4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Eva
Standing outside the front of the hospital at a little after three in the afternoon, I have to reply to the various messages waiting on my phone. Fortunately for me, Jamie did go to her meeting and ended up working away for a couple of days. I asked if she could swing by the shop to check it was alright on her way home tomorrow.
I’ll have to call anyone waiting for their work as soon as I can get down there.
First, I open the message from Mum.
It can’t be helped. I’ll take Dad tonight instead. He slept better, so should be okay. Hoping to get him out and about today as well. Call me later? LYLLJT x
He’ll like that. Enjoy the sun for me. LYL x
Mum’s message immediately makes me feel better. I open Jamie's message next.
Will do, bitch. See you tomorrow x
Crisis averted, I then text Tiffany.
Tiff, sorry for the last minute change of plan. Still feeling like crap. You okay to cover my shift later? I’ll let Jacob know x
Of course! You know I want the money. See you when you’re feeling better!
Oh, before I forget, knobhead came by looking for you this morning. Something about wanting to know if you’re okay? I didn’t shit him up, but should I have? Is everything alright? X
Yeah. He’s in debt again. Asked me if he could borrow some more money. I said no, before you ask!
I’m going to cut him
With a shake of my head, I put my phone away in my bag as Luke steps into view. Having used the gents’ before we leave, he’s still wearing the same clothes he’s had on since I met him.
“Everything alright?” I ask him, one hand clutching my side. Why does he look like he’s been sleeping rough?
The nurse was right, the knife went straight through the fleshy bit above my hip. Looks a lot worse than it actually is, but it still burns like nothing I’ve experienced before.
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
My eyes skim over his clothes. His blood-stained clothes. I smile as politely as possible, but there’s no two ways around it. “Respectfully, you look like shit.”
He smirks, but his words come out a little strangled. “Respectfully, you’re not looking too good yourself, Little Warrior. ”
That name on those lips has me shivering, goosebumps scattering across my skin. “Sorry.” I drop my head.
“It’s okay. I’m between places at the moment,” Luke says, nodding his head for me to follow him.
I begin moving my feet, taking cautious steps one after the other behind him. “You have other clothes though, right?”
“I do, just… you know, it’s complicated.” He gives me one of those looks, silently begging me not to press it.
So, I don’t.
“Where’s my car?” I figured he’d park out the front instead of making me walk. When I agreed to let him take me home, I thought that would have been obvious.
“I couldn’t get it to start?” His voice goes up at the end.
I lift my gaze, walking by his side. When he stops, I follow where his eyes are positioned, my own widening with disbelief. “Funny. I don’t remember the other car hitting mine in the car park the other night.”
“No?” he says lightly, giving himself away. What the hell did he do? “Maybe you’re suffering with short-term memory loss or something.”
I go to reply, but instead start stepping closer to my beaten up, dented car. “I must be, or—”
“You must be,” he quickly interjects, his dark eyes glowing. He flashes me a look before looking back at the car, his teeth clamping together with a grimace. He drops the pained look when he sees me notice him.
I cross my arms, my head tilting to one side.
“Shall we?” He’s moving to open the passenger door as if he’s stepping on hot coals.
In silence, I shift, stepping closer, keeping my eyes on his as I begin to dip towards the seat.
Luke holds out his hand for me when he sees me wince.
I look at it, then back up to him. “Are you weird?”
He licks his lips, one corner of his mouth pulling back. I don’t regret my question; I’d just rather know before I get into the car with him. “I don’t think so. ”
My eyes scrunch. “You’re not going to hurt me as soon as I get in my car, are you?”
“Again, I don’t think so.”
I balk, my hand gripping the top of the car door. “You don’t think so ?” I repeat, my voice getting squeakier. “Oh, God, you’re a serial killer, aren’t you? This is how you get your victims. Lure them into thinking you’re some sort of hero before you’re dreaming about eating them.”
With a small laugh, he replies, “Alright, Jeffrey, steady your horses. I’m merely pointing out that you might try to attack me first, in which case, yeah, I’d probably hurt you, that’s all.”
I glare at him. “You think me, the cripple, is able to take down you, the hench, mysterious man?”
His face immediately relaxes, that confused, light look making his features glow again. Then he smiles, satisfied with himself. “Hench?”
