(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

Chapter Eighteen - Busted

I inhaled as he whooshed past without another word. I thought; in some way, he really was a douche canoe. It was one thing to avoid humans or despise them from afar for what they can do, but Luc straight up bullied the vulnerable ones without blinking. It seemed... like a damn shame, because I've seen glimpses of good in him, glimpses that I'd liked. 

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After getting home from school, I dropped my bag on the passenger seat of my Ford and backed out of the driveway. I'd launched the GPS on my phone. Dad wasn't home yet, and if I wanted to use my car without being noticed, now was the opportunity. 

Luc could bark all he wanted, but he didn't get to boss me around. The number didn't want me hurt; I was one hundred percent sure of it. I was keen on checking the address as soon as possible before whatever it wanted me to see would be gone. Luc could be wrong about waiting, and I intended to be careful. 

I rolled down the road leading up to the main intersection. Not even halfway toward the exit my motor began to sputter. The car kept moving for several feet, but suddenly it stopped indifferent of the motor. I pressed on the pedal, causing the engine to squeal with effort.

 The two-ton vehicle lifted on one side, then another in an ominous creak of metal, jumbling me on the spot. Then, the four wheels connected back to the asphalt. They started rolling backwards, as if reeled in with a pulley. 

The car slowly withdrew on the lane despite. My hand grabbed the phone and shut it off. I pushed back in my seat in defeat. The Ford pealed until my window seized Luc standing outside with a curious expression, then it stopped moving entirely. 

The window rolled down on its own. He leaned in with his elbows and smartly threaded his fingers together.  

He inspected my face for a solid minute. 

"Hi, there."

I turned my head toward him. "Hey."

"What are you doing?" 

"Going grocery shopping..." 

"Is that so?" 

I nodded and raised both eyebrows at him. Okay, maybe the guy did know me well enough. More than I gave him credit for. 

"Just how did you know I was driving by?" I asked, feeling like a kid caught red-handed stealing the forbidden fruit. 

"We sense objects who emit some form of energy. It's not worth much in crowded settings but the signal's sharp in this corner. You'll probably start feeling it, soon."

"Cool..." I made a face. This whole conversation was just uncomfortable. "Can you let me go, now? I was just going to buy some food." 

Without answering, he rounded the vehicle with long-legged strides and opened my passenger door. He dumped my bag in the backseat and butted at the front. He slouched, spreading his knees as far as possible. 

"Comfy?"  

"Yup." He caught my gaze. "I'm running out of eggs and bread, so I hope you don't mind giving me a ride. Nice vintage truck, by the way. Didn't get to tell you when people were trying to kill us."

I hated this guy. 

Now, I needed to figure out what to buy at the store. Grumbling, I kickstarted the car again and wheeled toward the local market. Luc gave a condescending grin. It evolved into an electric smile capable of melting any girl in the streets. 

"Call me paranoid, but I thought you were about to see that barn when I told you not to," he taunted. "Funny, right?" 

I ripped the keys from the ignition, eating back scalding words. "Why, I'd never do that. Who do you take me for?"

"For a brat with oustanding bad luck and horrible judgement when it matters the most."

Okay, wow. I agreed on the bad luck statement, but horrible judgement? His steps shadowed mine across the parking lot and through the automatic doors. 

"Who taunted the hunters with some stupid kink comment about the mercury chains and almost ingested a bullet in the chest for it? Huh? I'm not perfect, and neither are you."

"Says the airhead who decided to confront a Wanderer drunk as a skunk."

I stopped bickering, unable to hear another word from his insufferable mouth, and ambled through the aisles in silence. The jerkface filled his cart to the brim. I departed around the bakery section, discomfited. 

At least I could make a chocolate and raspberry cake out of this unsuccessful trip. I had always been better at baking than cooking, and it was nice to stand in front of the final result, especially if you nailed the aesthetic part. I would need a relaxing activity after this. 

When I dropped Luc off on our way back, he passed me a heavy stare of warning before closing the door. My plan was completely busted. If he'd know every time I drove from home, then there was no way for me to sneak past him. 

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Hope you liked this semi-shitpost because I had a lot of fun and laughs while writing this! The second part wasn't really supposed to be in the story, but I added it cuz I can so why not???

Also, what do you think about Luc and Riley's diverging opinions about Chuck's actions? Which one do you support? There's no good or bad answer, by the way. 

See ya!