6. The Roadway
THE ROADWAY
LIAM
I saw Aubrey.
I spoke to Aubrey.
Aubrey spoke to me.
Aubrey was on a date.
Aubrey was on a date with Noah Pierce.
AUbrEY IS DATING NOAH PIERCE?!
My fist slams into my Jeep’s steering wheel, the horn sounding in the parking lot of Lover’s Burgers.
A few people walking by jump at the sound, spinning around to flip me the bird.
I wave them off, knowing I need to actually drive out of the parking lot, but I’ve been sitting here for thirty minutes trying to collect myself.
How long has she been dating him?
I haven’t seen him on her socials, or her on his.
God, I sound like a stalker, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t look at her socials.
In all honesty, I’ve been checking every day for the last year.
It’s the only way I know how she is, what she’s been doing.
Like, I know she went on her dream vacation with her family over the summer to Turks and Caicos. And I damn well remember that little picture she took while she was there, the one she should’ve captioned, “For every like this receives, I’ll gut punch my loser ex.” Or something like that.
The Vaughns own a successful ski lodge, so money isn’t really an issue for them. If Richard Vaughn’s only daughter wanted a trip to get over her boyfriend, then she got it.
That was supposed to be our honeymoon destination. And now, I can’t help but wonder if she thought about me at all while she was there.
Then again, I doubt she thinks about me much these days.
I heave a sigh, tossing down the fry in my hand that has now gone cold. But I’m no longer hungry, my appetite long gone the moment my eyes found her.
“It’s good to see you.”
My words play over in my head on repeat, like the winter when Reid discovered Taylor Swift and made us listen to “Dress” on repeat for like two weeks…until one of the guys on the team started sending him friendship bracelets in the mail.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to see several new notifications in the group chat:
The Puck Boys (and Liam).
Brennan:
Where are you guys? Everyone’s at Melbourne’s.
Reid:
Busy
Brennan:
***
I scoff as Reid’s response comes through seconds later.
Reid:
At least one of us is getting laid nowadays. Well, I guess they both are, as I remind myself that Brennan is hooking up with June.
I’m staring off in space again, thinking about Aubrey, when Brennan’s reply pops up.
Brennan:
Liam?
I quickly type out:
Liam:
Why most of our texts are emojis beats the hell out of me. It’s something Brennan started freshman year and has continued ever since. I laugh as I read the reply.
Brennan:
I stuff my phone back into my pocket and put my Jeep into reverse.
Several minutes into my drive, and I’m still sitting in total silence. Why silence? Because I’m a psychopath and any music I want to listen to will only remind me of Aubrey.
I slow down as I see a figure walking on the side of the road.
“Why the fuck are you walking down the road in a God damn snow storm?” I yell, throwing my hands out the window as I slowly pass by the stranger.
It’s below freezing, and the Weather Channel is calling for several inches of snow tonight. Why this woman thought it was a good idea to walk home in three-inch heels and an inch of snow seems like quite the choice—but it’s also a college campus, so should I be that surprised?
But as I slowly creep by, I do a quick double-take in my side mirror.
I’m sure that I’ve totally lost my fucking mind because now I’m having visions of her. First at therapy, when I saw her playing a vinyl, and now I’m mistaking her for a random woman on the side of the road.
I’m a real mess.
I blink, looking in the mirror again, but this time I’m certain I’m not losing my mind—I could recognize those bangs a mile away.
It really is Aubrey.
Keep driving, Liam.
Don’t look back. Don’t look—
I look back. Of course I fucking do.
Clearly, my body isn’t listening to my mind because I’m slowing down, pulling in the nearest driveway. I sit there for a few seconds, trying to talk myself off the edge. I make it all but five seconds before I slam my car into reverse, running my hands through my hair before backing out.
Don’t do it. Don’t do it. A voice tells me over and over again as I blatantly ignore it and turn around in her direction.
Do I have no self-control?
Apparently not, as I slow down when I see her shadow, arms curled around herself.
Why isn’t she wearing a fucking jacket? It’s freezing out here. She hates the cold.
I stop, rolling down my window as my heart beats like a drum in my chest. I can see her tense, her eyes dancing to where I’m stopped in the middle of the road.
While Delleth is known for being one of the safest campuses in Michigan, that doesn’t mean bad shit doesn’t happen on occasion. She likely thinks a bunch of men are going to step out and grab her.
Damn, way to go, Liam—you’ve managed to scare the shit out of her.