My face falls flat. “I don’t have time for this. If I let you take me home, will you please just promise to be normal?”
“If you say so.”
“Okay.” I take his hand which is still held out, then carefully lower to the seat. I wince and manoeuvre myself until I’m somewhat comfortable.
Luke closes the door and before long we’re driving out of the hospital. Unsurprisingly, the car started fine.
However, the way in which he sits makes me think he hasn’t been driving long. That, and he’s stalled it twice already. “So, along with being homeless, how long have you been driving for?” I ask, ignoring the smell of the car while grabbing hold of the door handle when he refuses to look right at the roundabout. “Shit!”
“Sorry!” he shouts, swinging the steering wheel to straighten up the car. “She came out of nowhere.”
I keep my eyes forward as the car kangaroo jumps along the road. The man behind us starts beeping his horn as Luke stalls, again, and we find ourselves coasting down the middle of the road.
“Luke. Please tell me you know how to drive?” I have one hand now braced on the dashboard .
“No can do I’m afraid.” He manages to start the engine again, this time laughing. “They should invent a car that just drives when you press go.”
“Like an automatic?” I holler, looking behind us, seeing the traffic start to build up.
“Yeah, one of them.”
A car zips past, honking his horn and making me jump. “News flash, Lewis, they already do.”
He looks at me. “It’s Luke.”
My eyes track to his. “Is sarcasm completely lost on you?”
He shrugs his shoulders.
“I meant like Lewis Hamilton.” No reaction. “The Formula One race car driver?” Still nothing. Jesus. And people think I live under a rock. “Will you please just drive the sodding car?”
“Would if I could figure it out, Little Warrior, but I haven’t got a fucking clue what I’m doing this side of the wall.”
The wall? Who does he think he is, Jon Snow? “Get out,” I frantically tell him, my movements not as fast as my racing mind. I put on the handbrake then step out at the same time as he does, swapping positions, not looking at each other as we pass. I wave my apologies to the furious drivers now fed up with us, still clutching my hip. “That was so embarrassing.”
He shuts his door, and I grit my teeth, all of a sudden in need of a strong drink.
“The state of the car probably doesn’t help.”
Taking a slow blink, I give him a look as I put the car into first and begin the uncomfortable drive home.
We sit in silence the entire way back to mine. I can’t believe I’m driving myself home after being stabbed . Pulling up, I realise it was around twenty minutes into our journey that it occurred to me—since I was driving myself home, I didn’t need him in my car anymore. I don’t know why I didn’t stop and kick him out. I guess he wondered why I didn’t, too. I could see him fidgeting. Could sense his unease.
Luke opens his door and steps around my car. He swings my door open and guides me to my feet, that weird connection skating across my skin when we touch. “You’re definitely a better driver than me,” he smarts .
I don’t bite. Instead, I steady myself on my own two feet.
When he lets go of my hand, I’m not sure whether I should be inviting him in, telling him thanks or simply turning away from him.
With a hand trailing through his hair, Luke shifts on his feet. “Well, I’m not sure it counts as getting you home safely when technically you drove yourself, but I’m glad you’re okay.”
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear as the wind picks up, a small chuckle vibrating in my chest. “Thank you. And thank you for coming to my rescue the other night.”
His lips press together, and I find myself fixating on them. So gruff and quite frankly dirty, his face is utterly captivating. “You’re welcome, but I owe you for the car and the drinks.” He stands straight, avoiding my eyes, his own turning round. His shoulders slump a little, and I don’t know why, but I just feel sorry for him. I don’t know him, but I certainly owe him for helping me. Plus, there’s a part of me craving to find out why he looks like he’s got nowhere else to go. I go to tell him not to worry but he cuts me off. “I’ll make sure every penny owed to you and to your place of work gets paid. I promise.” He gives me a small nod. I can see it in his eyes—his honesty, his grit to ensure he pays for the damage he’s caused in the past forty-eight hours.
I’ll be up to my eyeballs if he doesn’t.
But my breath hitches the same way it always does when I hear that word. Promise. “That’s a big word,” I tell him, looking down at the ground. Understandably, Luke remains silent. Most likely, he’s probably lost with my sudden unease.
