Page 124 of Play of Love
I couldn’t laugh. That scenario wasn’t a total impossibility with the day we were having so far. “Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. I really don’t know how long we’ll be, but we hope to get to you as quickly as we can.” I could see from the map that we were heading towards Nevada. I hoped we could divert at Carson City and get on a quicker route down south to where we wanted to be, but I couldn’t be sure now. It didn’t sit well that we were the only ones on this road and the area was starting to look like a set from one of those films where people disappeared into the woods. I loved trees and walking around in parks, but this was a little too much for my liking. We’d just hit the entrance to Eldorado National Forest, and, from what I saw, it was going to be a while before I’d stop seeing trees.
“Are you okay? Is it weird being with Scott?” Margo asked
“It is, but I’m fine.”
Weird, wasn’t the word I’d use, and, honestly, I didn’t know what I’d quite describe this as.
Scott had shown more care and interest for me in the last three hours than he had during the majority of the time we’d spent as a couple. And not just that, I was starting to feel…
Well, that was it. I was starting tofeel. And while that whole ‘Scott’s girl’ thing was super sweet, and I was completely grateful to him for saving me from that creep, I didn’t want to feel for him. It would break down the woman I’d worked so hard to create over the last few years. It had taken me a long time to rebuild and rebrand myself.
Spending a few hours with Scott shouldn’t have any sort of impact on me, but how was I supposed to ignore a super gorgeous guy who compared me to an angel? And then there was his openly sexual manner that he exuded so casually. And the way he looked at me.
How had I forgotten about that? He was the kind of man who could just look at you, and you’d know exactly what he was thinking. Within minutes, he’d have you up against a wall, naked and wondering how the hell you got that way.
“We’ll talk when I see you,” Margo said. There was a smile in her voice. “He’s changed a lot, so at least he won’t get on your nerves.” I couldn’t dispute that. I’d definitely seen that he’d changed. The bad boy was still there, but that selfish and uncaring attitude was not. That was the thing that had broken us up. That was what came with the fame he gained and what had changed us.
“Yeah, I sort of noticed. I’ll get him to call you in a while.” I hung up and looked over to Scott.
“She alright?” he asked.
“She is. I think she sounded less panicked than earlier.”
“Good. We’re going to be a while. I have no idea when we’ll reach Phoenix, and we’re heading into the wilderness, it seems.” As soon as he spoke, the car bumped over something. It jerked us both. A loud explosive sound rippled through the air and then another, and the car jerked up and down some more. I shrieked as I saw smoke coming from the engine. There was a whistling sound. Scott pulled the car over to the side of the road and hit the steering wheel.
“Fuck! What the hell is this now!” He flared, jumping out of the car to have a look. I got out, too, and looked over the damage. The front wheels were completely flat and ripped up. Whatever had done this appeared to have gotten to the engine, too. I looked over to the road and saw the culprit, or, rather, culprits: nail traps with thick steel blades. The lethal kind people reported and cautioned cyclists about. I was under the impression that you’d most likely find them on a path, not on the road. It didn’t matter. There were a few of them scattered in the middle of the road. So, either someone put them there maliciously, which is exactly what I was thinking, or maybe they fell off the back of a truck. I’d never heard of anyone making these with any good intent, though, so I was going to lean towards my first thought.
“Scott, look.” I pointed to the road.
He frowned and sighed the minute he saw them. “Shit. I bet one of them flew up into the engine.” I looked at him as he leaned against the car in frustration. Then I looked around and wondered what else could go wrong.
