Road Trip with a Nerd - Stephanie Street Page 0,6
junkyard and flown home. If I had the money. Was that why Grant drove? It didn’t make sense that driving would be cheaper than flying, especially not in this thing. It had to be a gas guzzler, right? What a colossal waste of fossil fuels.
Grant didn’t react to my whining except for a slight twitch below his eye.
I couldn’t take it anymore. “Please, can we please stop and get the water?” The cooler sat in the bed of the truck near the tailgate. I was tempted to crawl out my window traveling seventy miles an hour on the interstate, I was that desperate.
Grant’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “There’s a rest area in about thirty minutes. Can you wait that long? I don’t want to stop on the side unless it’s an emergency. People drive crazy around here.”
Groaning, I let my head fall to my knees. “How can you stand it? It’s so hot. And there’s no radio. This bench is so hard my butt’s falling asleep.” Turning my head, I got a good look at his legs beside me. Once again, I was thrown off by his body. Grant wore shorts and Vans with no socks. His legs, corded with unexpected muscles, glowed a warm golden tan with a dusting of sun-bleached hair. Something about them made me feel a shot of attraction.
I sat up quickly. I did not need to be having any kind of thoughts about Grant’s legs. Or his hands for that matter. I had a relationship to save. Didn’t I?
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I checked my text messages...again. Still nothing from Matt or Livvy, but I had three or four from Jenny asking how things were going.
No way would I tell her about the moving death machine taking me across country. Instead, I would lie through my teeth and tell her everything was just fine.
Grant watched me from the corner of his eye.
“It’s my sister, okay? She’s worried about me.” I had no idea why I felt the need to defend myself. I had every right to text every person I’d ever met without him saying a word about it.
“I didn’t say anything.” He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had. Nothing about this day made any sense. I should be at my sister’s apartment, laughing and joking and talking about boys, not sweating to the point of dehydration in Grant Baker’s truck while my best friend kissed my boyfriend behind my back fifteen hundred miles away.
“You didn’t have to say anything. Your judgment is written all over your face. I promise I’m not posting on social media about what a jerk you’re being.” That wasn’t nice, but I wasn’t feeling friendly. I was feeling mad! Stupid boys. Stupid friends. Stupid, hot, uncomfortable truck! And stupid Grant!
“Yeah, I’m such a jerk I let you ride home with me. I could have just left you there. You didn’t even tell me why. For all I know, I’m going to get in trouble for doing this. Do your parents know where you are? Coming with me and not staying in Salt Lake with your sister?” He punched on the breaks, slowing the truck way down as he veered toward an exit to the right.
“I’m not a child. I don’t need my parent’s permission. In case you missed it, I was at graduation with you. I can do whatever I want.” I’d half turned in my seat to yell at him.
Grant pulled his truck up in front of a rest area. There were no other cars in the parking lot. Without saying another word, he ripped the keys from the ignition and stormed out of the truck. Instead of heading into the building, he took off toward a small monument with a plaque, his fists clenched at his sides, his brow brooding more than ever.
Fine. If that was how he wanted to be, fine. But I needed to use the restroom. And dig through his cooler for some water. Opening the door to his truck, I glanced back at the seat where my tablet sat on the woven blanket. Not wanting to leave it where anyone could take it, I put it under the seat and then reached over to lock Grant’s door before getting out. I probably didn’t have to worry about locking mine since it had to be opened from the inside, but I did it anyway.
Grant stood still, his body as stony as the monument before him. We