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“You need to stop this, Merrick. You’ve already had charges against you. What happens if you’re picked up next year and you’re eighteen? It won’t just be a slap on the wrist then,” I explained, hoping I could get him to see some reason. I knew he wouldn’t tell me what he was really doing, but hopefully he would heed more warning. “I don’t know what I’d do if you were sent away again.”
I let the admission slip from my lips and glanced away, allowing his hand to drop from mine. My stomach twisted just at the thought of him being locked away again. He was able to get a deal the last time, his assault charges would be wiped from his record, but I’m not sure they would be so lenient again. Not to mention it would only get worse if he was arrested after he turned eighteen. I sucked in a shocked breath when his fingers gripped mine again, holding them tenderly.
“I know, Gi. I’ll be careful, I promise,” he assured, giving my hand a tight squeeze to draw my attention back to him. Just like he couldn’t deny my pout, I couldn’t refuse his sweet, caring, and gentle words. So I slipped my fingers between his, gingerly holding his hand in my lap and leaned against his shoulder. The tension that had radiated through my chest eased at the contact, his touch reassuring me that he was here, that he was safe. “Cuddling up to me isn’t going to save you from learning to drive though.” He chuckled, breaking through my thoughts. I gave his hand a little squeeze and he sucked in a pained gasp.
“Why do I need to learn how to drive all of a sudden?” I groaned, pulling back to look up at him.
“Because it’s a good skill to have and it’s the perfect day for it; you finally have a day off work and Kellan is busy at the community center,” he explained, his chest puffing out a bit in pride at his plan coming together.
“I don’t even have a car though,” I argued, trying everything I could to get out of this.
He sighed in exasperation and eased on the brakes, the car rolling to a stop just in front of the old firehouse. We came here to hang out in the parking lot a few times over the past year after it was shut down. There was a wide stretch of pavement out front where they used to park the trucks, not to mention the street was pretty much abandoned. Now that the fire station had a new location at the center of town, there really wasn’t any need for people to venture this far out.
“Switch places,” he instructed, slipping his hand from mine and opening the car door. I groaned in frustration but slipped off my seatbelt. My hand felt cold and bereft at the absence of his strong fingers entwined with mine, and I suppressed the disappointment that washed over me. That was dangerous territory I couldn’t dwell on. I guess I’d been putting this off long enough. This wasn’t the first time he tried to get me to drive. Sure I did the classes but never bothered to get behind the wheel after that. I figured having that skill might keep me from the city, where I didn’t need to drive with all the subway lines. And I desperately clung to that escape, needing it to get through school and dealing with my parents. The promise of a better future was the only thing that drove me to deal with this fucked-up life.
I reached for the door handle, but before my fingers could grasp the chrome lever, Merrick was there. His arms scooped me up and scooted me over to the driver’s seat, drawing a shocked gasp from me. He sat in the passenger seat and closed the door then leaned over me—my mind still reeling from the sudden shift—and closed the driver’s side door too. He pinned me with a devious look, our faces, our lips mere inches from one another. His warm breath caressed my face, and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to lean forward and place my mouth softly on his.
“No excuses now,” he said triumphantly, easing away to sit back in his own seat. I could feel every thump of my heart, every shallow breath as my body was paralyzed with anticipation at his closeness. My heart sank with dismay for just a moment until I reminded myself we were just friends. We couldn’t cross that line, it would only complicate our dynamic, along with our future plans for the three of us to all move to New York together.
“Fine,” I relented, pulling on my seatbelt as he did the same. I had to get over this irrational fear. Driving wouldn’t make me lose my determination to get out of this town. My hands gripped the hard red steering wheel, thankful that this car was automatic. “Teach me.”
We spent the next few hours going over basic things like parking and turns—just getting me more comfortable behind the wheel. It would take a few more tries until I’d chance driving on an actual roadway but we made good progress. A warm satisfaction spread through my chest and I turned to face Merrick after putting the car in park, a wide smile stretching across my face. His expression instantly mirrored mine, his eyes fogging over as he studied me. We just stayed like that for a moment until he shook himself out of his daze, his lips pressing into a thin line in annoyance.
“Why are you smiling?” he asked hesitantly. I couldn’t help but giggle at the apprehensive look he gave me, as though scared there may be some hidden meaning behind the giddy smile.
