Cursed (Enchanted Gods #1) - K.K. Allen Page 0,77
muster toward the van. I can feel the explosion of energy burst from my pores. There’s a loud crunching of metal, like the van just collided with a wall, and I look to see the squirrel dart into the bushes on the other side of the road.
With a quick sigh of relief, I look back toward the van. Its front grill is bent in the center and steam rises from around the hood. Crap. My eyes widen, and I release the handlebars of my bike, letting it fall to the ground beneath me.
The driver’s door to the van bursts open, and cold-faced Johnny Pierce steps out. He slams the door behind him, his startling blue eyes narrowed on mine. “Are you kidding me with this? What the hell is your problem, Kat?”
An unexpected thrill races though me when Johnny says my name. I wasn’t sure if we’d ever speak again after our run-in over a week ago. He was so cold. So angry. And now, he’s a stark reminder of the very reason I should look for another job. It shouldn’t be hard to find something else. But something about Island Grille calls to me. Or maybe I want to show Johnny he can’t push me around.
“Earth to Kat. I asked you why you pulled out in front of me like a fucking lunatic.”
I suck in a deep breath and instinctively reach for the energy stone I wear around my neck. It’s supposed to calm me, but when it comes to Johnny, I’m not sure anything can calm me. “You were going too fast. Didn’t you see the squirrel? You would have ran right over it.”
Johnny’s jaw tenses. “No, I didn’t, because I was too focused on not hitting you. Didn’t your granny tell you to pay attention and not to swerve in and out of traffic? This is practically a one-lane road. You should be more careful.”
I let out a laugh and shrug. “I think I’ll be just fine, but thanks for the advice. And you don’t have to call her my ‘granny,’ like some condescending asshole. Her name is Rose.”
“Just be careful next time,” he growls. “I don’t want to be responsible for killing some kid who can’t pay attention to simple things like road signs.”
“I’m eighteen.”
“Yeah, well that’s young enough.”
I squint at him, trying to remember what he told me his age was. I swear he said it was twenty-two. “You’re not much older than me.” If it weren’t for the stubble covering his mouth and cheeks, I would think we were the same age.
With an amused shake of my head, I lean over to pick up my bike and freeze when his hand brushes mine. Energy surges through my veins—I feel its buzz reverberate through me like it’s lifting me high above the clouds—a strange sensation to have for someone I want to despise. Johnny grips the center bar of the bike and picks it up like it weighs nothing before popping it right-side-up on the drive.
“Are you okay to ride?”
His question throws me a little. It almost sounds like he cares, even though his reaction was delayed. “I’m fine. But why are you suddenly pretending to care?”
He shakes his head. “Trust me, I don’t. Just trying to avoid a lawsuit.” Still looking at me, he points to his van. “I already need to break it to the boss that I’m out of a catering van until we can get this one fixed.”
I tilt my head and point to the van. “What for? It looks fine.”
Johnny scrunches his face in confusion. “Huh? No, it’s—” He’s midturn when he spots the front of his van, which is now undamaged. He looks back at me. “I thought—”
I look at him with wide, innocent eyes. I might have repaired it when he wasn’t looking. “You thought what?”
He shakes his head and takes a step back. “Nothing. It’s all good.” He makes it all the way to his van then swivels around. “You sure you don’t need a ride somewhere? I’m not asking to be nice. I just have some time before my next event.”
My heart kicks in my chest at the second semi-kind reaction he’s had during our encounter. “No, I’m—” I start to tell him I’m going to Island Grille to beg Roy for a second chance, but I think better of it. If I tell Johnny that, his knee-jerk asshole tendencies might find a way to stop me. “Just heading to the library.”
He makes a face to