places, with Julian gripping the steering wheel and staring straight ahead.
“Adjust your mirrors,” I said. “Seatbelt. Right foot on the brake. Shift into drive. Gently press on the gas pedal.”
He followed my instructions to the letter as he concentrated on the gravel parking lot in front of us. His eyes never averted once as he gently placed the car in motion. He was a natural.
“You’re doing great,” I said. “Now, turn your wheel hard to the right so we can turn around and go out to the main road. Put your left blinker on. Look both ways for traffic. If it’s clear to go, then turn your wheel left and press the gas.”
Again, he followed my directions to the letter.
“See? You’re so good at this,” I said, sitting back and relaxing a bit. “Give it a little more gas. The speed limit is forty-five here.”
He sped up, and within seconds, we were cruising down the highway with nothing but earth, wind, and warm sunshine around us.
“I think I kind of like this,” he said, turning to me with his lips parted into a reserved smile. He looked so damn handsome like that, sitting up straight behind the wheel of a beautiful car with the wind rustling his hair and his aviators reflecting the sunlight from above. He didn’t look sick at all. He looked so damn handsome. I caught my heart beating fast as my mind wandered for a split second, and then I jerked my head. I had to stop looking at him like that. As his nurse, it wasn’t appropriate.
I leaned back, stretching my face toward the sky and letting the warmth of the sun above wash over me.
JULIAN
If someone had told me a month ago I’d be gliding along the highway in my dad’s most prized car with a pretty girl by my side, I’d have never believed them. I was living a dream. This wasn’t real. There was no way it could possibly be real.
From the corner of my eye, I watched as Evie tossed her head back, her dark hair blowing like crazy and whipping around her face. She looked happy, carefree. And she trusted me. I’d never driven before, and yet she trusted me with her life, her safety.
“Should we head back toward the park?” she asked a few minutes later, unintentionally ruining one of the greatest moments of my entire life. “Come to a gentle stop up ahead in that driveway, put it in reverse, back out, then put it in drive and head back to the park.”
As I followed her directions, I saw her glance down at her phone in her lap, and then to my surprise, she hit the ignore button. A minute later her phone went off again, and again she ignored it. After a third time, she seemed flustered.
“I’m sorry. It’s my friend, Carys,” she said, annoyed. “She keeps calling. I have to take this.”
“It’s fine,” I said, focusing on the road ahead where my turn was coming up.
“What’s wrong?” Evie asked. “Did something happen?”
Silence.
“What?” Evie asked. I hadn’t the slightest idea about what was being said, but from the sound of Evie’s voice and the way her shoulders fell as if her entire world had just been deflated was like a punch to the gut.
“Of course I want you to tell me,” she said, her voice faltering. “No. No, there’s no way. That can’t be.”
I turned to look at her face. She was biting her nails as she listened to whatever it was Carys was telling her. Her watering eyes and pained expression told me all I needed to know. That jackass had hurt her again.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” I whispered. She swatted me again.
“Why the fuck would he try to get back with me, then?” she yelled into the phone. “That’s so fucked up, so fucked up.”
She wiped away the tears that spilled down her cheek and looked over at me, almost looking at me differently for a brief moment. I drove slow and carefully, pulling us back toward the park parking lot.
“You know what, Carys?” she said, sitting up. “I’m glad you told me this. I needed a reason to move on from
“Adjust your mirrors,” I said. “Seatbelt. Right foot on the brake. Shift into drive. Gently press on the gas pedal.”
He followed my instructions to the letter as he concentrated on the gravel parking lot in front of us. His eyes never averted once as he gently placed the car in motion. He was a natural.
“You’re doing great,” I said. “Now, turn your wheel hard to the right so we can turn around and go out to the main road. Put your left blinker on. Look both ways for traffic. If it’s clear to go, then turn your wheel left and press the gas.”
Again, he followed my directions to the letter.
“See? You’re so good at this,” I said, sitting back and relaxing a bit. “Give it a little more gas. The speed limit is forty-five here.”
He sped up, and within seconds, we were cruising down the highway with nothing but earth, wind, and warm sunshine around us.
“I think I kind of like this,” he said, turning to me with his lips parted into a reserved smile. He looked so damn handsome like that, sitting up straight behind the wheel of a beautiful car with the wind rustling his hair and his aviators reflecting the sunlight from above. He didn’t look sick at all. He looked so damn handsome. I caught my heart beating fast as my mind wandered for a split second, and then I jerked my head. I had to stop looking at him like that. As his nurse, it wasn’t appropriate.
I leaned back, stretching my face toward the sky and letting the warmth of the sun above wash over me.
JULIAN
If someone had told me a month ago I’d be gliding along the highway in my dad’s most prized car with a pretty girl by my side, I’d have never believed them. I was living a dream. This wasn’t real. There was no way it could possibly be real.
From the corner of my eye, I watched as Evie tossed her head back, her dark hair blowing like crazy and whipping around her face. She looked happy, carefree. And she trusted me. I’d never driven before, and yet she trusted me with her life, her safety.
“Should we head back toward the park?” she asked a few minutes later, unintentionally ruining one of the greatest moments of my entire life. “Come to a gentle stop up ahead in that driveway, put it in reverse, back out, then put it in drive and head back to the park.”
As I followed her directions, I saw her glance down at her phone in her lap, and then to my surprise, she hit the ignore button. A minute later her phone went off again, and again she ignored it. After a third time, she seemed flustered.
“I’m sorry. It’s my friend, Carys,” she said, annoyed. “She keeps calling. I have to take this.”
“It’s fine,” I said, focusing on the road ahead where my turn was coming up.
“What’s wrong?” Evie asked. “Did something happen?”
Silence.
“What?” Evie asked. I hadn’t the slightest idea about what was being said, but from the sound of Evie’s voice and the way her shoulders fell as if her entire world had just been deflated was like a punch to the gut.
“Of course I want you to tell me,” she said, her voice faltering. “No. No, there’s no way. That can’t be.”
I turned to look at her face. She was biting her nails as she listened to whatever it was Carys was telling her. Her watering eyes and pained expression told me all I needed to know. That jackass had hurt her again.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” I whispered. She swatted me again.
“Why the fuck would he try to get back with me, then?” she yelled into the phone. “That’s so fucked up, so fucked up.”
She wiped away the tears that spilled down her cheek and looked over at me, almost looking at me differently for a brief moment. I drove slow and carefully, pulling us back toward the park parking lot.
“You know what, Carys?” she said, sitting up. “I’m glad you told me this. I needed a reason to move on from
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