, there was a blast of cold air as his driver’s door was opened.
“You know which Care Bear you are? Bad Decisions Bear.”
Reece broke into a laugh as Grayson’s drawl rolled over him, real and unstripped by the phone, unnervingly emotionless, yes, but also familiar, even reassuring. He flopped back in his seat, looking up at the tall, broad silhouette backlit by a streetlamp and the headlights and taillights of I-5.
“That’s not a real Care Bear,” Reece said, like his heart wasn’t still too fast. From adrenaline. Obviously.
“Well, you’re notGoodDecisions Bear.” There was just enough light spilling over the grass from the highway that he could see Grayson as he bent forward and held out his hand.
Fuck, he looked perfect.
Reece shook himself. He reached out and took Grayson’s hand, closing gloved fingers around his palm as Grayson’s hand closed around his. With an easy tug, Grayson helped him out of the car. Momentum carried him forward and he landed close enough Grayson had to gracefully dodge so they didn’t touch. But despite Reece’s wobbly knees, Grayson’s grip on his hand kept him steady.
Reece tilted his head back to look up at Grayson, their hands still joined.
“Hey,” said Grayson.
“Hey,” Reece echoed, hyper-aware of everything in that moment, the wintery mist cold and damp against his face, the gust of I-5 traffic rushing by, and most of all, aware of Grayson, only a foot away.
He squeezed Grayson’s hand. “I want to hug you so much,” he said, still breathless.
Grayson raised an eyebrow. “I’d have to carry you off I-5 then.”
