Hero - Book One - Journey To The East

Chapter 10: Trust

Hero

"She's nothing but trouble. Leave her!" Her blue eyes haunt me and pierce through me. "She'll get you killed."

"Elara leave me alone!"

"You want me to go?"

"Yes. Please, let me be."

"Hey, Hero."

I blink. "Uh, yeah."

"I was talking to you," Emily says.

"What were you saying?"

"Jeez... What do you think about all this?" she asks.

I shrug, keeping my eyes on the road and steering us past some rocks. "About what?"

"Everything."

My fingers grip the steering wheel. "Well... I don't-"

Emily leans in closer. "You don't trust me, do you?"

I glance at her quickly, then turn my attention back to the road. "Why do you care?"

"I'm curious to hear your thoughts," she says. "It counts. We're in this together, right?"

My fingers tap the wheel, each tap like a question mark. Can I trust her? Why should I give even a damn?

"Do you ever wish things were different?" she asks softly.

My mouth opens, then closes. The words feel stuck, buried inside.

"I get it," Emily says. She's staring at me like she knows everything. "My parents... They used to say things would get better. That's why we kept moving."

My grip on the wheel loosens just a little.

"They wanted to find a safe place... like we all do," Emily continues. Her fingers stop tapping. "We never found it."

The knot in my chest untangles.

Why is she even saying this to me?

"Yeah," I say. "Mine wished that, too."

Emily smiles softly, a small, genuine smile. It's like she's finally getting it, and I actually trust her this time.

____

Emily

Why did I tell him about my parents? I don't know him. My fingers tap on my knee again.

I sneak a peek at Hero. He loosened his grip on the wheel. Did I really make an impact on him? My stomach churns, and I feel a knot in my chest.

Am I trusting strangers? Not my thing. But I have to. I need his car.

When it comes to his car, it's truly remarkable. I cannot ignore the dashboard's controls, adorned with buttons and switches, and Falcon's unmistakable, powerful hum.

I'm dying to get behind the wheel and drive. Having this car will ensure my survival and make it easier for me to get to my parents.

Hero glances at me, and I force a small smile.

My leg bounces as I tap my fingers faster.

I need to calm down and think clearly.

Taking Falcon would be easy.

As I focus on my breathing, the tightness in my chest eases. My fingers quit tapping.

I don't know what lies ahead, but I'm here for now, curious to see where this odd alliance leads.

____

Hero

I've got to pee so badly it's killing me.