“You’re going to be stuck in this car with me for a lot longer than a minute.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
LIESEL
“‘It’s the most wonderful time—’”I jab the button, turning the radio off. The stupid lying radio. This is far from the most wonderful time of the year. We’ve been stopped for thirty minutes, and the reports of the accident keep getting more disastrous.
“An ambulance got through, but the fire truck hit black ice and now they’re stuck too,” Cooper says.
“Enough,” I say, covering my head with my hands. “I don’t want to know anymore.”
“Pretending nothing happened isn’t going to help.”
“Knowing what’s happening isn’t helping, either. It doesn’t change anything.”
“It helps us prepare. Plan ahead.”
“Plan ahead for what?” I ask. I gesture around me. “We’re stuck in the car!”
“Right, but for how long? Do you have any medical conditions you need help with?”
“No.”
“Are you sure you didn’t get bit by something? You seem pretty venomous.”
“Wow. All that setup for a mean joke?”
“No, that just came to me.” He says, holding his arm straight out and rotating his right wrist.
“Isyourinjury okay?”
“Just stiff.”
My eye twitches. I want to say something scathing, something that stings worse than a jellyfish. But I’m not actually a mean person. Something about Coop brings out the worst in me. And, honestly, I thought he was also bringing out the best in me, but I was clearly mistaken. That disappointment is probably making me even nastier, and my guilt over it makes me feel like my heart is pumping acid instead of blood. “If you need me to turn the heat up in the car, let me know.”
Cooper frowns but nods.
My leg starts bouncing. I text Juliet.
Liesel
The freeway’s at a standstill, and guess who’s stuck on it?
Juliet
NO!
Are you okay? What do you need? I’ll have Nate send a helicopter.
Liesel
Do not have Nate send a helicopter!
Juliet
Of course I will! Literally, what is the point of being a billionaire if he doesn’t help his friends?
“Juliet wants to have Nate send a helicopter to come get us,” I tell Cooper, though I don’t know why I do. It’s not like he deserves to know.
