Page 53 of When Fate Breaks
“Two scratch-off tickets please,” Blake answers right away. The girl’s red eyebrows raise and, despite my earlier trash talk, I suddenly feel a wave of nerves. Her eyes shift from Blake to me and back to him.
“Which kind?” she asks.
Blake leans forward, laying on a level of charm I didn’t know he was capable of. “Surprise me,” he says. I’m almost positive he winks at her.
What the hell?
I must be right because the girl plasters a huge grin on her face, blowing another bubble as she reaches under the counter. She slaps two bright green tickets on the counter and turns toward the register, pressing a few buttons to ring us up.
“And a pack of cigarettes,” Blake adds suddenly with firm confidence. I feel my mouth fall open.
She surveys him for an extra moment before she responds this time. “Which kind?,” she asks again, narrowing her eyes just slightly.
“Surprise me,” Blake replies again, grinning as he pulls out his wallet and hands over a wad of bills. When she doesn’t react right away, his lips pull up further at one side, his smile widening to its fullest extent. “It's the dealer's choice tonight,” he shrugs. I swear his eyes damn near sparkle as his singular cheek dimple that so rarely comes out goes fully on display. The girl tilts her head, her eyes trailing up and down Blake’s figure once, causing a feeling I don’t like to appear deep in my chest.
“Mmm…” she hums, her lips pursing as reaches behind her to grab a pack of cigarettes from the wall, plopping them into the bag.
Once the girl has grabbed the cash from Blake and before she has any more time to think or question us, Blake snatches the bag and barrels for the door. “Keep the change,” he calls over his shoulder.
“Thank you,” I blurt without looking at the girl as I spin on my heel and follow after him.
Blake already has the truck started when I jump inside.
“What the hell was that?” I say, bewildered.
Blake puts his hand on my seat’s head rest, turning to look behind us as he backs the truck out of the spot. Once he’s back in drive, he meets my gaze. “You said you wanted more. I gave you more,” he says with a smirk, tossing the plastic bag from his lap to me.
I feel a smile spread across my face. “Well, color me impressed.” I pull the tickets and cardboard box of cigarettes out of the bag, a thought suddenly hitting me. “Did you go to that gas station on purpose? Knowing she wouldn’t ID you?”
“Now, what would make you ask that, Evangeline?” He turns into the parking lot of a closed business just up the road, finding the closest spot and putting the truck back in park.
“I don’t know. Maybe the fact that we passed three perfectly decent gas stations before getting to that sketch fest. And maybe the way that cashier was batting her eyes at you so hard I thought she was going to accidentally choke on her gum,” I say.
“I’m sensing jealousy.”
I pause at my attempt to pry open the cigarette box, my cheeks heating. “I wasn’t jealous.”
“It’s okay. Not everybody has my natural charisma and undeniability,” Blake says.
Oh. Jealous ofthat.
“You wish,” I say, rolling my eyes as I fish a coin from one of the cupholders. “Mind if I start?” I ask, holding up one of the scratch-off tickets.
“Go ahead,” Blake says, reaching across me to open the glove box, grazing my thigh in the process and sending an odd shiver through me. He digs through it for a few moments until he finds a lighter and then grabs the cigarette box from my lap. “Do mine, too,” he adds, ripping the box fully open with his teeth and dumping one out into his hand.
“You don’t want the full experience?” I ask, raising my brows.
“Nah, it’s okay,” he confirms, bringing the cigarette to his lips and lighting it easily, the end turning a bright cherry red color as he slowly inhales. I pause my scratching, watching the various emotions flickering over his face all at once. After a few seconds, he blows out a steady breath, creating a large cloud of smoke.
I waft it away with my hand, the pungent smell overpowering all of my senses. “I guess it’s probably a good idea. We know good luck doesn’t exactly run in your blood when it comes to gambling,” I joke, referring to Kyle’s lottery success rate.
Blake takes another drag from the cigarette, this one much smaller than the last time. “Want to try?” he asks.
“Well, I suppose we must follow through on the law breaking,” I say. I start to reach for the box, but Blake beats me to it, plucking a fresh one from it. I lift my hand up to grab it from him, but he settles the cigarette straight into my lips. My brows raise, hands scrabbling for the lighter.
“I got it,” Blake says, flicking the flame to life and leaning in entirely closer than necessary to light the end of the stick. My gaze focuses in on his face, his eyes intent on the cigarette, the reflection of the flame dancing within them. His tongue pokes out of the corner of his mouth as a crease sets between his brows. Time slows down as his eyes flick to meet mine.
“Evangeline?”
