AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jameson: Nothing
Gabriel: Are you okay?
Jameson: Fine, why?
“You should want me to text and drivemore, you know. Better odds I’ll get pulled over.”
“Yeah.” Her voice has gone a little higher now. A little more afraid. “Except I don’t want to get into an accident and die in a mangled wreck on the highway.”
“I don’t plan on getting into an accident.” An accident would be laughably trivial in comparison with the rest of my life. Know what I mean?
“Nobodyplanson it. That’s why it’s an accident. You don’t expect it to happen.”
The memories come on fast. I keep eyes on the road. Hands on the wheel. I don’t think about those things when I’m driving, but I can’t always stop them completely. I pretend my mind is a duplex and shove them into the unoccupied unit, leaving them to play silently in the background like a TV somebody forgot to turn off.
“Life is full of surprises.” Christ. Why am I even talking to her? It’s because she seems so familiar. It’s because she’s funny. I lifted her off her feet in a parking lot and pushed her into the back of an SUV, and she’s funny.
I’ve seen her somewhere before. It’s full-on nagging now. I’d rather watch her in the rearview than remember the worst parts of my life. Our eyes meet every time I glance in the mirror.
I come up on a truck in the right-hand lane, a stack of two by fours sticking out from the truck bed, so I merge left. Pass. Wait.
I peek over my shoulder. If she’sthatworried about getting into a wreck, then I’ll make a show of looking.
Gabriel:Jameson.
A headlight from the car behind us hits my face, and this time, Lily’s gasp ismuchhigher-pitched. “Noway. No. There’s no way.”
My brain latches onto those words and slaps them over the memory of last fall. Thatwoman. I hadn’t been able to see the color of her hair that night. It was in a ponytail. I’ll never forget herface, or the hint of scent I caught on the wind. Sweet. Vaguely floral.
Like the scent in the air now. Fuck, she smells good. Shelookedgood, walking out to her car, even from across the street. I liked the way she moved. I liked it last fall, too, because it’s the same woman. Her hair is in loose waves, but her face is the same.
Herface. Lily’s face.I think you look hot. Bye.
Lily’s eyes get wider and wider andwideruntil she’s practically a cartoon.
And then she bursts out laughing.
6
LILY
Oh, God, what arelief.
I can’t stop laughing. My entire body shakes with it, head to toe. Even if he dropped me off at The Membership right now, I wouldn’t be able to perform. My knees are wobbly, and my arms, and I’msitting down.I’m in no state to maneuver myself safely and sexily on an aerial hoop. I’d have to sit there, taking up space, not helping anyone.
The laugh gets a little out of control. My abs ache with it. Tears come to my eyes. Every time I think it’s tapering off, his eyes skate over mine in the rearview mirror and it starts again.
Finally, I’m forced to pretend that I’m attending a networking event for future Columbia law students. I’m forced to pretend that the dean will be there, and the president of the university, and the President of the United States.
Me, have a laughing fit in front of the president? Never.
I sit up straight, press at the corners of my eyes with a knuckle, and breathe through the last giggles.
My kidnapper—who’s still hot, ugh—raises his eyebrows at me. “That funny, huh?”
“It’syou. I can’t believe it’syou.”
His eyes are no longer visible in the mirror. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
