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I took a step closer to her and infiltrated her personal bubble. I watched how she swallowed hard and the slight tinge in her eyes. The air between us thickened as it always did when we stood this close to each other. Her eyes held mine in their deep stare. Neither one wanted to yield.
“You can either get in the seat like a normal person, or I’m carrying you and putting you in your seat like a child. The choice is yours.”
We stood there staring each other down.
There was no need for me to have her in the front. The easier option would be for her to sit in the back, and we could go on this trip in peace. But it was the principal of the thing.
“You’re so annoying. Do you know that?” She grumbled and moved to the passenger door.
Feeling victorious, I rounded the car, got into the driver's side, and revved the engine to life. I could feel the daggers she was throwing my way, but I didn’t look her way once. I just kept my eyes focused on the road.
This was going to be long and interesting journey.
Chapter sixteen
Take My Breath Away
Daniel
Evenwiththeradioon, the air was thick with tension. Neither one of us had uttered a word since we left Chicago. She was there in her chair, seething like a grumpy teenager, and I was still reeling from her behavior yesterday at the meeting.
I didn’t want to bring it up now, especially when we were out of the office, but her look bothered me. Something was there, and I needed to know exactly what it was. Maybe it was my compelling obsession to need to know everything. Whatever the reason was, I knew that in time, I would uncover whatever she was hiding.
Her phone buzzed again, and she stiffened, but I watched her body calm when she looked down. She had been doing that the entire drive. She looked mildly on edge, but it was no secret that she did not like going to Braven. She had talked about it enough times for even me to know that Braven Bay was her worst nightmare. But still, she made the trip for Claire, and I commended her.
We were now only two hours out from Braven Bay, Wisconsin, and had one more town to pass before we got to our destination. We were now on the ‘long aisle’ road. It was called that because it was just one narrow road lined with pine forests on either side, making it look like a long aisle. I usually love this part of the journey. It was always the most scenic.
For all her faults, she loved my sister, and she—oh shit!
“Oh my God!” Selena screamed from her seat as I tried to contour the air after the tire burst.
I wrestled with the steering wheel, trying to keep the car on the road as best as I could. The last thing I needed to do was go head-first into a pine tree.
Thankfully, I could get the car under control and pull off to the side. My hands strangled the wheel tightly; my knuckles were white.
Selena sat in silent shock in her seat. I unbuckled myself and leaned over the console to check on her.
“Hey,” I cupped the side of her face and forced her to look in my direction. Her eyes were wild, and she was still in shock. “Are you okay?”
She was silent.
“I’m going to need you to talk to me, Sel.” I kept my voice low and soft to not startle her.
She blinked once, nodding, “Yeah, what was that?”
“The tire. It blew out.” My thumb brushed the side of her face gently before I released her.
“Do we have a spare?”
I leaned back in my seat, “No. Unfortunately, I never had it replaced after the last time. But there is a gas station a little up the road from here. We can call Seb to come and get us, and then I can get someone out here later to get the car.”
“Wait, what?”
As if this trip could not get any more interesting.
“Of all the damn things, you don’t have spare tire?” We trekked up the road that led to the
nearest gas station. We were another two-hour drive from Braven and about three miles from
