I start running to take cover. I can't see much because of the heavy rain.
For a split second, the lightning shows me a bus stop. It's better than the open road.
I chose the wrong night for a movie.
The past few days after school I've been staying out by myself, far from my packland. Because I'm Claire's alibi.
Thankfully, Ben woke up in the morning after Claire stayed with him. But his wound didn't heal fully and he has to stay bedridden for longer than we thought. Claire visits him every day after school.
Claire and I are always together. If people saw me alone day after day, they'll start asking questions about where Claire is. That's why if one of us vanishes so will have to the other.
Ben told me I could hang out at the apartment with Claire but I didn't want to.
Luke is there.
Luke, Jake, and a couple other guys keep watch in that run-down building.
I check my phone again. The 4G signal is still weak. I've been trying to book an Uber but the internet is too slow. I call Claire.
"Hey, I'm stuck in rain. Book a cab for me," I tell her before letting her know which bus stop I am in. I don't want her to come. She deserves every second she could get with Ben because she starts to get angsty if she doesn't see him for long. Seeing her mate wounded has done something to her. I just hope the effect is not permanent.
I rub and comb through my hair with my fingers to help it dry. Despite running fast, I got partially soaked.
After ten minutes, I decide to call Claire again. Why is it taking so long for a cab to come?
Then I see the headlights. The car halts before the bus stop and honks. I rush to get in the backseat but the door doesn't open. I go to the front to ask the driver to open the door. The passenger seat window rolls down. Luke says, "Get in the front."
In an instant, I jump back into the bus stop. What the?
I asked for a cab! Why would she send Luke? WHY??? I'm not getting into a tight, closed space with him!!!
He honks.
"Call a cab for me," I shout.
For a second, I get no response from him. No honking, nothing.
Then I see his car door open.
Oh no! no no no no no no nooooooooo! Please, no. Don't come into my sacred bus stop.
I move further back, as far as the dimensions of the bus stop would allow me. He cuts through the rain, barges into my sanctuary, grabs my arm (cue sparks running through my body), and drags me to his car. He opens the door, pushes me in, and closes it.
While he's walking across the front of the car to the driver's side I get the urge to reopen the door and run away. And I would've done it if I'd the confidence that I could outrun a Beta.
He gets in and wipes his face with his hand. The heavy rain didn't spare him too.
"Look what you did," he says tousling his hair.
He looks at me. I'm glued to the door at this point. He sighs.
Then he opens the trunk of his car from inside and gets out. He comes back with a small duffel bag that he throws on my lap before getting in.
He opens the bag, takes out a towel, and throws it over my still-in-shock head before taking another towel and starts drying his hair with it.
Slowly, my limbs start to move. The warmth of the towel feels good. I wipe my face and squeeze the ends of my hair with it.
He reaches again for his bag that's still on my lap and I instinctively adhere myself to the door again. He rummages it until he pulls out a t-shirt.
Wait.
A t-shirt?
The next second, he does something completely inconsiderate. He starts to take off his shirt. I squeeze my eyes shut and cover my face with the towel as if my eyelids won't be enough to block his naked torso. Plus it stopped me from squealing.
"Stop reacting like that," I hear his slightly annoyed voice say.
I want to cry. First, he forces the poor me who was waiting for an Uber into his car. Then he scolds me.
"You can open your eyes. I changed. Change your shirt, too. I got a spare," he says.
I might actually cry if this goes on. I shake my head with my face still buried in the towel.
He pulls the towel away from me. Why does he keep taking away my sanctuaries?
Fortunately, he had changed into a new shirt as he said. I didn't have to look at anything inappropriate.
"Your shirt is soaked. Do you want to catch a cold? Change it. I won't look or anything," he says.
I shake my head again. No force on earth can make me strip at this moment.
"Change it yourself or you want me to change it for you like I helped you get in the car?" he asks.
I just wanted an Uber （π ーπ ）
He reaches his hand out and I panic. "No, wait. I'll change. I'll change."
He retracts his hand and looks the other way.
Then I perform the most inconspicuous, lightning speed shirt change of my life.
"I changed," I mutter.
He looks forward, turns the key, and starts driving.
My face is as red as the finest organically grown tomatoes.
––––
Drowning in the oversized shirt, I glare at Claire as she comes to her car parked in front of the apartment where Ben is recovering in secret.
It's time for us to go home.
I can start shouting at her now, but I'll wait. We both have to be in the car so she won't escape.
I give her a solid punch on her arm while she's (terribly) driving.
"How could you do that to me after all I've done for you?!" I ask her.
"I was going to call you a cab. I swear, I was. But Ben stopped me and asked Luke to pick you up saying it's safer that way."
I wish the wolfsbane had knocked the life out of Ben. But I don't say that out loud to Claire. It's a joke. I don't want Ben to die. Do I?
I just growl in response and sink back into my seat.
A few minutes later, Claire slowly asks, "Aren't you going to tell me about the shirt?"
I give her another growl before deciding to answer.
"We got soaked in the rain. He had some spare t-shirts so we changed."
"We? He changed his shirt, too? Inside the car?"
"Yes, and before you start thinking A-rated stuff about me and him, I did not look. I even covered my face."
"Did he cover his when you changed?"
"No. But he was a gentleman and looked out the window on his side while I was changing."
"You know it's dark outside right?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Was the window by his seat up?"
I try to recall. When Luke asked me to get in the front of the car he rolled down the window on the passenger side. The driver's side window was still up.
"Yeah, it was up. Why are you asking about the window?"
"He could've easily seen your reflection on the window when you were changing."
One deep breath in.
One deep breath out.
One deep breath in.
One deep breath out.
No. Luke is not like that. He said he wouldn't look. He wouldn't go back on his promise.
That's what I'll believe in.
For my own sanity.
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