Page 13 of The Enemy Face Off

Unfortunately, there's construction on the side of the road, so the second lane is closed and there's nowhere for me to pull over. At least it's not busy out, and I'm only doing thirty miles an hour.

With one hand firmly on the steering wheel and my eyes glued straight ahead of me, I lean down and try to unfasten the strap on my right shoe at least. The stupid thing is stuck, so I have to fiddle with it.

I attempt to loosen it.

Once. Nothing.

Twice. Ooh, it budges a little.

Thrice. Nope. I lose it.

Darn. I was so close to getting it off.

I glance down for a nanosecond to see what the problem is, and I manage to detach it.

My celebration is short-lived because as soon as I look up, red tail lights fill the windscreen. I slam on the brakes, but it's too late. I nudge the bumper bar of the car stopped in front of me.

"Are you okay?" I ask Amiel.

"Yeah. Fine. Sorry, I should have been looking."

"No.Ishould have been looking. I'm the one driving. This is my fault."

"What do we do now?" Amiel asks, glancing at me nervously.

Before I can answer, the driver's side door of the car in front of us opens.

A man gets out.

A man wearing a beret and with broad shoulders I'd recognize anywhere.

Oh no.

I slink down in my seat.

Of all the people in the world I could have rear-ended, why did it have to be him?

4

Milo

Well isn't this terrific. Just when I thought tonight couldn't get any worse…

As I stride over to the car that hit me, I remind myself to cool it.

It's late.

It's dark.

The road is deserted.

The last thing I want to do is inadvertently scare the driver. My face has the ability to do that, apparently.

An image of Beth flashes in my mind.

I was rude to her tonight.

Even all the layers of makeup she had on couldn't mask the way her expression changed when I charged past her. I didn't mean to snap at her, and I can't even remember what I said exactly, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't nice.

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