Chapter 42 #2
“I appreciate what you are trying to say, Jack.” I rubbed at my eyes. “But we’ve got a four-hour drive ahead of us. Can we pick this up later?”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Jack shifted, further lowering himself into the window. “Why do I get the feeling you’re up to something?”
“It’s like three in the morning. Todd just had a seizure—”
“I’m fine.”
“—and took the fall for this.” I gestured at my stomach. “What is it you think I’m going to do?”
“You managed to keep your fair share of secrets from us, Delilah. So, why don’t you tell me?”
Jack hooked his gaze on mine.
Not to be outdone, I squared my shoulders, and stared right back, allowing my attention to drift now and then to areas of interest.
Like Jack’s warm brown eyes.
Or the discoloration beneath.
The rare freckle dotting his skin.
The bruise on his cheek.
The slope of his nose.
His five o’clock shadow.
His split and swollen lip.
My stomach involuntarily fluttered. Aside from the injuries bestowed on him by Todd, Jack Hessinger was a remarkably flawless human being.
Ahem-hem.
Todd’s movements rustled from the seat beside me. A gentle breeze licked through the open window, and Jack's eyelids fluttered shut.
“Ah, you blinked. I win!”
Jack ran a palm down his face. “Oh my god. You couldn’t even pretend to take this seriously?”
“Not at three in the morning.”
I flashed a smile. Both Jack and Todd groaned.
“I am starting to feel like a fourth wheel over here, Hess,” Fawzy called, leaning against a vehicle at the opposite end of the parking lot. “Unless you are driving up with Galt and James, I suggest we get a move on.”
Jack sighed. “Maybe, I should—”
“Go. We’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” I offered.
“Todd?”
“I’m sure. We’ll regroup at your place.”
Jack mashed his lips together, like he wanted to fight against Todd’s assurances. Instead, Jack stood, straightening his dress shirt.
“Unfortunately, I know better than to tell either of you to be good. So,” Jack tapped the roof of the car twice, “safe travels, and I’ll see you soon.”
Rolling up the windows, I pulled out of the driveway, gaze flickering to the rear-view mirror to watch Jack cross the parking lot to join Fawzy. I didn’t put it past him or Fawzy to trail us, and right now we needed some space.
Taking a circuitous route, navigating the side streets, and spying a number of elaborate Halloween decorations in the process, we eventually merged onto the freeway.
With Tarrytown behind us, I lowered my defenses, releasing the tight-fisted hold I’d maintained on my feelings. Guilt and shame immediately ate away at my insides.
I was a terrible person.
When I’d seen Todd’s pill bottle for carbamazepine at the motel after we first met, I’d figured his seizures were bad enough to warrant medication, but I hadn’t anticipated something of this magnitude. If anything, I thought it would slow him down a little. Maybe make him easier to tire.
“You can sleep, if you want.” The moments between Todd’s blinks grew far and few between. He had to be exhausted. “I’ve got it from here.”
“I don’t need to sleep.” His movements were long and drawn out. “I just need to rest my eyes.”
Slowly, but surely, under the incandescent lights of the freeway, Todd fell asleep.
?
Sometime later, Todd stirred. His eyes blinked into focus, trying to make sense of his surroundings. We’d been in the car long enough for the sun to rise. Sunlight dappled the dashboard as we sped through the countryside.
“Morning, sunshine. How are you feeling?”
His eyes shot to mine. Still fighting off sleep, his movements slow, like his limbs weighed him down, he replied, “Tired. Foggy.”
“Do you need anything?
“No, I just need a minute.” He leaned forward, elbows to knees, palms to his eyes.
A good ten minutes of silence passed, Todd barely moving aside from the rise and fall of his chest. The longer the silence stretched, the more my guilt grew, constricting my chest to the point it was hard to breathe.
Not being able to bear the quiet any longer, I spoke through the tightness coiling in my throat. “Is it always this bad after?”
Todd grunted.
I took that as a yes. But also, as a cue to leave him be. For now.
Drumming my fingers on the steering wheel, I kept my eyes on the road and the scenery as it whisked by.
Drum drum drum drum.
Drum. Drum.
Drum.
Nope. I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to get the apology out before he had the wherewithal to realize what I’d done.
“I’m sorry about last night.” I swallowed. “About the lights.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Todd lifted his head from his hands, rolling his neck between his shoulder blades. “Not your fault.”
Not entirely true.
“I’m not so sure about that.” Part Two of Operation Divide and Conquer involved Jezebel turning on the strobe lights. Curling my shoulders, I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. “To be fair, I didn’t mean for you to go in the pool.”
Todd sat up straighter. “Wait.”
“And, for the record, I wasn’t expecting your seizure to be that bad.”
“Delilah, you didn’t—”
“I’m really sorry about that. Really, Todd, I mean it.”
“You gave me a seizure… on purpose?”
“I said I was sorry.”
“Sorry? Delilah, you—" Todd’s attention flashed to the world beyond the windshield. “The sun’s out.” His eyes dropped to the dashboard clock, where it very clearly showed it was well past nine in the morning. We’d been in the car for over six hours. “Why the hell aren’t we in D.C?”
“I have a very reasonable explanation.”
He patted his pockets. “Where’s my phone?”
“Not here.”
“Where’s your phone?”
“With yours.”
“Delilah—”
“I needed to get you alone.”
His next movements were deliberate. “Why?”
“I’ll explain if you’ll let me.”
He paused, chest heaving against the fabric of his borrowed shirt, he turned his palms up, giving me the floor.
I probably should have thought this through better. He wasn’t going to like what I had to say.
The flutter in my stomach returned, wings beating at full speed, as I replied with all seriousness, “I’m kidnapping you.”