Read Online Cursed Hearts (A Crossroads Novel) by Light and Lowell - Free Book Online Page A

Dallas? You’ve pushed me around enough for one night. I think you’re
forgetting that you’re not the only one in this car with leverage.”
    “You’ve
got nothing.” Aria smiled at him slyly. He locked eyes with her, forcing her to
either show her hand, or fold. Her smile widened.
    “Lisa
Baker,” she said softly.
    Dallas
flinched.
    “Fine,”
he mumbled, pulling out onto the road. “But if I see any funny business, I’m
coming back there and laying into you both.”
    “Like
you could fit,” Rome said. It was a wonder Dallas could even fold his tall
frame into the front seat of this compact little car.
    Dallas
sneered at him, pretending to laugh as he flicked on the radio. He was still
pretty anxious, and that near-miss on the highway had only served to make him
an even slower, more cautious driver.
    At
this rate, they wouldn’t make it to school before class tomorrow morning, Rome
thought. Thankfully it didn’t take nearly as long to get back as he might have
feared. And before he knew it, he was stepping out onto the side of the road
just a little ways from the school. His tiny headlights reflected off the
pavement in the dim light, and he sighed at the miniscule Pontiac. “If this
doesn’t work—”
    “It
will,” Aria smiled.
    He
stared at the ground, shaking his head. It better , he thought. Dallas’s
ginormous foot hovered over his car and Rome’s eyes widened comically. He
grabbed at Dallas’s leg, nearly throwing him onto his back to stop him from
crushing his car. “Hey,” he said. “Watch it.”
    “Sorry,”
Dallas laughed. “It’s so small I almost didn’t see it there.”
    “Just
hurry up, before someone drives by.”
    Rome turned his attention back to his vehicle, frowning
as it started to
rattle and shake. “Maybe we should back up,” he said, holding an arm out and
guiding Aria back as Dallas worked to make it life-size again. The sound of
groaning metal grated through the air as the car grew and shrunk in
disproportionate amounts. His back tires were now big enough to belong to a
tractor, and his front end looked like a European sports car.
    “Dallas,”
Rome growled. He couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like Dallas was trying not to
laugh.
    “Stop
fooling around,” Ariahna chastised.
    When
everything seemed right again, Rome finally took a relieved breath. He walked
over to his car, glancing in the window to make sure his things were still
intact. The hub cap fell off near his toes with a clang, and he turned angry
eyes to Dallas.
    “Don’t
blame me. Your car was a piece of crap to begin with.”
    “That’s
right, I forgot,” Rome said. “It’s a tin can, right?”
    Dallas
smirked.
    “One
day, you’re going to flinch when someone says my name.”
    “What
did you need me to do?” Aria asked, interrupting before they got in each
other’s faces again.
    Rome
opened his door, gesturing for her to get behind the wheel. “I just need you to
steer. We’ll do the rest.” She looked apprehensive and he laughed quietly at
that, wrapping her fingers around the wheel as she took a seat. “It’s easy. If
the car starts going to the left, turn to the right. And if it starts rolling
backwards, hit the brake.”
    “Which
one’s the brake?”
    He smiled at her, turning the key to auxiliary before
kneeling down to point at the pedal. “Don’t be afraid to stomp on it,” he
grinned. He leaned across her lap, throwing the car into neutral . It eked back a few inches,
scaring her into slamming on the brakes.
    “I
don’t think I can do this.”
    “You
already are. You’ll be fine.” He circled around to the back of the car, placing
his hands on the bumper beside Dallas.
    “Alright,
let go of the brake,” he shouted.
    “…Are
you sure?”
    “Yes.” The glowing red taillights flickered before finally
going black. “Why
did we start at the bottom of the hill?” Rome complained, taking one slow step
after another.
    “Remind
me again why I’m even helping you?”