Out of Time

chapter 28 - silence

My lips parted, my dizziness ceasing as something soft swishes past my legs. My legs feel are lead, stuck to the floor, too exhausted from the last few minutes of stress to move.

"Are you going to move, or what?" Lukas asks condescendingly, scratching the belly of the golden retriever lying in front of him. He pats the spot next to him for me to sit (another dog, a larger black one, sits there on the command, but Lukas pushes them away).

I collapse next to him, and am immediately swarmed by 4 little puppies. "You look like you're about to die."

I don't answer Lukas, hoping I can save the embarrassment of admitting to him that I thought he was about to murder me.

"Oh my god, you thought I was going to kill you," he barks in laughter. My face heats to a million degrees as he continues his stupid guffaw. And then it stops.

"You actually thought I was going to kill you?" I nod, looking at the ground to hide my crimson cheeks.

"I don't trust you," I admit.

"You don't trust anyone," he corrects.

"That's a wrong assumption. Just because I don't trust people I've known for 3 weeks doesn't mean I don't trust anyone. You aren't the only people I know, Lukas."

"I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I won't hurt you. And I know none of the others will as well."

His promises fall on deaf ears. The Ashwoods said that and Dillon said it too, so I can never really trust anything anyone says anymore. The puppies begin to get bored of me and play with the squeaking toys near the back wall.

"None of you have given me a reason to trust you, you in particular." He nods and turns back to the puppy splayed in front of us.

"I'm going to get him for Gabriel," he says after a minute of silence, "for his birthday." I raise my eyebrows, not because of Gabriel's birthday but the tender thoughtfulness of his gift.

"That's... actually really considerate."

He cocks his eyebrow up and tilts his head. "I'm not a heartless monster all the time. That'd be very draining."

"Just shut up and take the compliment, Al."

"Of course, Ash," he retorts, smirking.

~~

We left shortly after without the puppy. Time had vanished while I was in that warehouse; I had left Huntington just after midday, but the sun had well set now.

He's staring at me again. Lukas, I mean. His arm is slung loosely around the back of my headrest as he reverses out of the parking spot he so-recklessly swung into nearly 5 hours ago.

"Stop staring at me, Lukas. I don't like getting into car crashes." Flashbacks to Dean run through my head. It only recently struck me that I nearly killed my brother.

"Sorry, you just look so good in that school uniform." I blink once. And then again. And then after the third time, I finally speak.

"Are you... trying to flirt with me?"

He doesn't answer, only spinning to face the road again. "It came out instinctively." I hum in condescending agreement. I notice we are driving in the completely wrong direction, and rather than heading towards the busy city centre we are beginning to follow the coastline.

"Hey, where are we going?" I ask. He doesn't answer for a couple of seconds.

"You'll see." I groan loudly.

"Last time you were cryptic like this, I thought you were going to kill- Oh my god, why are we going through-"

"Shut up, Lara."