Page 2 of Ravenous

It was a clear and balmy midsummer night but he still felt a bit chilly. And maybe a bit tipsy. He rarely drank and alcohol hit his lighter body much harder, so two glasses on a mostly empty stomach was doing the trick. Leaving the main entrance, he walked past clusters of smokers and continued down the long driveway until his phone beeped again. Checking the app, he looked up from the dot that was his driver as a compact SUV turned off the main road in front of him.

Ollie waved his phone and the car pulled over, the doors unlocking as the passenger-side window rolled down.

“Ollie?” The way the man said his name made a shiver ripple up Ollie’s spine and he peered into the car, immediately biting his lip to keep his jaw from dropping. The driver washot. He had deep chestnut eyes and hair, a well-sculpted five o’clock shadow, and a swimmer’s build. The only drawback was his sense of style, for he dressed like he’d just rolled out of bed after a long night of band practice, with a faded tour T-shirt, ripped jeans, and Converse sneakers, but Ollie wouldn’t hold that against him too much.

“Yes.” Ollie swallowed, trying to find his brain as he glanced at his screen. “Finn?”

“Yep. Hop in. I’ll take you back to…” He studied the phone he had resting in a cradle on the dashboard. “Your hotel.”

Since the wedding was an hour away and Ollie knew he’d be drinking, he’d booked a room. Although he wished he could sleep in his own bed, the hotel had a stellar gym as well as privacy from his parents’ prying eyes, so he’d be fine.

Realizing that he was staring, Ollie jolted into motion and a few seconds later he was in the back of the car, slumping with a sigh, his eyes on the window as Finn U-turned, taking them west without another word.

Unfortunately, once Ollie’s dread bubbled up it was difficult to simmer down and his thoughts ran wild in the silence. On paper, Ollie had a great life. Loving parents who were still together, two older sisters and a younger brother who were friends as well as siblings, good health, a budding career in social media, and an online presence that people envied. But one thing could send it all crashing down. An accident. An illness. A stalker. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He wished that fortune tellers were real so he’d know the exact date that his life would fall apart. He’d never spoken to anyone about his troubles because he knew it would sound silly saying it aloud and he’d probably be told to relax, to not worry about things until they happen. But if he didn’t prepare, then the emotional upheaval would be significantly heavier, more than he could bear.

“Are you okay?”

Ollie had been staring at his hands, which had gone blurry, and when he looked up he realized that they’d stopped at a red light and Finn was staring at him in the rearview mirror. A tear hit Ollie’s wrist and he reached up, touching his wet cheek. When had he started crying?

“Y-Yeah.” Ollie cleared his throat because he certainly didn’t sound okay.

“Are you sure?”

“…aren’t you afraid?” He didn’t know why he asked. Maybe it was the concern in Finn’s gaze; it held no judgment even though Ollie was having a sobfest in the back of the car. Maybe it was the champagne. Or maybe it was because he wanted to know,neededto know, if others saw the brutal end of things too.

“Afraid of what?” Finn’s voice was careful but it had an accepting and curious tone.

“Everything?”

“It’s kind of hard to be afraid of everything.” The light changed to green and they headed along the town’s main strip. Since it was after eleven the roads were lit but empty, and it made Ollie feel like he and Finn were the only people in the world.

“It’s not.” Ollie wiped his eyes but they stung again, more tears forming despite his adamant insistence that they stop. His eyeliner was probably running down his face.

“What kind of things are you afraid of?” Finn put on his left blinker, looking carefully around before turning.

“The future. My parents dying. Something bad happening to me. Or to them. Getting sick. My house burning down with me in it.” Ollie took a shaky breath. “Mimes.”

“Mimes?” Finn let out a soft chuckle.

Ollie’s next breath caught and he choked past a sob. “Th-They’re terrifying.” He was trying to make a joke but it fell flatter than paper.

The turn signal went on again and Finn pulled over, putting the car in park and twisting in his seat. Ollie blinked, not only to swipe away tears but also because Finn was now fully facing him, and he was more stunning than Ollie had realized. His hair was slightly longer in the front, swept effortlessly to the side in a way that highlighted his perfectly proportioned eyebrows, high cheekbones, and long regal nose. He had full kissable lips and a forehead that was crinkled in worry as he stared at Ollie. The slight lines in the corners of his eyes placed him over thirty, perhaps thirty-five, but he had the air and energy of someone who had never let go of his youth. While on some people it might read as immature, on Finn it was comforting and refreshing.

“Hey, don’t cry. I know that the future is scary but it can also be good.” Finn tilted his head, emoting reassurance. He was taking Ollie in stride so this probably wasn’t the first time he’d had an emotional passenger on board.

Ollie cleared his throat again. “Sure…but that good will eventually turn bad.”

“Not necessarily.”

Ollie shook his head. He couldn’t properly enunciate the fear that was lodged in his soul, the way he saw things, how he was trying, in any way he could, to bolster himself for upcoming tragedy. Silence stretched between them, punctuated by Ollie’s sniffles, and closed in on awkward right as Finn spoke up.

“Hey, I know this is weird and really unprofessional but can I take you somewhere? I promise it’s perfectly safe.” He held up his hands as if he were surrendering. “I just…I have a place that I go to when I’m feeling...I think it’ll help.”

“Um...” This gorgeous man wanted to bring him to another location? That was exactly how people got murdered. But Ollie didn’t think Finn could murder anything and he didn’t want to go back to his silent hotel room so he nodded once, sharply, willing to take his chances. “Okay.”

“Great!” Finn clapped his hands and then put the car back in gear. It was a short ten-minute drive and after a few turns, the road got smaller and smaller until it became a dirt path that tossed the SUV around. Gripping the handle above the window, Ollie hung on for dear life, wondering if he’d been wrong. Was he going to be a statistic? Was this the end he’d been anticipating?

Suddenly, the trees around them cleared and the world seemed to open up, presenting a bare cliff bordered by rocks, and a gorgeous view of the town below. Bringing the car close to the edge, Finn shut off the engine and jumped out, going around to Ollie’s door and opening it for him, holding out his hand. The chivalrous gesture made Ollie smile and he slid his fingers along that large warm palm, stepping out of the car and almost bumping into Finn’s chest.

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