Grease n' Glances

Chapter Three - Revving Engines

"You good?" He asked, looking at me intently. I shook my head, my eyes started getting watery. Gosh, crying in front of another person. I've had just about enough of this. My heart boomed swiftly, I thought I was going to die. My breathing was laboured and I was shaking. Ryker had seen panic attacks before.

"Hey, you're fine. Here, count backwards from ten with me." He instructed, his eyes sympathetic. I was confused, but I did as he said.

"Ten...nine..." I began. He smiled warmly, placing his hands on my forearms.

"Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two...one." We said in unison. He wiped my tears off my face.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Counting backwards can distract the brain from a panic attack." He stated. I sighed, amused that he wanted to help me. He hesitated, but pulled me in for a hug. His arms wrapped around torso and he just embraced me gently. My arms hung in the air for a moment, I was surprised. Soon, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, gripping tightly. He held me back, and rubbed my back in gentle circles before pulling away. I felt myself calming down completely.

"Can we go for ice cream now maybe?" I pleaded, rubbing my eyes but ensuring I didn't smudge my mascara. He chuckled and nodded, unlocking his car with his keys that he pulled out of his back pocket. I glanced over to see a 1994 Toyota Supra Turbo responding to his keys. It was definitely a player's car, but it was so cool. He opened the passenger door for me and waited for me to get in. He smiled as he closed the door, and walked around to the other side. As soon as he got into the car he shoved the key in the ignition and the engine roared so loud I think my skull vibrated.

"Ready?" He grinned. I nodded and he shoved his foot on the gas pedal, the engine booming as we drove out of the parking lot. I laughed giddily at how fast he was going and held onto his bicep for stability. He smiled smugly, but it was kind of hypnotic. I'd never seen Ryker this way before. As we raced down the street, I hesitated to open my window. I pressed the button and the wind brushed my hair back, providing me peace. I closed my eyes, the scent of the dallas streets surged through the car and the sound of the engine humming beneath me. Ryker rounded a corner into the ice cream parking lot and pulled into a spot. As he put the car in park, I caught him staring at me. He had an athletic build, which was complemented by his ripped uniform sleeves. His brown eyes, inviting and intense, locked onto me as if he couldn't pull them away. I scoffed a little bit, nervous.

"What?" I asked, breaking the silence. He blinked, snapping back into reality followed by an embarrassed smirk.

"You're just so...never mind." He paused, getting out of the car. I started to prop open my door and he leaned back into the car over my lap, grabbing the door and slamming it. "Nope,"

"Huh–" I laughed, and watched as he quickly glided over the hood of the car and ran to my door to open it for me. He lent me his hand, helping me out of the car. I didn't let go of his hand, and his eyes widened a little bit. I took a few steps, yanking on his arm. "Come on!"

"Okay, okay," He reassured me, jogging to catch up with me. We walked over to the ice cream shop. Again, he opened the door for me, he did it a lot. I appreciated it. The bell rang as we entered and an employee came to the counter and greeted us with a warm smile.

"Howdy! Welcome to Old School Scoop, what can I get you two?" She said, grabbing a scoop out of her apron pocket, ready to type on the cash register. Ryker scanned the flavours, then looked at me.

"What do you want, Harper?" He asked, an excited glint in his eyes. I had zoned out so his question caught me off guard, Cash's face entered my mind. I stammered for a moment, trying to get my thoughts back in my own control. He stared at me waiting for my answer, and the employee was growing impatient, even though they were trying their best to be enthusiastic.