The Guide Dog

Playing with fire

Scarlett

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as I concentrated on the sound of the road, the steady yet exhilarating speed of the car, anything other than the eyes I felt trail back to me every few seconds. I wrapped my arms around myself to ward of the uneasy chill I felt. That's weird. I'm usually sweating around Seth.

"Cold?" Asked the deep voice next to me.

"I'm fine." I answered, letting the silence spread throughout the car.

"I can turn down the AC"

"I said I'm fine."

Growing up without my sight, I learned to rely not only on my other senses, but on people's reactions. When people let me have the last word, it's usually because they plan to blatantly disregard me without my knowledge. People don't always do this to hurt me, some have good intentions. But anyone who knows me, anyone who really knows me, knows not to ever take advantage of my loss of sight. No matter what.

Feeling the temperature change throughout the car and hearing the sound of the air conditioner regress just slightly filled me with more rage than it should have, but I couldn't stop the words before they fell from my lips.

"Pull over!" I demanded. Yanking at my seatbelt until the metal unbuckled from it's holster.

I heard a soft sigh, but felt the car turn slightly to the right and come to a halt. I reached for the handle, finding it quickly, and rose from the car. I slammed the door and stepped out further on the gravel. I placed my hands on my knees and bent towards the ground as I tried desperately to calm my rage and sort my thoughts. Seth was at my side in an instant.

"Scarlett,"  A large, warm arm wrapped itself so tenderly around my waist.

"No!" I shouted walking away from his warm touch, while at the same time fighting the side of me that wanted to run back to it.

I don't know him. I don't know Seth. We've known each other for all of a few days, he doesn't know that it enrages me when I feel as if someone's taken advantage of me, of that fact that I can't see them. He doesn't know that the thought of being left alone is so crippling to me that it gives me panic attacks, that it gives me nightmares. He doesn't know that it embarrasses me to not be able to see someone who's standing right in front of me, to not know whether or not they're waiting for me to take shake their hand, to hug them, to follow them. He doesn't know any of this because he doesn't know me.

"Seth."  I breath knowing what I'm about to say won't be easy, and suppressing the bad feeling in my gut that's making me nauseous.

"Seth, I don't think this is going to work." I rush the words out before I have the chance to rethink them.

Seth's warm, sweet tone changes to one I've never heard before. It's harder, guarded.

"Why?"

It's such a simple word but it's filled with so much hidden emotion that I turn away from the sound of his voice.

"Seth, please just take me home."

"I want you to tell me why."

"Because we rushed into this! We got in way too deep, way too fast, Seth. I mean for god's sake we barely know each other. There are things about me that you don't know, Seth. There are obstacles in our path that we can't get through-"

"You." Seth's tone is stern, it's commanding, and it's one he's never used with me before. "There are obstacles that you can't get through, Scarlett. Because there is nothing in this life or the next that I can't overcome with you by my side."