An Open Sky

Chapter Twenty ~Alexa~

“You need a ride home?” Jay asked, slipping his shirt back over the muscles that flexed under his skin with every movement. I longed to trace the muscles in his back with my fingers. I longed for him to hold me, to kiss me again.

                “I don’t know,” I slid off the bed and grabbed my sweatshirt, “my dad might be home already.” The glowing green numbers on Jay’s clock told me it was almost eight o’clock. I was surprised at how fast time went when I was with him.

                “What, you don’t want him to meet me?” He leaned in closer and ran his nose over my ear. “I’ll even let you pick out a shirt I should wear so I don’t seem so, you know, me.”

                “Fine, but be yourself,” he flashed me a hesitant frown. “I happen to like you and if my dad doesn’t well, he’ll just have to deal with it. Who cares what he thinks anyway.” The words sounded colder than I’d intended.

                To my relief, he smiled and opened the door for me. I walked out into the hallway and he walked behind me, keeping his hands wrapped tightly around my waist. “I like it when you get all rebellious,” he breathed into my neck. I let out a soft, airy laugh. We walked through the rest of the house wordlessly. We crossed the cool tile floor of the kitchen. Jay released me to open a garage door. I peered out into the dimly-lit space ahead of me, shocked to see him walk over to one of the nicest cars I’d seen around here.

                “Is the car yours?” I inquired, glued to the doorway.

                “Yeah,” he said, grinning. “Don’t worry, I paid for most of it.”

                His car was a black Ford Mustang. Its paint gleamed bright even in the dim lighting of the garage. The car had two blue stripes going down the middle, like scars. My eyes scanned over the tinted windows. They almost made me uncomfortable, like the car itself contained untold stories…more secrets.

Once my brain had registered the sight of his car, I realized just how much it stood out in the cluttered garage. There were pieces of wood and nails covering the floor almost like they were a layer of carpet, and dust turning every tool box a tinted shade of pink. I didn’t get to look at much more before he unlocked the passenger door and held it open for me. I hoped in, almost clumsily, and leaned back on the soft leather seat. It was cool against my legs as Jay climbed in beside me.

                He reached up and clicked the garage door opener which was clipped onto the driver’s mirror. The garage door jerked to life and slid up above us. He glanced over at me and shot me a sideways grin when he saw I was looking at him too. He turned back to the darkness ahead of us and brought the car to life. Immediately, a heavy guitar and drum rhythm, accompanied by a hard vocal chorus, reverberated through the car.

                We both jumped and he quickly popped the CD out of the slot. His fingers fumbled around putting it back in its case. “Sorry,” he shrugged at me and tossed the case into the pile of garbage and other various things at my feet. I smiled at him, rolling my eyes, ears still ringing. The car drifted out into the darkness.

                I sat there for the longest time, just watching the trees float by, transforming into odd shapes with the help of my paranoid mind and the darkness surrounding us, until we turned into my driveway. The lights were on inside. I was suddenly hit with a nauseating feeling in the pit of my stomach. I wondered if Aidan had left safely. What if he got caught by dad? What if he was still hiding in my house somewhere?

                “So,” Jay exhaled, interrupting my thoughts, “anything I need to know about your dad before I meet him?”

                “No, and don’t worry about offending him or anything,” I said, the resentment in my voice showing.