Chasing Stars ✔️

38.

"I had to let her go, men are not meant to hold stars in their hands." –  Blake Auden

She

The rain started in the first hours of the New year. Shy, barely making a noise against the window, it seemed like it belonged to a different season. As the days passed by and we all had to shake the laziness of the holidays and get back to our routine, the force of the winter came to encourage it, and the gentle drops of water gave way to heavy, persistent rain.

The rainy days had always made an impact on me. The grey clouds seemed to have the purpose of dragging me down further into the world of darkness that lived in the back of my mind. It was with profound relief that, in the middle of the second week of January, I saw the rain stop. Barely believing, I looked up to the sky through the windshield of my car. I smiled gratefully. Not only my mood would feel lighter, but I was just been spared another 40 minutes' drive under the unforgiving weather.

I leaned forward, turning the volume of the radio up; the latest success of a famous pop singer filled the car, and I had barely time to decide either or not to change stations before my Toyota produced the equivalent of a hiccup. Shaking in its wheels, a deep noise echoed from its mechanical guts. Out of precaution, I lifted my foot from the gas and maneuvered the car to the edge of the road. That's all I could do before, with a final shake, the car completely stopped, sending my body to jerk against the seat belt.

I spent the next minutes on the frustrating task of trying to revive the car with no success. I cursed, leaning my forehead on the steering wheel, hoping to push away the panic assaulting me when I realized I had no idea what to do in a situation like that.

Going through my bag, I pick up my phone. Matt had been extremely busy since the end of the last week. He was all mysteries and long meetings. When I asked if he had traded the local police department for the secret services, the smile he offered me showed me the tension he was carrying around was very real. He probably wouldn't be able to help me, but I knew he would feel bad about it, so I decided not to call him.

Sabrina went to see Brian's basketball game, out of town and in the opposite direction. Perhaps this called for paternal help, I thought suddenly. The idea made me smile as I pressed my finger on John's name. It rang twice before his voice sounded from the other side.

"Hey, honey. Everything ok?"

"Hey. Well, kind of. My car stopped working out of nowhere. I don't know what to do."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Alexa. Where are you now?"

"I'm not far from the city, but still got probably 30 minutes to drive before getting home. I took that secondary road coming from the south."

"Are you alone?"

"Yes."

"Ok." He stopped for a moment. "Ok, honey. I have a friend that is a mechanic, he has a shop just at the edge of town, he can be there in five minutes."

"Really?"

"He owes me a few favors. His name is Abel. I will also ask him to take you home."

"Oh, I can call an Uber once he's here."

"No. He will be there in no time or send someone of his trust. I don't like the idea of you alone on that road, Alexa, especially in this weather. Abel won't mind. In fact, I am sure he will insist. Five minutes. Please text me as soon as you get home. Love you."

"Ok, then. Thank you. Love you too."

I looked around, realizing no other car had passed since my Toyota stopped cooperating. Shaking my shoulders, I tried to get rid of the sense of discomfort assaulting my mind and the cold penetrating my bones; if some pervert didn't come to kill me, the weather would do the job.