Being told your dad has early onset dementia and being promised he’ll be okay will do that. “What I mean is, you break a promise, and it has the power to break everything.” My dad isn’t going to get better. It doesn’t take a genius to see that.
His gaze holds mine when I eventually look up. I’m taken aback by how mesmerising he is. Strangest part, I don’t even think he knows what he’s doing to me. “Life is more purposeful when you give your word and keep it. I’ve come to learn that the hard way.” I want to ask, but my throat has clogged. Too many thoughts are occupying my tired brain. “I’ll see you around, Little Warrior.” And with that, he steps back, his heels swivelling on the tarmac .
I watch his head drop, one hand pulling on the back of his neck as he strides away.
If I could, I’d shout out and tell him to stop. It’s mad, but there’s this odd sense of security I feel when I’m with him, one I haven’t felt before. He keeps walking, looking around at his surroundings when my phone pings in my bag. Instead of moving slowly, I stupidly move too quick, pain blazing as sharp as a knife’s edge slicing my ability to stand. I hit the hard ground with a whack, a shrill cry escaping me as I do.
I should have known. Those big hands are back on me before I can register what’s happening. “Easy, Eva.” Luke lifts the corner of my shirt. “Your bandages need changing.”
I grimace being helped to sit up. “Shit.” My shaking hands press against my wound and, sure enough, the warm, damp feeling of my bandage needing to be replaced can be felt.
“Maybe they should have kept you in longer.”
I unlock my jaw. “They said it wasn’t that bad.”
“Bad. The worst they’ve ever seen. You’re still in pain. Another day or two would have done you some good.”
I take him in.
He never once looks at me, though. He’s too focused on checking my side, his face contorting when he looks down at the damage.
“I think it was your driving,” I say, swearing I see Luke’s cheeks blush when I try to stand.
His hands guide me the entire way, his face lighting up when I reach my full height. “Okay, so I’m thirty-four and can’t drive. There are worse things a man can’t do at my age.”
Thirty-four? There’s no stopping the way my face drops. “You look much older than thirty-four,” I blurt out, apparently a little rudely.
Luke scratches his lip with his thumb, eyes flitting from me to the ground. “Sleeping in the back of someone’s car adds ten years.” He then stretches, his back clicking .
After the initial shock of hearing him tell me what I’d already worked out for myself, I look him up and down again. “You need a hot shower. Some food. Maybe, some help?” I say tentatively.
Shadowy eyes meet mine. “That you inviting me in?”
“Maybe.”
“Still think I’m weird?”
I shrug. “A little.”
Luke gives me a smile. It’s warm and friendly.
“Do you want to come in?” Shit, he might not want to. He was just about to leave. He probably thinks I’m a charity case.
I watch as his eyes dance across my face. “Only if you’re sure.”
Looking over my shoulder, my arms then fold across my front. “Will you tell me why you slept in my car if I do?”
“That depends.”
“On?” I ask, lifting a brow.
“On what type of coffee you’re going to serve me.”
He hooks an arm around my waist unexpectedly, and I lean into his hold. He may be rough around the edges, but he’s strong. He holds me effortlessly.
“You only like the cheap stuff, don’t you?”
He turns, and I step forward, pointing to my front door. “How did you know?”
I remember him grimacing when I made him one straight out of the machine Jacob recently spent thousands on. Meant to be the world’s best coffee . His words. Not mine. “Because during the day, punters come in for one like the one I made you, and you turned your nose up at it.”
We continue taking small steps. “Okay, so quality doesn’t really impress me.”
“I can tell.” A grin breaks on my face.
It doesn’t go unnoticed. I feel his hand on my hip, the one not flaring pain, tighten, ever so slightly. “Judgy, Little Warrior.”
“I wouldn’t say judgy, more… observant.”
I hear Luke sigh as he pushes open the gate at the end of the pathway. I keep my eyes on him thinking—or maybe hoping, that he’ll give me more. “You’re not going to drop this, are you?” he asks gently .
“I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
We stare at each other. That feeling of being completely spellbound catches me. “I don’t know,” I say truthfully. “But you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. Just know, I’m here. If you need a friend to talk to.” I give him a little nudge with my elbow.
He copies, giving me a gentle nudge back. “Okay, friend. How about some shitty coffee and I’ll think about it?”
I smile. “Deal.”