Hearts on the Run

Reluctant Agreement

The gas station's neon sign flickered weakly in the distance as the twilight deepened, painting the sky in hues of lavender and orange. The long shadows stretched across the desolate landscape, and the dry air cooled slightly with the approaching evening. Mia leaned against the hood of her dead sedan, arms crossed, eyeing Liam with wary curiosity as he finished inspecting the truck. The open road behind him seemed to mock her with its promise of freedom, something she had been chasing for the past few weeks—freedom from her past, from the pain she had tried to leave behind. But now, instead of moving forward, she felt stuck. Literally and figuratively.

"So," Liam said, wiping the dirt and oil off his hands onto his jeans, "looks like neither of us is getting out of here tonight without some serious luck or a miracle." He glanced over at Mia, his tone still casual but more focused than it had been before. "And since I'm guessing you're not looking for a sleepover here, I think we ought to figure out what's next."

Mia straightened, the tension in her shoulders returning. The weight of her situation was pressing down on her, and she didn't like it. She had been running for days, trying to distance herself from everything she wanted to forget. And now, with no working car, no cell service, and a complete stranger offering his version of help, she felt cornered. Her first instinct was to refuse, to keep her walls high and protect herself. She didn't need anyone. She never had, and she wasn't about to start relying on some drifter she had just met.

But then again, what choice did she have?

Her car was dead. The next town was miles away. She could either wait for help that might not come or try to make this work. Practicality, as much as she resented it, was forcing her hand.

She exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself. "Look," she said, her voice more controlled than she felt, "I'm not exactly thrilled about this idea, but I don't see any other options." She glanced at his truck, then back at him. "If we're doing this—sharing a ride—I have conditions."

Liam raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Conditions, huh?" He leaned against the truck, arms crossed, as if amused by her seriousness. "I'm all ears."

Mia narrowed her eyes slightly, unwilling to let his laid-back attitude disarm her. "First," she said, "no personal questions. We're strangers, and I want it to stay that way. Whatever you're running from, or wherever you're going—that's your business. Same goes for me."

Liam gave a slow nod, as though he were considering her words carefully. "Fair enough. But for the record, I'm not really running from anything."

She wasn't sure if she believed him. People didn't just drift aimlessly without reason. But she wasn't about to push the issue. "Second," she continued, "this is temporary. As soon as we reach the next town, we're parting ways. No strings attached."

"Deal," Liam said without hesitation, though there was a glint in his eyes that suggested he wasn't entirely sure he believed her.

"And third," Mia added, "we stay out of each other's lives. I don't care where you've been, what you've done, or what you're going to do next. We're just sharing a ride, and that's it."

Liam chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You make it sound like I'm trying to get into your life or something. Trust me, I've got enough of my own stuff to deal with. I'm not looking to complicate things for either of us."

Mia studied him for a moment longer, weighing the sincerity in his voice. He seemed genuine enough, but she wasn't about to let her guard down so easily. She had learned the hard way that people could hurt you when you least expected it, and she wasn't going to risk that again. Not after everything she had been through.