presence entirely as he chewed on something. By the
smell, it must be beef jerky. He was sitting inside a sleeping bag, another
laid out beside him.
The
seats being down made the inside of the car larger, but Langston’s size negated
that. He wasn’t a small guy, Clarissa guessed he was maybe six three, and he
had to slouch so he wouldn’t hit his head on the ceiling.
The
cold had begun to seep into the car, and Clarissa shivered, eyeing the sleeping
bag with longing. She wanted to climb into it, but something held her back,
though she couldn’t put her finger on it. The light from the still-lit glow
stick reflected off the windows, making them appear opaque.
“Looking
at it won’t keep you warm,” Langston quipped, interrupting her thoughts.
Steeling
herself, Clarissa climbed over the seat, which was a hard thing to do. Of
course, Langston had made it look easy.
Clarissa’s
foot caught on the gearshift, and she lost her balance, toppling headfirst into
the back. With a muffled Oof! she landed sprawled across Langston.
“Ow,”
she muttered, wincing at the ache in her side.
Langston’s
arms were around her, and Clarissa realized he’d caught her to some extent, not
that she’d given him much choice.
“Sorry
about that.” She struggled to get up and suddenly found her wrist in a viselike
grip.
“Watch
where you’re pushing,” Langston said roughly.
Clarissa’s
face grew hot, realizing that in her haste to get off him, she’d accidentally
touched places she shouldn’t.
At
least, not without dinner first.
That
last thought made her giggle as he righted her.
“What’s
so funny?” he asked suspiciously.
Clarissa
shook her head. “Nothing.” Like she was going to tell him she’d had a flash of
an image of him like he’d looked this morning as he lay sleeping in bed. His chest
had been bare, rising and falling slowly with each breath. Hair tousled as
though from unseen hands. An arm crooked behind his head had caused his bicep
to flex and made Clarissa’s eyes linger.
Getting
those keys out of his pocket hadn’t exactly been a chore. Langston could be
quite charming…when he was unconscious.
Pushing
the thought aside, Clarissa went to climb inside the sleeping bag.
“Take
your shoes off first,” Langston reminded her. “And your coat.”
“You
have your shoes on,” she argued. “And won’t my coat keep me warmer?”
He
shook his head. “Too many layers and the air can’t circulate. And I have my
shoes on in case someone or something unexpected happens by.”
Clarissa
frowned even as she obeyed. “What are you? A Boy Scout?”
Langston
just looked at her while he took another bite of jerky.
“Really?”
she asked. “You’re kidding.” Though somehow, she wasn’t surprised. His whole
demeanor practically screamed “I play by the rules and do what’s right.”
“Always
be prepared,” he replied. A hint of a smile flashed briefly on his face. “Want
some?” he offered, holding a piece of jerky out to her.
“Um,
yeah, sure.” Clarissa took the jerky and chewed a bite, watching him out of the
corner of her eye. He got a water bottle out of a box and handed it to her
before taking one for himself.
“Why
are you being so nice?” she blurted.
Langston
looked at her strangely. “You’d rather I starve you?”
“No,
I just…never mind,” Clarissa stammered, looking away. She took a drink of
water. He was right. What a bizarre thing to ask him.
Clarissa
tried to see out the windows, but it was impossible. In the woods, far from
civilization, with a storm raging around them, the darkness was impenetrable. All
she could see was her own wavering reflection, which didn’t seem like herself
at all.
Absently,
Clarissa brushed a hand through her hair, watching the stranger in the glass
mirror her movements. It was unsettling, this feeling of being an unknown
entity to herself. And alone. She felt so alone. The only person she knew was the
man beside her, and he
smell, it must be beef jerky. He was sitting inside a sleeping bag, another
laid out beside him.
The
seats being down made the inside of the car larger, but Langston’s size negated
that. He wasn’t a small guy, Clarissa guessed he was maybe six three, and he
had to slouch so he wouldn’t hit his head on the ceiling.
The
cold had begun to seep into the car, and Clarissa shivered, eyeing the sleeping
bag with longing. She wanted to climb into it, but something held her back,
though she couldn’t put her finger on it. The light from the still-lit glow
stick reflected off the windows, making them appear opaque.
“Looking
at it won’t keep you warm,” Langston quipped, interrupting her thoughts.
Steeling
herself, Clarissa climbed over the seat, which was a hard thing to do. Of
course, Langston had made it look easy.
Clarissa’s
foot caught on the gearshift, and she lost her balance, toppling headfirst into
the back. With a muffled Oof! she landed sprawled across Langston.
“Ow,”
she muttered, wincing at the ache in her side.
Langston’s
arms were around her, and Clarissa realized he’d caught her to some extent, not
that she’d given him much choice.
“Sorry
about that.” She struggled to get up and suddenly found her wrist in a viselike
grip.
“Watch
where you’re pushing,” Langston said roughly.
Clarissa’s
face grew hot, realizing that in her haste to get off him, she’d accidentally
touched places she shouldn’t.
At
least, not without dinner first.
That
last thought made her giggle as he righted her.
“What’s
so funny?” he asked suspiciously.
Clarissa
shook her head. “Nothing.” Like she was going to tell him she’d had a flash of
an image of him like he’d looked this morning as he lay sleeping in bed. His chest
had been bare, rising and falling slowly with each breath. Hair tousled as
though from unseen hands. An arm crooked behind his head had caused his bicep
to flex and made Clarissa’s eyes linger.
Getting
those keys out of his pocket hadn’t exactly been a chore. Langston could be
quite charming…when he was unconscious.
Pushing
the thought aside, Clarissa went to climb inside the sleeping bag.
“Take
your shoes off first,” Langston reminded her. “And your coat.”
“You
have your shoes on,” she argued. “And won’t my coat keep me warmer?”
He
shook his head. “Too many layers and the air can’t circulate. And I have my
shoes on in case someone or something unexpected happens by.”
Clarissa
frowned even as she obeyed. “What are you? A Boy Scout?”
Langston
just looked at her while he took another bite of jerky.
“Really?”
she asked. “You’re kidding.” Though somehow, she wasn’t surprised. His whole
demeanor practically screamed “I play by the rules and do what’s right.”
“Always
be prepared,” he replied. A hint of a smile flashed briefly on his face. “Want
some?” he offered, holding a piece of jerky out to her.
“Um,
yeah, sure.” Clarissa took the jerky and chewed a bite, watching him out of the
corner of her eye. He got a water bottle out of a box and handed it to her
before taking one for himself.
“Why
are you being so nice?” she blurted.
Langston
looked at her strangely. “You’d rather I starve you?”
“No,
I just…never mind,” Clarissa stammered, looking away. She took a drink of
water. He was right. What a bizarre thing to ask him.
Clarissa
tried to see out the windows, but it was impossible. In the woods, far from
civilization, with a storm raging around them, the darkness was impenetrable. All
she could see was her own wavering reflection, which didn’t seem like herself
at all.
Absently,
Clarissa brushed a hand through her hair, watching the stranger in the glass
mirror her movements. It was unsettling, this feeling of being an unknown
entity to herself. And alone. She felt so alone. The only person she knew was the
man beside her, and he
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