“Don’t think about it, Lucky.” I muttered to myself as I drove back to my apartment. I groaned as my car started making a funny noise and nearly burst out in tears as I heard the engine die, and as I pulled it over to the side of the road, it stopped. I sat behind the wheel, unsure of what to do when I saw the lights of another car pull up behind me. “Oh shit.” I thought to myself as I saw a figure get out of the car and walk up towards me. I checked to make sure my doors were locked and bit my lip hard. “Please don’t kill me, please don’t kill me.” I closed my eyes briefly and nearly screamed as I heard the knock on the window. I peered through the window and rolled it down slowly. I was shocked to see Zane’s face staring back at me.
“Everything okay, Lucky?” His words seemed unduly harsh, but his eyes were worried. As I stared at him, I wondered how he just happened to be behind me as I broke down. I nodded my head slowly, slightly confused as to my feelings of seeing him there. I kept my mouth closed because I was unwilling to speak. I had a feeling that my voice was going to be too squeaky and I didn’t want him to see how scared I had been.
“Did your car break down?” He asked again and I nodded again, staring at his pink lips. I swallowed hard as I imagined what it would feel like to have his lips pressed against mine.
“Do you need me to jump your car?” He asked at the same time I asked, “Were you following me?”
Chapter 3
“Can you get out of the car, Lucky?” Zane’s voice sounded harsh, and he looked furious. I was a little worried that he was going to scold me for something I had no control over. The look on his face reminded me of my father’s when I was a little kid and had done something wrong.
“I can, but I’m not sure I will.” I quipped, trying to change the mood. When he didn’t respond, I quickly changed my own tone. “But don’t try and change the subject, were you following me?”
“Of course not.” His voice was aloof as he opened the door. “Get out of the car Lucky and let me see what’s going on.”
“I can check myself, you know.” I spat back, annoyed at his attitude and slightly disappointed.
“Lucky.” His tone rose.
“My head gasket is gone.” I sighed as I climbed out of the car.
“How do you know?” He looked surprised to hear me using a mechanical term.
“Because I knew it was going.” I sighed again and looked up at him. His face was dark in the moonlight, and he still looked furious as he stared back at me.
“Are you telling me that you knew that your head gasket was gone, but you still decided to drive?” His voice rose. “And, you still went to a party by yourself and thought it was smart to leave in the early hours of the morning?”
I nodded, slightly scared to answer him.
“Of all the irresponsible things to do Lucky.” He shouted. “I thought you were smarter than that. Could you imagine how your parents would feel if they received a phone call from a cop about your car breaking down and you being attacked or killed?”
“I think you’re being a little over-the-top Zane.” I frowned. “I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself.”
“So what would you be doing right now then?” He tapped his foot and leaned back against my car. He looked like a smug bastard, and I felt ashamed of myself for allowing my heart to race as I stared at him. He was one sexy ass**le, that was for sure.
“Are you going to help me or what?” I snapped.
“Oh, so now you want my help?”
“Actually, what I want is to know how you happened to be behind me when I broke down in the middle of the night.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He sighed and bent down and pulled the keys out of my ignition. “Do you have everything that you need from your car?”
“Yes, why?”
“Because I’m going to take you home.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Just let me take you home.” He sighed.
“What about my car?” I protested. “I can’t leave my car here. I need it.”
“We can call a tow truck driver to come pick it up,” he said calmly. The low tone of his voice was in direct contrast to my screeches.
“How much is that going to cost?”
“I’m not sure? Maybe $150? I’m sure there will be an extra charge for it being the middle of the night.”
“$150.” I sighed heavily. How was I going to pay for the tow truck driver and get my car fixed? It just wasn’t going to be able to happen. Not with the amount of money I had in my account. How was I going to get to work and school? Everything was falling apart around me, and I felt as if I was going to start hyperventilating.
“I found a local tow truck number. I can call them now.” Zane peered at me with a worried expression. “Do you know where you want the car towed to?”
“Can’t they just take it to a garage?”
“Which one?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed. “I can’t afford to get it fixed right away.”
“Oh.” He looked at me with concern in his voice, and I turned away because I didn’t want to see pity in his eyes. “Can you ask your parents to loan you the money?”
“No.” My voice was curt. “Can you give me a ride home, please?”
“How will you get to your car?”
“I’ll get a ride.” I bit my lip. What if Shannon and Leeza didn’t answer the phone or come home, how would I get back to my car in the morning?
“How’s about you stay over at my place and tomorrow morning, we figure out what to do with your car?”
“I don’t know.” I looked away, unsure of what to say.
“I promise I won’t bite.” He grinned mischievously.
“That’s not a worry that I have.”
“Unless you want me to bite, of course.”
“No thanks.”
“I guess vampires aren’t cool now?”
“Vampires?” I frowned, wondering if he was high or something.
“Isn’t Twilight all the craze? Don’t you girls all love that Edward Pattinson guy or something?”
I burst out laughing, and he watched me as tears rolled out of my eyes.
“Edward Pattinson, hahaha.” I couldn’t control myself and Zane stood there, staring at me with a bemused expression on my face.