Aubrey starts walking faster, and I’m just sitting in my Jeep, staring at her as she squints from the beams of my headlights. I open my door, making sure no one is coming down the road before I step out and stride towards her.
“Stay back! You fucking creep!” she yells, stopping midstride, her crooked index finger pointed right at me.
And I have to admit that I do feel like one, stalking her on her walk home. But it’s too cold for her to be out here.
“Aubrey!” I call out to her.
Why does my voice react that way when I try to say her name now? It’s hoarse and flat and sounds like a struggle to pronounce.
It’s no surprise that she doesn’t recognize me, my Jeep’s headlights blinding her, and my voice sounding nothing at all like it once did.
I take another step closer, catching a glimpse of her as she storms up to me.
Aubrey’s breathtaking—her makeup th-icker than usual, her eyes dark and sultry-looking, but still beautiful nonetheless.
She’s always been able to take my breath away, even without all the additives.
But she really takes my breath away when she kicks me right in the fucking groin.
My body recoils from the pain.
“Fuck!” I groan as I grasp for my boys, nearly toppling over from the pain. It spreads, radiating from my balls over my whole body. “Shit! Aubrey! It’s just me!” I lean forward, sure I’m going to throw up from the discomfort.
I’m wheezing, trying to catch my breath, when her hand finds my shoulder. Aubrey bends down, her eyes wide with shock.
“Liam?!” She exclaims.
I try to stand, still clutching myself as I groan out, “Yeah. Liam. Me.” Is all I can manage to say.
She pulls her small handbag from her shoulder, grasping it in her hands as she swings it. Hitting me in the chest repeatedly.
“HEY! What the fuck!” I scold.
“You scared the shit out of me! I thought I was about to be turned into a damned skin suit! What the hell were you thinking?!” she shrieks, tossing her bag over her shoulder as she glares at me.
I throw out my hands, unconcerned about arguing with her in the middle of the road, as thankfully, not many cars are out.
My brows draw together.
“What was I thinking?” I scoff. “I’m not the one walking on the side of the road in a damned snow storm!”
She crosses her arms over her chest. The lines in her forehead are drawn tight, a dead giveaway she’s fucking pissed.
I wince as the last of the pain jolts through me.
I’m just now able to fully catch my breath.
Throwing my hands up higher, my temper is burning, and I can’t hold my anger back.
I fling the door of my Jeep open, climb into the driver’s seat, and throw it in drive.
I yell out the window as I speed past her, “I was just trying to help. My fucking bad!”
I roll my window up as I watch her flip me off in my rear view. I drive to the end of the road, planning to take a left and go home a different way. But I sit at the stoplight, the sound of my turn signal grating against my nerves as I run the palm of my hand over my face.
Then, without so much as a second thought, I look back.
I’ll always look back.
At least for her.
My jaw set tight, I check both directions, doing a U-turn in the middle of the street, throwing my takeout box onto my dashboard, making room for her to get in.
As I close the distance back to her, I can see she’s fucking fuming. Her legs cut long strides as she walks home with a fierceness I know I shouldn’t be testing.
I roll down the passenger side window. My Jeep creeps along as I try to keep up with her pace. Leaning forward, my elbow rests on the console as I mumble, “Just get in.”
She flips me the bird, not even looking in my direction.
“No.”
My fingers grip the steering wheel tighter. God, I forgot how stubborn she can be.
“Aubrey,” I call in warning.
But she keeps walking.
Hardheaded pain in my ass. At least that much hasn’t changed.
Slamming on my brakes, I throw my Jeep into park as I quickly climb out.
I have to practically sprint to catch up with her.
When I’m close enough, I grab her purse, taking it away from her.
Then, I reach for her arm, pulling her toward me.
Aubrey fights my hold, attempting to free herself with every tug and yank against me.
But I’m faster, stronger. Before she knows it, I have her thrown over my shoulder, refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer.
I’ll be damned if she walks home and something happens to her. Whether that be from the cold or an actual creep kidnapping her.
She wiggles, trying to writhe enough that I’m tempted to drop her. But I only toss her into the passenger seat and slam the door closed.
Even as I make my way around the front of the Jeep, I can still hear her shout, “I think this qualifies as a kidnapping! I’ll call the police, Liam! Don’t you think I won’t!”
I close my eyes, releasing a breath to steady my heart as I step into the car. This is not how I thought our first full conversation would go.