Chapter 29: The Car Conversation

Tyler

She slid wordlessly into the passenger seat.

I glanced at her but kept silence as I began driving to the school.

She finally spoke.

"Uhm, Tyler? Wasn't there something you wanted to talk about? The favor?"

There was absolutely nothing negative. She said this curiously, as if she had been pining to hear it all night. I was pleasantly reassured, my nerves calming down a bit.

"Yes, that's true," I said slowly, tentatively. "But I'm not sure if you'll want to do it."

She laughed softly, the sound bouncing around the car and like a hummingbird. "There's only one way to find out," she said, shrugging.

I smiled.

"It includes... breaking the rules," I told her, laying all the pros and cons before her so that she could choose.

"Which ones?" She asked at once.

"Only one," I said honestly, "The curfew."

She laughed again, merrily, like I had told some private joke.. "Right," she muttered, looking out the window. But her eyes shone brightly and the slight upturn of her lips remained.

Zio yapped happily.

"So will you do it?" I asked, growing confident.

She gave me a weird look. "Well I can't answer that if I don't know what the favor is! Stop beating around the bush. Tell me what it is," she whined adorably.

"You'll see. I only need to know if you're in."

She squinted ahead, a calculating look morphing onto her features. "Could we get in trouble?" She asked.

Be honest, Zio warned. He knew I was being tempted to lie.

"Yes, possibly."

The smile didn't fall. "Big trouble?"

"No, if course not. I wouldn't do that."

"Hum. Would it piss your dad off if he found out?"

"Definitely."

"Who else is involved?"

"Nobody."

Lucy blinked twice, then continued, "Does this favor need traveling?"

"Yes."

Her eyebrows rose and she smirked at me. "You want to show me something?"

My jaw dropped slightly. "What? Who told you that?"

"Oh, I can tell," she said casually. "I just hope I'll like it."

"You're doing me a favor," I reminded her, "not the other way round. What makes you think I would be taking you somewhere which you should like?" I couldn't think how she had known.

"Oh, the favor is coming with you in the first place," she said, and my jaw hit my knee. Figuratively.

"So when?" she asked calmly.

"Lucy," I said in a low voice.

"Tyler," she crooned back, and Zio began to grow restless.

"How did you know all that?"

She smirked. "Well. You seemed nervous that I would refuse, so I knew that you really wanted me to go. We are going alone, at night, and far. Given the fact that you wanted to tell me face to face, you wanted to see my immediate reaction."

I gaped. "Wow," I said.

"So, yes, I'll go. Question is, when?"

"Thursday," I said. "But are you sure you want to break the rule? What if my dad found out?"

She rolled her eyes. "Unless you're super clumsy, he won't. He didn't catch us—" She cut herself off and looked at me.

Uh oh, major slip, Zio snickered. Humor her. Find out what she was doing.

'"He didn't catch us'? You and whom? Don't tell me you've done this before?"

She sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone else."

"You're giving me orders?"

"Yes," Lucy snapped. "This concerns me and I say you can't tell!" said she. She narrowed her eyes. "Or maybe you will," she said threateningly, "in which case I will get out of this car at once."

I held up my hands.

She huffed. "I went out if the pack house once at around two. Had a run. It was fun."

Lie.

I smiled. "You and who?"

"Are you jealous?" she replied, eyes dancing.

"Wh-what?" I laughed, my face growing hot.

"I can't tell you who I was with that night," she said.

"Sure you can," I said carelessly.

"Nah. That would be mean. Put that person in danger."

"Ha! What were you doing that was so forbidden?"

I parked at the school.

"Thanks for the ride," she said to me.

"You're welcome," I said, calmly locking the car. She stared at me.

"You've locked us in," she deadpanned.

"Yeah," I brushed it off. "You were still telling me what you did that would put you and your friend in 'danger'."

She smiled. "I don't think it was real danger," she said. "But again, with your dad, you never know."

"Were you scared?"

"Pshh, no! Even she wasn't scared," she said.

Ah, she, said Zio, looks like the guys are safe— for now.

Yeah, I was already beginning to pity anyone who had dared touch her.

"But, anyhow," she said, "we were playing a trick on someone. And that someone would definitely blame the whole pack, when we were barely a handful," she explained. "So that's why we didn't want Alpha to know. He would strangle her."

I laughed. Only a handful, meaning five or less, but more than two. Alpha would strangle her, meaning Lexi was there.

I calmed down significantly, now knowing she was not up to something shady.

"Nice to know your little troop has had some fun," I chuckled. I unlocked the car.

I looked at my hand.

My hand, which was wrapped around hers.

When did we hold hands? Was it involuntary? Did it feel so natural that I simply didn't notice?

I let go, my ears burning furiously. She did not withdraw it immediately, letting it linger reluctantly.

Lucy smiled, her hand on the handle. "You know, always thought all boys were jerks," she said quietly.

"But now...?" I replied just as quietly, my hand closing over hers again. She leaned towards me in a reflex action.

"I realized that... there are two sides to a coin," she whispered.

Then, swiftly, she tugged away her hand and jumped out of my car.

She practically bolted away.

Not before I saw her cheeks flush deep red, though.

Oh, you won't escape that easily, my dear Lucy. I have set my eye on you, and I will drag you from a grave of ashes to be mine.

The nagging fear returned at Zio's words. What if... she wasn't mine? What then? Was this all just a lie?

I had to get her to shift. As soon as possible.