Taming the Street Racer ✔️

30 | into the woods

TW: suicide, domestic abuse, depressive thoughts.

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I throw myself behind Grayson, shielding myself from whatever just touched my leg. The darkness is thick and, even through my pullover, I can feel the morning chill seep onto my skin. From the way I grip Grayson's bicep, he can probably tell how jumpy I am.

Gray finds my hand with his but I feel him laughing. I smack his arm.

"Babe, I think he was just trying to say hello," he says, gesturing to where I was just standing. I'm about to ask him what the hell he's talking about, when I see him. Or her.

A small, scrawny dog stands in front of us, shaking like a leaf. Its fur is matted and dark, clearly crusted with dirt and grime. It looks pitiful. My heart breaks just looking at it.

"Hey buddy," I say gently, moving out from behind Gray's back. I approach the dog slowly, careful not to scare him off. Squinting through the dark, I can tell it's a boy. His eyes are wide and watery, trained fearfully on me. I want to pick him up and bring him home, but I already know that wouldn't go over well with my parents.

Grayson puts his hand on my waist, holding me back slightly. "Be careful, Riv. He might be rabid."

"And?" I say, not caring if I get bitten. He's all alone out here, malnourished and obviously scared. There's no collar around his thin neck, and he looks like he's been alone for a while.

Without thinking, I pull my sweater over my head and lay it on the ground, patting and coaxing him onto it. "Come on, boy. Are you cold?"

Slowly, he sniffs the ground and makes his way onto my sweater. Sensing his growing trust, I gently fold the arms over him and stroke him through the fabric. With each pet, he shakes less and less. At one point, he licks my hand softly.

"Chewie likes me," I say, looking up at Gray as I continue to pet my new friend.

"Chewie? You named the rabid fleabag?" Gray's arms are folded and he's looking at Chewie with apprehension. I roll my eyes.

"Fleas can be managed. There are shots for rabies. Look! He really likes me, Gray," I coo, bundling Chewie up in my sweater and slowly picking him up. With little effort, I'm able to curl him up in my arms. He's so thin that I can almost feel his tiny bones.

Gray sighs, pulling off his own jacket and placing it around my shoulders. I was so focused, I hadn't even noticed that I was getting cold. I tilt my head up at him. "You don't have to do that, Gray. Put it back on."

"And let you freeze to death with a malnourished dog in your arms? What kind of monster would I be?" He wraps his arm around me. "Besides, you look better in it than I did."

"So your plan is just to steal all my body heat to keep warm?" I ask as he pulls me closer. Chewie looks comfortable snuggled between us, basking in our combined heat. I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him quickly. "Sounds good to me."

Grayson looks up at the sky and checks his watch. "We better get going. The sun will be up pretty soon, and I don't think you're up for racing me up this mountain."

I quirk my eyebrow, stroking Chewie's head and hiding a grin. "Is that a challenge, Maddox? Have I ever told you that I brought my soccer team to states for the past four years?"