“Yeah, but I didn’t think we’d actually just be sitting here,” she retorts, her eyes still closed. I watch as the guy inside the shop finally slips his phone into his pocket, turning off the back light as he walks towards the door. “I’m just going to come back on my own tomorrow.”
That’s a terrible idea. There is no way she’s going back here alone. It’s a fine enough place, but everywhere becomes sketchy at night. The guy from the shop stands outside the door now, hands in his pockets as he looks around. I slouch down further, trying to hide myself from view.
“Don’t you think that-”
“Stop talking,” I mutter, watching as another dark figure appears, walking towards the Cell Phone Guy. They nod at each other, their mouths barely moving, and my heartbeat picks up.
“Okay, that’s a bit rude,” she replies. “I was just going to-”
“Scarlett.Stop. Talking,” I bite out and she opens her eyes, ready to rip me a new one. She sees that I’ve lowered my gaze from just above the steering wheel and her eyes widen as she looks between me and the two figures.
“Oh shit,” she murmurs.
“Yeah, oh shit.”
She leans down closer to where I’m looking since I have the better view. She’s too close to me now and I hate it. I can smell herChanel No. 5and the coconut scent of whatever she uses in her hair as some strands tickle my forearm.
“Why are you so close to me?” she groans as if she isn’t the one that came tomyside of the car. She tried to reposition herself, but her elbow ended up wedged into the inside crease of mine.
I nudge her with my arm, but she doesn’t budge. “Why areyouso close tome?”
She ignores me, huffing, “Can you just move your arm?”
“I would, but your elbow is right in my-”
“Jesus, Branson. Just move your-” She pushes me again and she’s practically wedged between me and the steering wheel.
“Scarlett, for the love of god-”
“I can't see anything when you’re in the way!”
There’s a moment of brief - and I mean,brief -silence before the loudest sound I’ve ever heard starts to blare out.
Beeeep. Beeeep. Beeeep.
The fucking car alarm goes off and we duck our heads down, hoping that will shield us from the attention we’ve just drawn to ourselves. Could tonight get any worse? We’ve been going in circles, Scarlett’s mood shifting like the weather, and now we’ve completely blown our cover.
I glance over to her, and her shoulders are shaking, her head tucked beneath her hands in a protective embrace. Is she crying? I really hope she’s not crying. I’m fully convinced that it is only me who ends up in these kinds of situations.
When the car stops beeping, I look up to the store slowly, groaning when I see the lights are completely off and the two guys that were standing out there have gone. Fucking great.
“They’re gone,” I say, nudging Scarlett beside me and she lifts her head up.
She turns to me and our gaze locks. My lips part in exasperation. Honestly, I thought my life was about to be over just then. She blinks back at me, staring, her eyes wide and her cheeks a deep red.
Then the strangest thing happens.
She laughs.
Her face basically cracks open like the sun bursting through the blinds, her white teeth fully showing as she throws her head back, tears springing to her eyes as she clutches her chest. Her laugh is a high wheeze that I’ve never heard before. She only ever snorts or scoffs at me.Thisis her real laugh. It takes about two seconds of her contagious laugh before I start to join in with a low chuckle, shaking my head as I scramble to drive us away.
10
Scarlett
Holy shit.
Watching Evan Branson almost shit himself was single-handedly the highlight of my year. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much terror in those – yes, I confirmed it – green eyes.
