Broken Beginnings

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chloe

There were mountains in the distance. I could see their white peaks stretching for the sky through the rock chipped windshield. Golden sunlight beat down against the cracked glass where iridescent rays were captured, forcing me to squint in order to maintain a visual of the lines on the road. My hands flexed over the steering wheel and I sat up straighter in my seat. Even with the sun visor pulled down, the glimmer affected me. I was just too short. Two days had passed since I left Toronto. In two days, I had slept for about eight hours. So I figured I had been driving for almost forty hours now – minus my pit-stops.

I had never been to the mountains, but seeing them now made my heart feel light and content. I felt like maybe I could find home somewhere in their immovable mass. Veins of purple pulsed through the gray stone and trees grew almost to the very top in scattered masses. The view was gorgeous. The closer I drove, the deeper in love I fell. But was this two day trip far enough away from the life I left behind? Would I find peace if I were to settle here? Would my good-for-nothing father find me with sob stories and meaningless declarations of ‘I’m sorry’?

The thought was short lived as I spotted a sign. A welcome sign into the Alberta Rockies stared at me through the windshield as I rolled slowly past it. My car was practically crawling by the time I drove into the small towns heart. I pressed my foot down on the gas and frowned at the gas gage. It read that my tank was still half full. I shrugged, thinking maybe it just needed to cool down. It was an old car and she had been running non-stop for two days. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if she needed a break. I was in need of a break too.

I signaled, pulling into a small parking lot before killing the engine. A quaint little diner sat in front of my car and I figured I might as well treat myself to a hot meal rather than another bag of chips. At the thought, my stomach rumbled determinedly and I kicked open the door of my car. 

“Miss,” a deep voice called from across the road. I turned slowly to see a man in dark jeans and a black cotton T-shirt running across the street. He appeared to be running from a mechanics shop. Slowly, I turned away again. There was no way he was talking to me. “Miss,” he called again and I paused. The sound of boot soles pounding against the pavement grew closer. He was definitely talking to me – but why? “You’re leaking.”

I turned around with a frown. I felt my eyes narrow as a scowl claimed my lips. “Pardon me?”

Bright blue eyes twinkled and a crooked grin claimed the most perfect mouth I had ever seen. The man was freaking gorgeous! Messy black hair fell onto his forehead and brilliant cobalt eyes searched my face with humor. He had defined cheekbones, a straight nose, and a chiseled jaw. His skin was wondrously golden and I was certain he lived beneath the sun every chance he got. He looked earthy. Delicious. And I cursed myself for my thoughts. Could I get any more inappropriate?

“Your uh,” he gestured to my car, severing my inspection of his masculine beauty. I blushed. “Your car’s leaking.”

“What?” I looked sharply to my car and my eyes widened at the large pool of fluid beneath the hood. Without thinking, my eyes looked behind the car and I realized there was a dark line staining the road I travelled not five minutes before. I moaned. “Do you know what it is?”

He nodded stiffly. “I’ve got a pretty good guess.”

I waited for him to elaborate and when he didn’t, stress fueled anger. I whispered sarcastically. The infamous bitch inside of me never failed to make her appearance whenever I was stressed. This was not a trait I’d developed – I’d always been this way. Naturally defensive. “Is it a secret?”