If At First

Part 14 - Chapter 13

"Oh," I blushed a little, rubbing my chin. "No, it was fine. He just seems to have a bit of a short fuse I guess."

"That's one way of putting it,"

"I'm beginning to think maybe you were right about him."

"Oh, are you?" He smiled, suddenly amused.

"He told me there was some long-standing rivalry between you."

"There's usually two sides to a rivalry." He straightened, crossing his arms again and observing me.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen."

"Tabby, will you go somewhere with me?"

"Why?" I looked at the ground.

"Because I haven't been able to get you out of my head for weeks and it's driving me insane."

"You're serious?" I asked, looking him in the face.

"Tabitha, I've asked you out twice now, and you've turned me down both times. I'm not used to having to convince someone to do what I ask."

"You want to leave now?"

"Yes, now." He answered. I looked at him warily.

"Where do you want to go?"

"You'll see,"

I glanced around, "What about Fitch and Georgia?"

"What about them?" He shrugged, "Georgia's content and if Fitch has anything to say about it he knows where to find me. But if I know Georgia, he'll be fine." He paused, assessing my reaction. "Unless you'd prefer to stay?"

The ominously gathered clouds that had been deliberating their intentions for the past two days, decided at that moment to burst into an utter downpour rendering any vocalization of my reply unnecessary.

Haven touched a phone to his ear, "Greenleigh, would you mind? Thank you."

"Who was that?" I asked.

He smiled. "Greenleigh."

Haven grabbed an umbrella out of the car and held it over our heads. Within seconds, a black SUV was bowling toward us down the dirt road. "I thought I'd leave the Bugatti in case Georgia needs it."

What's a Bugatti?

The rain was falling harder now, smacking the ground in enormous drops. Haven nodded to the driver as he pulled up, "Don't get out Greenleigh, I've got it." He held the door as I slid across the soft leather of the cozy backseat. 

Haven closed the umbrella, quickly jumping in behind me and I timidly inched closer to the heat from his body, still chilled from falling in the lake with damp hair, which the newest cloudburst did nothing to improve.

"Greenleigh, this is Tabitha." Haven said once the car was in motion.

"Afternoon, Miss." The grossly muscular, bald driver said with an unidentifiable accent. I could see the edge of a tattoo on the back of his neck peeking out over his shirt collar.

"It's nice to meet you, Greenleligh" I nodded, "Where are we going?" I asked, directing the question to Haven.

"To get a friend."

A friend? We're getting a friend? This is weird.

We sat in silence for a few minutes listening to the rain against the windows, watching the trees and water whip past. And because sometimes even normal silences can feel horribly tense, I started talking. "We didn't camp very long." I was trying not to think about how entirely comfortable I found it to be in Haven's sweatshirt, next to him in the warmth of the car; and was both thankful and extremely intimidated to have Greenleigh for a would-be chaperone.