“Thank you for forcing me to do this,” I admitted, slumping back in my seat as my hands slipped off the wheel. We’d found a spot at the back where the firefighters must’ve parked their personal vehicles so we would be out of the way in case anyone drove by. It was rare for anyone from town to come out this way, but there were known gangs on the outskirts, and we didn’t want to take any chances. Especially now that the sun had set and the stars twinkling in the sky were the only light we had.
“See, it wasn’t so bad,” he goaded, chuckling at the tongue I stuck out at him, the sound morphing into a groan. His strong fingers slid back through my hair, pushing a few stray strands back from my face. Leaning into the touch, I relished the feel of his calloused fingers against my skin. Their trail sparking like fire, warm and comforting, yet dangerous. The line we toed so often lately was becoming thinner and thinner.
“I have an idea,” I exclaimed, easing back to look at him. I needed to put some distance between us or else I might just give in to the tendrils of lust scorching through me. His brow knitted together in confusion, but before he could get a word out, I swung open the door and bolted out of the car, rushing to the firehouse.
“Giana,” he hissed, following after me, but I didn’t bother waiting for him as I hurriedly searched for an entrance to the boarded-up station. “What are you doing?”
My legs pumped as I searched frantically, knowing if he caught up to me before I made it inside, he would definitely throw me over his shoulder and take me back to the car. But I wanted some fun, and I needed some small form of rebellion. Besides, the fire station was just sitting here, abandoned. No one would notice if we were inside … hopefully.
My eyes caught on a small window parallel to the pavement, just big enough for me to squeeze through. All of the other windows were boarded up, which would make it difficult but not impossible to get through. I just didn’t have enough time to attempt to pry one of the large panels off, especially not with Merrick closing in. I slid to the ground, careful not to scrape my knees too hard against the rough pavement—the last thing I needed was a full day of waiting tables tomorrow with both legs bleating in pain. My fingers gripped the window’s edge, dirty from the year of disuse, and pulled but nothing happened. Trying again, I put my entire body weight into it. I hadn’t seen a lock, but there could’ve been one on the inside. All I knew was this was my last shot.
The pane groaned under the pressure, giving way one inch at a time, so I kept pushing until it slid the final inch.
“Giana Bardot, don’t you dare—” Merrick growled but his words cut off as I slipped my legs through the opening, followed by my torso, my hands gripping the windowsill; the only thing keeping me from falling since my feet hadn’t found any purchase yet. “You’re insane.”
His hands clasped around my wrists and he attempted to pull me up, apparently thinking I’d just give up now that he caught me. I was so close though. Hell, half of my body was already inside, so I counted to three, gathering my courage before I let my hands slip from the edge. He wasn’t ready for my sudden drop, and despite his attempt to catch me, gravity won this round. My sneakers hit the hard pavement sending a jolt of pain up to my knees. Thankfully the drop hadn’t been too far, maybe a foot at most.
“Giana,” he scolded, his tone incredulous, yet I could hear the note of fear. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I glanced around the room I just dropped into. The stream of moonlight that filtered in through the open window illuminated the outline of sheets, draped over bulky shapes I could only assume were furniture.
“Don’t you dare,” he grunted, stopping me in my tracks. I was one hundred percent about to wander off and check out the room. I choked on a laugh as I caught sight of him wriggling through the small opening. His muscular form struggled to fit through, and he grunted in pain as his shoulder got caught.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to—”
“I’m fine,” he snapped back, groaning as he finally squeezed his shoulders through.
“I could’ve just unlocked the door for you …” I trailed off, holding back my laughter. Although most of the windows had been boarded up, there was a steel door at the back that was clear. I knew it would’ve been locked, but I was sure I could’ve unlocked it from the inside.
“No, you stay right there you little devil,” he wheezed and dropped to the floor, his thick shoes reverberating off the concrete ground. I snorted out a laugh at the nickname, which usually only came out when I came up with some sort of reckless idea. My life was boring, and monotonous as it was, I needed a bit of excitement and adventure to make sure I was still alive sometimes.
“I’m not the devil,” I pouted, my bottom lip pulling down into the look I knew he couldn’t resist. He growled, my face illuminated by the small light streaming in through the window, and scrubbed a hand through his hair.
