Fake Love - Jaxson Kidman Page 0,27

SUV came to a stop.

There was still distance between me and the car.

I sat there, my hands on the wheel.

In my mind, I had this vision of hitting the gas pedal and crashing into the car.

How badass would that have been?

If I lived through what I did, what was a little exaggerated version of a fender bender, right?

But I couldn’t do that.

It would give me away.

It would only hurt Noah’s car. Which he could replace with a snap of his fingers.

I shut my eyes and pictured me hitting his car.

My teeth started to chatter and tears filled my eyes.

I took a deep breath.

I channeled my inner bitch.

My inner Tina - just like Momma, right?

I opened my eyes and took my hands off the steering wheel.

I wiped my eyes and curled my lip.

It’s time to fucking do this, Winter.

I got out of Tank Two and stood there.

I wasn’t prepared for this.

What was I going to do? What weapon was I going to use?

I walked to the back of Tank Two and remembered where to find the stuff to change a flat tire. A few years ago, Dad went on this kick where he claimed I needed to learn basic things in life. He was determined to teach me how to cook, clean, write a check, learn how to find and turn on a circuit breaker in the house, and how to cover basic maintenance on a vehicle.

Nothing really stuck with me because a week later he was out of town and we never talked about it again.

For the record, I remembered everything and I knew how to take care of myself.

I didn’t know the names of the tools to change the tire, but the thing to loosen the things on the tire… that metal bar… that looked like a good weapon to me.

I closed the back of Tank Two and walked toward Noah’s car.

There were a lot of options here.

I could break the windows.

Smash up the windshield.

Bust out the headlights.

I wondered if that was too much too soon.

I might have been better off scratching up the nice paint on the car.

Noah probably wouldn’t see it until morning.

That would leave his mind spinning…

I swallowed hard and smiled.

I had another choice to make too.

What to do…

Just scratch it up.

Or write something like fuck you.

As I thought about it, I realized I was going to chicken out.

I had to make a move.

Right now.

Right now, Winter! Do it!

I brought the metal bar back like a baseball bat and just needed to get that first swing out of the way.

As I tried to bring it forward, there was resistance.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a voice said.

Chills ran through my body… fuck.

I spun around, expecting to see Noah.

It wasn’t Noah.

It was a cop.

That made it worse.

Or did it?

My hand opened and the metal bar fell to the ground with a bouncing thud.

“Did you lock yourself out?” the cop asked me.

I looked around and saw his vehicle.

He was security.

Not an actual cop.

Not that it mattered. All he had to do was make a call and I was screwed.

“Cat got your tongue?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Oh, she talks.”

“I’m, uh…”

“You were going to hit that car,” he said. “With a lug wrench.”

“I was… I mean…”

“Stuttering right now is not your friend,” he said.

“I didn’t do anything,” I blurted out.

“Only because I stopped you.”

“But I didn’t do anything,” I said.

“Hey, look at me,” he said. “You don’t think I know who all these vehicles belong to? Are you kidding me? This is serious. What are you doing here?”

“Taking a drive,” I said.

“You’re not driving.”

“I stopped for a break,” I said.

“To smash up a car?”

“I’m… shark week,” I said.

“What?” he asked.

“Shark week,” I said. “My period. I’m hormonal. I’m angry. I’m confused.”

“Oh, come on,” he said. “That’s not going to work here. Listen, I need some identification. And then I’m calling the police. Don’t try anything stupid right now.”

My teeth chattered again.

I had the urge to cry but I shoved it away.

If I was going to get in trouble, I’d do so with a straight face.

“Come on,” he said. “Show me some identification and let’s get this over with.”

I started to point to Tank Two when I heard a noise from behind me.

“She’s with me,” a voice said.

The security guard’s eyes went wide.

I looked over my shoulder.

My eyes went wide too.

Chapter 10

the one more

He was in dark clothes.

Everything about him was dark.

With a zip-up hoodie unzipped, the hood up, sleeves pushed up, showing off tattoos that went down to