Page 54 of Distortion
Fuck.
I hear him mutter the same thing when he turns his head to look.
‘I forgot all this shit was still in here. She’ll have to sit up front with us.’
I grab a towel from the back and throw it on the seat, motioning her to climb up.
She does and sits on the towel, staring straight ahead and trying not to touch Blake, I notice.
I grin as I climb in, making sure to sit close, jostle her, and sandwich her tightly between us, which isn’t hard because there’s barely enough room for Blake and me when she’s not in here with us.
Blake starts the engine and she puts on the middle seatbelt. She’s sitting up straight and her hands are in her lap.
‘Relax,’ I mutter. ‘It’s over.’
But it’s not. It’s only just beginning for her.
We drive for a few minutes in silence with the windows cracked, listening to the radio. Daisy doesn’t move except when the truck makes her. She doesn’t let out a sound, so it’s a surprise when I glance over at her and her jaw is clenched. I peer at her more closely. Her hands in her lap are gripping her thighs tightly. I shift nearer. She’s trembling.
Making a snap decision, I throw on the heat and give Blake a hard look when he gives me an eyeroll.
He takes out his phone and starts texting while he’s driving, making me frown. My cell buzzes.
WTF?
When I don’t answer, I get another look and I sigh, texting back quickly. It’s not like there are any other cars out on these backroads anyway.
We wanted her to be uncomfortable, not give her hypothermia!
Not even cold out.
She’s tiny. Not as much muscle mass as us. Feels the cold more. Be logical and stop getting so pissed off. It’s not personal.
Blake side-eyes me and snorts.
The rest of the trip is spent messaging my brother, making sure everything’s okay at the club. He assures me that everything is under control and he doesn’t need any help. I did think about taking Daisy there tonight, since Saturday nights arespecialand always garner a raucous crowd, but we might need to be in the lab later, so bringing her back to a very loud frat house will work better anyway.
We pull up out front of Deb’s Bar and Grill next to Shade’s car. We both get out. She doesn’t move from her spot on the towel.
‘Get out of the fucking truck!’ I order loudly, and this time her wince is pronounced.
She turns to my side and avoids my gaze, but I’m sure I see tears in her eyes and her breathing sounds a little stuttered. Is she crying?
Her feet land on the ground and she walks in front of me, behind Blake, so I can’t see her face.
Blake tears open the door and raucous laughter spills out.
‘Busy,’ Blake comments over his shoulder, going inside.
I hold the door for Daisy, but at the threshold, she freezes. Her feet just stop. Her hands at her sides flex, her fingers straightening and widening oddly.
What game is she playing now?
‘Go inside,’ I say, giving her a light nudge that seems to snap her out of her dramatics.
She steps in and I walk around her, taking her arm and pulling her along with me when she doesn’t move. I see Shade at a table by the bar.
The place is packed, and when I glance at the nearest TV, I see why. NFL is on. I don’t care enough about football to see what teams are playing, so I urge Daisy toward the booth.
