Page 4 of Luka

“I’m Jennifer,” I lie, taking a brief glance at the cleavage spilling from her top. More bright pink covers the curve of her breasts.

What does her father think of this?

“Yeah, no you’re not, but that’s okay.”

I clear my throat, my tongue shifting. It has the taste and texture of a dehydrated fish. I eye the water bottle in the cup holder.

“W-would it be all right if I had a drink?” I ask, gesturing to the bottle.

Piper shrugs. “Go for it.”

I carefully pick it up and twist off the cap. Without pressing my lips to the lid, I pour a modest amount of water into my mouth and hold back my moan. My hands wrap the bottle a smidge too tightly, making it crinkle, and when I bring it back down, my hand is shaking from restraint.

Piper’s head turns my way. “You can have the rest if you want.”

“Oh, really?” I squeak. “Are—are you sure?”

When she gives me a sly smile, I carefully pick up the bottle again and try not to embarrass myself as I chug the rest of the water. As the bottle empties, I hold in a whine, my tongue licking around the rim before I pull it away and set it down.

“Thank you.” Wiping water from the corners of my lips, I lock onto a shiny roll of photos tucked into the adjacent cup holder. Only one photo is visible, but when I spot it, I don’t need to see the rest.

Ultrasound pictures.

Piper notices me staring and quickly stashes the roll in her center console. “Don’t worry about those.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to pry.”

She curves the car onto a road that leads us upward, the first hill I’ve seen in hours. I think she’ll say something else about the photos, but when she doesn’t, a tension in the car grows. I can’t help but glance at her flat stomach.

She must be newly pregnant. And not happy about it?

I spot a gas station up ahead and let out a sigh of relief. We’ve been driving for more than ten minutes, so it’ll take me hours to walk back to the truck with the supplies, less if I can find another person to give me a ride.

When Piper passes the station, her eyes staring down at her phone as she types away, I point and make a small sound of protest. “Oh, um, actually?—”

“Can I give you another piece of advice?” Piper asks.

My mouth opens to point out the gas station we just missed, but I force myself to close it. I don’t want to be rude.

I twist toward her and wait. She continues typing recklessly, only peeking up at the road on occasion to ensure we aren’t careening off a cliff or veering into the other lane. Every meter of distance the car forces between Mario and me raises my anxiety. Finally, she finishes with her phone and tucks it between her thighs before glancing at me.

“Ditch that boyfriend of yours. He’s bad news, and you can do a hell of a lot better. I could tell that in two seconds through the window of my car.”

My lips sag. “With all due respect, you don’t know either of us. Can you please take me to the gas station back there?” I turn and point behind me. “I think I could probably walk back.”

“We’re at least fifteen miles from your broken-down truck, darlin’. You’re not walking back. And if you knew what was good for you, you wouldn’t go back at all.”

My pulse jumps.

Is she not going to let me out of the car?

“How old are you? Eighteen? Nineteen?” Piper huffs while I try not to panic beside her. “I wasjustlike you. Always falling for the bad boys. They know how to sink their teeth into the vulnerable, but you know what?” She glances at me like she truly wants me to guess. “Life is so much better when you bite back. Trust me on that.”

Sweat beads on my forehead while I nod like what Piper’s saying is reasonable. But I can’t make sense of it. All I really hear is her implying she’s learned to bite.

The air freshener becomes overpowering, its fruity scent turning my stomach until I think the water I just cherished might come up.

Mario was right. I need him, if only to calm my anxiety, to provide an extra layer of security over the vulnerability I never left at home. Maybe we shouldn’t have split up.

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