CHAPTER ELEVEN
RIDE ALONG
About forty minutes after they had picked up Leanne. Randy, Jimmy and Matt had fallen asleep, because they were squished together Matt's head was on Jimmy's shoulder who was also laying on Randy's who was leaned on the door.
Leanne also felt herself tired but hid it well not wanting to fall asleep in a car with people she didn't know that well.
Jey spent the time thinking, he'd glance over at Leanne ever so often to see if she was alright, only to see her playing with the rings on her finger.
"How come you were riding alone?" He then asks breaking the silence between them.
"It was late, mostly everyone had left and I didn't wanna inconvenience anyone." She told a half truth half lie, yes it was late but the truth she didn't exactly want to go asking anyone for a ride since she felt it would be odd seeing she never spoken to anyone else really.
"You weren't gonna inconvenience anyone, no one rides alone, and it's for good reason. What if I didn't pick up, you'd be out there still with God knows what." Jey didn't mean to sound like he was scolding her but the thought of her stranded out there, where anything could've happened brought dread to his heart.
"I know, I was gonna join up with someone in the morning." Leanne replies.
"I'm just glad I was there to help. Scared the crap out of me." He sighs, not realizing he'd voiced his personal opinion.
When he did he looked at Leanne slightly alarmed seeing her with a perplexed look.
"Seriously?" She asks him.
"Yeah, calling like that saying you need help, I thought something happened to you." He answers.
"Glad nothing happened." He added softly.
Leanne didn't know how to respond, she didn't realize how much Jey actually cared for her. She obviously didn't know how much he thought about her, the only thing she did see was effort that he put in to her whenever he got the chance too.
Even in the storyline, he'd go above and beyond just to make her look extraordinary. Because that's what she was to him. Extraordinary.
"Me too." She utters. "I guess I owe you one now huh?" She speaks up, a small grin on her face.
"Nah, it was an emergency, doesn't count." He waves off.
"You sure? I don't need you three months from now talking 'bout some 'remember when is saved you on the stretch to Houston'." She imitates his voice.
"I do not sound like that." He laughs looking between her and the road.
"Really? What is this better, 'aye uce, 'member I helped you out on the stretch, hook me up with sum my dawg'." She pretended to imitate the way Jey doesn't promos putting her hand up as if she were rapping.
A harder laughs comes from him, hitting the staring wheel with laughter, "alright how bout this 'I got no problem dropping you where you stand, a'ight pumpkin'." He dramatized her words from a segment they had speaking in a high tone.
"My voice is not freakishly high like that, nor is the slang accurate what so ever." She says between laughs.
Jey smiles looking at her as she giggles at their "conversation". He didn't show it but he was doing backflips in his head just because he made her laugh. For the first time he had gotten a genuine laugh and smile out of her.
Nothing was better that this moment.
"Aye, you hungry." Jey then asks.
"I could eat." She shrugs.
"I think there's an In and Out around here." Jey mentions.
Checking the GPS she nods letting the map direct them to the fast food establishment.
Parking out front, Jey switched off the car opening his door to leave.
"Should we wake them?" Leanne asks.
"Nah, well get 'em some fries or something for when they wake up." Jey waves off.
She shrugs at his response getting out as well.
Entering the restaurant Jey orders his food then looks to Leanne.
"I'll wait till you're done before I go." She waves him off.
"Then how will I pay for both?" He asks.
"You're not paying for me." Leanne looks at him confused.
"Of course I am." He answers obviously.
"Of course not, Jey you've done so much for me already this is too much."
"It's In and Out Burger, and I offered so I pay, what do you want?" He insists.
Remembering the seat situation before Leanne knew he wouldn't give up, with a sigh she deadpans, "burger."
"Two burgers, four side of fries and 2 diet coke please." Jey looks at the teen worker who was obviously tired and over the job they were working.
"You order all that for a diet coke?" Leanne raised her eyebrow.
"Balance mama." Jey winks at her.
She snorts shaking her head at the man.
They found a seat in one of the booths. Not realizing how hungry she actually was Leanne's first bite into the burger felt like absolute bliss, she moans lenaing her head against the seat slouching.
"Well damn if I'd have known food would've got you to orgasm I'd have done that a long time ago." Jey snorts.
Covering her mouth, Leanne chokes a laugh, quickly swallowing the food so that she doesn't actually choke.
"Sorry, I just haven't eaten from this place in years." She answers sheepishly as a pink tint grew on her face.
"Don't worry about it, it was cute. A turn on but cute." Jey didn't know what made him so free in talking to her tonight but seeing her blush and jumble over her words made it 10x better.
