Page 16

EW, brIDGET

brIDGET

" C an you come hold the flashlight for me?” Lukas calls from outside the truck. “Joey said he’s going to be a while, but told me some things to try to get it going again.”

“Sure,” I grumble, getting out of the truck, and going to stand next to him. Clicking on my phone flashlight, he looks at the phone in my hand and the dim light it’s emitting, shaking his head.

“That’s not going to help much, can you grab the maglite from behind the seats?”

“The what?”

“Maglite.” Clueless, I stare up at him, waiting for him to explain what the fuck I need to grab. “Big, black, heavy flashlight. Should be behind the seat.”

“Okay.” Moving back to the passenger side, I look for a lever or switch to flip the seat down like I've seen on other vehicles, but there’s nothing. “Is there a switch or something,” I holler.

“No, just pull on the head rest, the seat will fall forward.” That can’t be safe, having a seat that doesn’t lock into place. Searching through the mess of electrical cords, tools, and fast food garbage, my eyes snag on something. “Hey, Lukas?”

“Yeah, sweetheart?’

“What did you say you were going to the store for?”

“Smokes, why?”

“Just curious,” I reply. An unfamiliar feeling of impending doom takes root in my gut as I stare down at the full carton of cigarettes wedged behind the seat.

He could’ve forgotten they were there…right?

Maybe he didn’t see them amongst the mess of shit behind the seats.

I thought Summer’s VW Beetle was bad, but this puts the mess in that to shame.

“I can’t find the flashlight, Lukas,” I yell.

His voice comes from right behind me, startling the fuck out of me, and ripping a scream from my throat. “That’s okay, I found it.” His words are soft and warm, drenched in thick, calming sweetness, wrapping around me, and soothing some of my panic.

I offer him a smile, the gesture more for me than it is for him as I try to assure myself nothing is wrong. He turns away, walking back to the front of the truck, assuming I will follow along.

I’m trying my best to believe everything is okay, but in reality, I’m freaking the hell out.

The beam of the flashlight wavers because I can’t stop the slight shaking in my hands.

Every instinct in my body is screaming at me to ask Lukas if he thinks Joey would give me a ride back to the girls.

However, the bitch-fit I threw before storming out of the cabin makes the idea float away on the night’s gentle breeze.

“Bridget, did you hear me?” Lukas says.

“Hmm? Sorry, I must have zoned out. What's up?”

“I said, I don't think there’s much else I can try. We may as well just wait in the truck until my guy gets here.”

I give him a slight nod, keeping the flashlight on the area around the engine so he can ensure he grabs all of the tools he’s pulled out.

When he finishes and zips up the bag, I let my arm drop. I was beginning to think it would lose feeling before he was done.

Lukas rounds the truck to the passenger side, holding the door open for me to climb in. “Give me a minute, I’m going to throw this into the back then run over to the trees to take a piss.”

Who said men don't know how to talk to women?

I don’t know why I was ever attracted to this redneck.

Remembering the fact I pretty much tried to prostitute myself out to him for a ride makes me cringe internally.

What was I thinking? Gross, Bridget.