TOBY
My heart pounds in my chest, my entire body trembling with pent-up adrenaline, and my feet continue to press the pedal, shooting us forward faster and faster.
I’ve always known my car is a beast, I’ve just never really had a need to put her to good use before. Something I’m quickly learning was probably a mistake. The faster we fly down the road, the freer I feel. The more my anger, my frustration, my guilt washes away, and I’m just left with the contentment of having her sitting beside me. I can even pretend that she doesn’t hate me as she pretends not to be enjoying the ride.
Her fingers are wrapped around the edge of the seat, but it’s impossible to miss the small smile playing on her lips.
Yeah, my girl has a reckless streak in her, even if she’s not aware of it yet.
“Fuck, I missed you,” I breathe, just loud enough so she’ll be able to hear me over the roar of the engine.
She visibly tenses, but her response isn’t exactly what I was hoping for.
“Where are we going?”
“Nowhere,” I confess. To be honest, I hadn’t even intended on following her down the street, let alone making my presence known. But here we are, so I clearly fucked that up.
“Right, well… any chance you could take me home? I start work tomorrow and I—“
“At the bar?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“Y-yeah,” she agrees, keeping her eyes out of the window.
“You never told me which one.”
“One that sells drinks,” she quips under her breath.
“I’m not going to turn up and watch you all night, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Seriously?” she snaps, finally twisting around to look at me.
The second our eyes connect, it’s like she’s knocked the air clean out of my lungs.
The urge to reach out and touch her burns through me, and my fingers tighten around the wheel to stop myself.
She doesn’t want to be here, that much is obvious, and I’ve already fucked this little reunion enough tonight.
My eyes are still locked on hers when she suddenly screams and launches herself at me, grabbing the wheel and twisting it beneath my hands.
“Fuck. FUCK,” I bark as I catch sight of the nose of my car missing the central reservation by what must have been inches.
“Now will you just take me home?” she snaps, falling back into her seat once more and crossing her arms over her chest.
Seeing the road is clear behind, I cut across the lanes and back down toward the city.
Neither of us says another word, and all too soon, I’m pulling up outside Sara’s house. I’m assuming that because she didn’t tell me that I was heading the wrong way, this is where she wanted to be.
“You’re really pissed at your mum, huh?” I mutter, putting the car into park.
“Not as pissed as I am at you,” she snaps back, undoing her belt and pushing the door open.
“Fair,” I murmur. “Wait,” I call in the rush before she has a chance to close the door on me. “Can I see you again? We need to talk.”
She bends down and looks me dead in the eye. I know what’s going to come out of her mouth before her lips even part.
“No. Enjoy the rest of your night.”
She slams the door before I get a chance to respond and watch as she runs around the front of the car, hiding under her coat as she darts for the door that leads to Sara and Jesse’s flat.