Leanne could've sank into the seat being completely caught off guard with that remark, her face was hot and her heart accelerated as she stumbled to find an answer.
Jey smirks, laughing slightly but covers his face seeing her slight glare at him.
"Cat's got your tongue mama." He licks his lips staring back at her.
"You think you are so slick don't you?" She marrow her eyes at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He shakes his head playing an innocent facade.
"Mhm, sure act innocent Jey." She says, taking the cover off her cup.
"I am innocent, you gon' watch this face and tell me I'm not innocent." He pouts trying to put on an innocent face for her.
Though she wouldn't say it out loud, she thought it was adorable.
"You may look innocent but I see straight through it, just like i see that ketchup on your face." She laughs.
With his expression turning confused he wipes licks his lips to remove it but gets nothing.
"No, here." Moving the cup out the way, Leanne leans forward sitting up over the table. Using her thumb she gently swipes the bit of ketchup away licking it off her finger.
Jey's eyes darkened looking at her, he stares between her eyes and her lips licking his biting down on it slightly. Lost in the look also Leanne glances down at his lips for a split second before making eye contact again with him.
Ring!
With a yelp Leanne jumps back, alerted by the alarm she had forgotten to take off when she was trying to keep herself up driving alone.
"Sorry." She turns it off looking back at him.
Clearing his throat he shakes his head, "it's cool, what's the alarm for?"
"I was tryna get something to keep me up when was driving." She explains.
"It work?"
"Yeah, sort of." Jey chuckles at the answer.
Getting her drink, Leanne takes two fires dipping it in before eating it, enjoying the mixture of the cold drink and the salted fries.
She looks back up seeing Jey with a horrified look.
"Oh come on you're telling me you haven't tried that before." She scoffs.
"Hell naw I ain't trying that, are you crazy!" He tells her still horrified. "That looks nasty." He scrunches his face up.
"You can't rip on it till you try it." Leanne replies dipping another fry.
Fake gagging, Jey grunts, "I think I'm gonna be sick."
Because of the smile that formed on Leanne's face as she rolls her eyes, he breaks the facade smiling also.
"Try one? You'll see." She urges.
Looking at her skeptically he looks between the cup and the fries. Opening his he dips one fry in hesitantly putting it in his mouth before chewing slowly.
"So?" She looks at him expectantly as he swallows.
Waving his hand in a swaying motion, he scrunches his face, "it's a'ight, not bad."
"See!" Leamne exclaims, smiling.
"I didn't say it's the best." He points.
"But it's not the worst." Leanne points at him suggesting.
Rolling his eyes he nods, "it's not the worst."
Happy with her accomplishment she did a mini cabbage patch with a laugh.
Jey didn't expect to find any of this tonight. He didn't expect to be riding with her, or eating junk food, the last thing he ever expected was for her to be this playful with him especially after everything that happened before.
It was like they weren't awkward or like if the conversation at the gym didn't even happen. Up until now, Jey wouldn't have thought that Leanne had a funny side or a goofy side.
But sitting across from her as she laughs to herself while doing a happy dance, he felt a warmth in his chest that made his heart flutter and his stomach do flips. He couldn't get the cheesy grin off his face either.
After a bit of banter, the pair finished their food, buying some extra fries for the when the guys wake up and got back to the car to continue to their desired destination.
Jey held the door for her again as she held the bags with the fries in them. "Thanks."
He nods getting in on his side.
As they started driving again they were in a comfortable silence, no one needing to say anything for entertainment or just conversation in general. Leanne felt comfortable, she didn't have a guard up as she did earlier and with the sleepiness wearing on her she couldn't hold her eyes open for long.
Covering her mouth to yawn she felt her body drifting to sleep.
"Tired?" Jey asks.
"Mhm." In a sleepy voice she nods slowly, leaning her head in his direction.
Her eyelashes flutters as she blinked slowly looking at the Samoan.
"You can sleep if you want." Jey assures.
"I wanna keep you company." Her voice getting more tired.
Jey couldn't stop the grin that grew on his face, it's a surprise his cheeks weren't hurting for the amount of times he'd smile at her for the night.
"Go to sleep ma, I'll be fine." He tells her softly.
"You sure?" She asks basically falling asleep at this point.
"Yeah, I'll wake you when we-" He stops himself seeing that she and already fallen asleep.
Her mouth slightly parted as her body relaxed into slumber.
He once again smiles at her. Looking up in the rear view mirror to check on the guys, he sees Jimmy shifting with his eyes close.
Shrugging it off as him moving in his sleep he focuses back on the road driving the rest of them to Houston.