Game Of Hearts

Mystifier

"Run me over, why don't you?" the woman yelled in an annoyed voice as Ethan abruptly came to a halt a few centimeters in front of her. She didn't even move out of the way! Was she insane? He switched the car off, silently willing his mind to shut up. "Are you out of your mind?" He yelled, subconsciously getting out of the car.

The woman snorted. "Wow, not even a 'sorry I almost ran you over with my car?' Or is that foreign where you come from?"

Him? foreign? Heck, even he didn't know where he belonged anymore.

"What? Listen sweetheart, you jumped in front of my car!" He pointed out.

"Well hey, that's one grand apology you've got there" she said sarcastically. "I'll bet you try and charm every lady with that, sweetheart." She said, folding her arms across her chest.

Charm? Where the hell did that come from? He wasn't trying to be charming at all. "Look, lady..." He muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't know who you are, or why you threw yourself in front of my car, but, can we just leave it at that? I've got places to be." he finalized, the curiosity to find out who she was diminishing like water to a flame. Maybe he was destined to be alone, women were just so infuriating. It was either that or he was quick-tempered. Nah, he'd stick with the woman theory. 

"I've also got places to be." She  impatiently stomps her converse sneakers against the concrete road. Oh, so she wanted a ride to somewhere. Well she could have just said so. Why do women have to be so damn cryptic? "Okay well, where are you headed?" He inquired, his patience wearing thin.

"Kansas." She said bitterly. Brilliant, he meets his first human in three years and she barely wants to speak to him. Good job Ethan. He thought, giving himself a mental pat on the back.

"What is so important in Kansas? That place is a dump now." he retorted, kicking a stone in front of him.

He saw a glimmer of sadness in her deep brown eyes before her natural stubborn self returned.

"What's it to you? Why do you need to know?"

Oh, only the fact that she was the first human he'd seen in three years and now she was leaving him to go to Kansas. Wait. Didn't he want her gone a second ago?

"The fact that you'll be riding in my car." he shot back.

She scoffed. "I'll be driving it."

There was no way on earth that he was going to let this deluded lady with a cheap sense of style drive his Jeep. No way. "That's not happening lady." He said, blocking the drivers door with his long muscular arms.

She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. "You tried to run me over, remember?"

Oh, so she was playing that card huh? Two can play at that game. "I didn't run you over, You were the one who jumped in front of my car. Speaking of that, are you okay?" he asked in a sweet voice.

"I'm fine, but I would certainly be better if I were the one driving." she faked a smile.

"I was talking to my car" he smirked, then burst out laughing. He had one of those weird, but unique laughs. One you could listen to over and over again. Like a song.

The woman folded her arms and glared at him. "You are so full of it!" she shot back with an angry spark in her eyes. "Would that explain why you're so deluded? Is it the fact that you talk to inanimate objects?"

Well, she was quick responsive, He'd hand her that. But he wasn't going to take crap from anyone either, especially not from some short fused woman.

"Well at least I'm not deluded enough to purposely throw myself in front of a moving vehicle." he laughed some more.

She threw her hands up in defeat. "You know what, whatever. I'm done."

Damn, she was fuming. Well done Ethan. Great first impression. Not that it mattered to him. He wasn't here to impress anyone.

He was glad she gave up. Neither of them had the time or patience to argue right now. Let's face it, it was possible that they were the last two people on Earth, and arguing would get them nowhere. Ethan got into the driver's seat and watched her as she slid into the passenger seat. He relaxed a bit more. He liked being in control, and that meant driving his own car. Three years and running this Jeep's been with him. And thanks to these crawling creepers, he got free petrol. Which reminded him, The drive to Kansas was seven hours away and he might have to stop at a gas station soon.

"So do you have a name?" he asked her.

"Well most people do, don't they?"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Well are you gonna tell me?"

"Olivia Zarina Isabella Del Rosa" she said proudly, as if she just got crowned princess or something.

"Sooo which one is it?"

She rolled her eyes, but he was certain there was a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

She straightened her shoulders. "You haven't told me your name yet."

"Why do you want to know, princess?"

She glared at him. "I need a reason?"

"No." he grinned, his face mysterious.

"Fine. Don't tell me."

He giggled and took a right turn onto a rundown lane. He studied her profile for a brief moment. Her eyes were golden brown, hair, long and black as the night. Her eyes in this case would be the stars to balance everything out. Her lips... Full and pink, but was now stretched into an irritated line.

Hahaha, he really must have ticked her off.

"Ethan Sean Ryder" he smiled, bringing his gaze back onto the road. "That's my name."

When he looked at her again, she looked slightly wide eyed.

He frowned. "What's wrong? Is everything okay? He asked her, slowing the car down and pulling over. She looked at him - no, glared at him. "I think you knew my sister" she said at after a long moment. Ethan searched his mind for any "Del Rosa's" he may have met but nothing popped up. Everything was just blank.

He calmed down a bit. "I think you may have the wrong Ethan. I don't know any other Del Rosa's."

"You're wrong; her surname was not Del Rosa. She was my adopted sister. You may know her by the name "Catherine Elliot." She kept her last name."

Ethan closed his eyes. Catherine. Of course he knew her. She used to go to school with him. They were best friends, they did everything together. It was only when she moved to Italy that they lost all contact. She had rose colored hair and sparkling grey eyes, but she hated them. She hated the way she looked and went through a phase of insecurity right before she left. Before Ethan could ask anything about her, Olivia continued hesitantly.

"I shouldn't have told you this, Ethan." She averted her eyes. "Catherine's dead."

.....

A streak of sunlight slashed across Ethan's face, momentarily illuminating his high cheekbones. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, and silence was screaming in the car. He didn't know what to think anymore. He didn't want  to think anymore. All he wanted was to be in a quiet reserved place where you could actually have some peace. But peace in a world like this was non existent. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, as most people put it.

Peace for your emotions, now that was something unachievable.

For a short while he forgot Olivia's presence. She was quieter than a mouse. He inhaled deeply and focused on the darkening road ahead. So, she wanted to go to Kansas? Kansas it was.