Page 55 of Yellow
“I was supposed to feel better, but I don’t. I feel just as stressed as when I arrived.”
I turned my head and tried to suppress the curse words that were filling my brain. Ona had trusted me with this assignment and I’d blown it.
“Maybe I’ll have my accountant donate a small amount, because Onava did open my eyes to a few things.”
“And I didn’t?” I snapped and looked back at her.
“Sure, you opened my eyes to the fact that I’m a jerk magnet, but I already knew that.”
“Are you calling me a jerk?”
She shrugged and kept her eyes on the road.
“Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little bit? I thought you were tougher than this.”
“Tougher than what?” she bit back.
“Tougher than someone sticking her tail between her legs and running for the hills.”
Chloe hit the brakes of the car and we came to an abrupt halt, making the seatbelt snap tight over my chest.
“What the hell are you doing?” I blamed her. “Don’t fucking drive my truck like a crazy person.”
Max made a disgruntled sound from my tight hold on him and Chloe turned her body toward me with her eyes shooting daggers. “You don’t get to talk to me like that. This is not merunning, this is me taking control of a situation and setting those personal boundaries you keep rambling about.”
“You could have set your boundariesandstayed,” I pointed out but that only made her scoff back at me.
“After what happened between us back at the cabin and your rant about not wanting to see me again, do you honestly think I would want to stay?”
That left me quiet.
The ride to the ferry was thirty-five minutes in complete silence. On board the ferry we split up and went our separate ways, but I made sure to be back at the truck before her and was standing leaning against the driver’s door when she returned.
Holding out my hand I signaled that I wanted the keys.
“Fine,” Chloe said. “You can drive, but you’re dropping me off at my place before you head home.”
I gave a nod of agreement. “Get in, then.”
Chloe had her sunglasses and hat on but I noticed how she kept looking over her shoulder as she made her way around the truck.
“Something wrong?” I asked when we were sitting inside waiting for the ferry to dock.
Her crossed arms and little pout was all the answer I got.
“So where do you live?” I asked when we finally drove off the ferry.
“By Pike Place Market.”
“Wow, prime location, huh?”
“Take a right,” she ordered.
“Why? The market is straight ahead.”
She made a sound of annoyance and I took the right turn against my better judgement.
“Chloe, what’s going on?” I asked when she had barked at me to make three more non-logical turns.
