AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s just an old piece of shit I bought off some guy in town,” I said smoothly. I could have bought something brand new, but I didn’t want anyone to know how wealthy I was. The point was to hide out down here. And if I went around spending a bunch of my money, people would start to talk. I had been lucky that the media didn’t follow me down here. “I need a vehicle to get around while on the island.”
She nodded and slipped in the other side. The breeze cooled us down as we drove through town. It was always less humid on the beach, but you could still feel the heat. My t-shirt was soaked through in spots, and I was sure I reeked, but Rose didn’t seem to care.
I pulled up to the tiki hut we ate at last night. It seemed like the right choice since we had been working all morning, even though the air conditioning would feel better.
“Should we get drinks?”
“God, yes,” she chuckled as she sat down. “Trust me, by the time I leave, you’re going to think I’m an alcoholic.”
“And how long will that be?”
“Two weeks,” she said, rubbing her fingers along the table.
I nodded to myself, wishing it could be longer. I didn’t want this feeling to end. I liked having her around. She was just so normal and down to earth.
“Why would you spend your two weeks at the beach with me, working on my house, instead of enjoying your time in the sun.”
“Well, technically I’m still in the sun.” She smiled, like she was trying to lighten the situation, but I could see the tension in her eyes. There was something she wasn’t telling me. She’d already made it clear that she wasn’t available, so what the hell were we doing? It was like asking for a heart attack.
We didn’t discuss it any further as we ordered and ate our meals. Our conversation was lacking all personal information. It was clear to both of us that some topics were off limits, and maybe that was for the best. When we finished, we headed back to my little house. Fletch was already inside working.
I got out, walking around to help her down, but she got out before me, her foot catching on the Jeep. She fell to the ground, groaning as she rolled over.
“Rose!” I ran around to help her up, wincing when I saw her scraped up knee and hand. Immediately kneeling beside her, I helped her into a sitting position, hoping she hadn’t sprained or broken anything. Taking her hand in mine, I gently turned it over. She had tiny pebbles imbedded in the heel of her hand and blood was slowly sliding down her arm.
“God, I’m such a klutz.”
“You should have waited for me,” I snapped, my anger getting the best of me. I wasn’t mad at her, just a little scared and this was how it came out. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Sorry, I just don’t want to see you hurt.”
“It’s nothing. I just need to clean it up.”
“You need to see a doctor.”
“For this?” she laughed, holding up her hand.
“It could be worse—”
“Trust me, I’ve had worse. Rebellious teenager, remember?”
I smirked at her, shaking my head. Glancing at the house, I knew I didn’t have the right things to clean her up inside. “I should drive you home. I don’t have a first aid kit inside.”
“You didn’t plan for women falling out of vehicles?”
“Nope, but I did go buy the proper tools for removing forks from the ground.” Placing my hand under her bicep and taking her other hand in mine, I prepared to help her up. “Let’s get you back in the Jeep.”
“Really, it’s not a problem.”
“I’ll take you home and get you cleaned up,” I insisted. I felt terrible. After strapping her in the Jeep, I ran inside to let Fletch know where I was going.
“Hey, took you long enough. A little afternoon delight?” he grinned.
“Rose fell out of the Jeep.”
He stopped what he was doing and looked up at me in horror. “While it was moving?”
“No, she tripped while getting out of it.” His shoulders visibly relaxed. “I’m going to take her home.”
“Alright. Tell her I hope she feels better.”
