51
The car hummed softly, the road stretching out beneath us like a never-ending ribbon, and for the first time in hours, I felt a strange sense of relief. The frantic rush, the fear of being caught—it all seemed to fade into the background as exhaustion overtook me. My head swayed between the left and right as I leaned against the seat, sleep tugging at me like an invisible force. Dominic and the man in the front seat, Bunny—an oddly fitting name for someone so intimidating—were deep in conversation.
I fought to keep my eyes open, to hold onto the last thread of consciousness, but the darkness was overwhelming. As I slipped into a drowsy state, my head fell forward, reluctant to rest on Dominic’s shoulder after all the distance I’d kept between us. But the weariness won, and I caught fragments of their conversation.
Bunny’s voice, low and rough, broke through the fog. "So, what’s the deal, Dom? Haven’t heard from you in years. Thought you’d disappeared off the map for good."
Dominic’s response was just a grunt, followed by an uncomfortable silence that stretched long enough for Bunny to shift in his seat.
Bunny didn’t press, but instead, the words that came next had a heavier weight to them. “Adeline’s been waiting, you know? Since you vanished. She doesn’t talk about it much, but it’s obvious. She doesn’t let go, not like that.”
Who was that? Adeline. Bunny paused, I waited patriently for his voice to return. “Is this the Eleanor?”
"Yeah... that’s her," Dominic replied with an awkward chuckle.
My heart twisted at the sound of his voice, but I couldn’t gather the energy to question it, to demand answers. My body felt like lead, sinking into the seat with each passing second.
There was another long pause before Bunny spoke again, quieter this time, almost hesitant. "I heard the news. Fugitves, uh?”
Dominic didn’t respond immediately but when he did, it was just an incoherent mumble. Nothing was mentioned afterwards. Throughout the car ride, I caught no more words. And in what felt like forever, the car skidded to a stop, lurching me forward. Before I could fall to the front, Dominic’s arm was there to grab me. I pulled away instantly, rubbing my fists into my eyes, whipping my head from left to right to see where we were. I wiped drool pooled at the corner of my mouth and down my jawline with the back of my hand, before turning to look at Dominic.
Lights, wherever it was from, filtered into the vehicle enough for me to see his features. He had a small smile tugging the corner of his lips.
“What?” I tried to bark but my voice came out a little too hoarse to even be called a whisper.
Dominic’s smile didn’t immediately vanish, Instead, it widened, I could tell he was trying to stop himself from laughing or from throwing a snarky comment. My mouth moved, face wrinkling with disgust. “I’ll strangle you.”
Dominic’s small, smug smile turned into a full-blown grin, the kind that made him look annoyingly charming. “You’ve got a little something—” he gestured vaguely at his own chin, his dark blue eyes glinting with mischief.
I frowned, my hand darting to my face, swiping at my jaw and wiping harder than necessary. “Where?” I demanded, my voice still raspy but sharp enough to cut through his nonsense.
“Oh, you got it,” he said, casually leaning back, clearly enjoying himself. But the way his lips twitched told me he was holding back laughter. “Except, maybe a little more... right there.” He pointed just off to the side.
I wiped again, more aggressively this time, my frustration bubbling over. “You’re such a—”
“Careful,” he interrupted, smirking. “Drooling on yourself and now threatening me? That’s two strikes, Eleanor.”
“You’re two seconds away from me breaking your nose,” I shot back, but the way my voice cracked ruined the threat. I could feel my face heating up, and I knew I probably looked as mortified as I felt.
Dominic leaned in, his grin turning cocky. “You sure you want to do that? Might be hard to explain to Bunny why I look like I got into a fight with a rabid kitten.”
I snapped my head toward him, glaring. “A kitten? Really? That’s the best you’ve got?”
He shrugged, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Hey, you’re the one doing the whole hiss-and-swipe routine right now.”
“I will actually strangle you,” I growled, my fists balling up, but the way his laughter spilled out, loud and unrestrained, made me hesitate.
“You’re adorable when you’re angry, you know that?” he said between chuckles.
I groaned, slumping back into my seat, muttering under my breath. “I’m not adorable. I’m furious.”
“Oh, absolutely terrifying,” Dominic agreed, though the teasing lilt in his voice betrayed him. “Honestly, I’m shaking in my boots over here.”
“Dominic!” I snapped, my voice rising, though it cracked halfway through, much to my dismay.
He held up his hands in mock surrender, biting back another laugh. “Alright, alright! I’ll stop. But for the record...” His grin softened, his tone dropping into something far too sincere for my liking. “You’re kinda cute when you’re all riled up.”
I turned away, fuming silently, my lips pressing into a tight line as I stared out the window. But I could still feel his eyes on me, and when I peeked out of the corner of mine, that stupid grin was still there.
“Seriously, Eleanor,” he added, leaning closer. “You’re the highlight of my night.”
I reached out and swatted at him, and though he dodged with a laugh, the heat rising to my cheeks betrayed me. “Keep talking,” I muttered, “and you’ll be the highlight of a trip to the ER.”
But as much as I hated to admit it, the sound of his laugh wasn’t entirely unwelcome.
As I reached for the car door handle, my fingers fumbled with the unfamiliar mechanism. I was exhausted beyond comprehension. Dominic, of course, had to chime in as I struggled.
“You know,” he said casually, leaning against the seat, “you’re not just the highlight of my night. You’re probably the highlight of my whole week.”
I froze, the handle slipping from my grasp. Slowly, I spun to face him, my face burning with so much anger. “Are you serious right now?” I hissed, angry, fuming.
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