Page 19 of Hide From Me

“Careful. I might.” I turn my head and chomp my teeth just to emphasize how enticing he makes the idea sound.

The laugh he lets out feels genuine, rattling against my back. With a firm smack to my arse he urges me around the vehicle.

“Do you just want me to have control in bed or all the time?”

I turn on my heel, my eyes narrowing. “What do you want?”

“You.” He hums so casually it makes my stomach somersault.It’s just another one of his games.At least that’s what I’ll continue to tell myself to keep my heart safe.

“Just do what you feel is right at the moment, and I’ll let you know if I don’t like it.”

“Raylen.”

The way he says my name in that deep timber has me freezing in my tracks, my hand hovering over my car door handle.

“Get your stuff. Get in my car. I’ll take care of this heap in the morning. You’re soaked, and it’s late. I’m not fighting with you.”

My lips part to argue or protest, yet this is what I asked for, isn’t it? I wish I could stop my shoulders from instantly relaxing, but they sag in their own accord, and I follow the command like I was hardwired to do so.

After gathering my things, I hover by my car door, sending a side-eyed glance in his direction, but he doesn’t say anything. With a nod of his head, I turn towards his Mercedes. I hate the idea of slipping into such a sleek vehicle like this, but my limbs are numb, and the adrenaline is finally wearing off, letting the cold seep into my bones.

“In.” To my surprise, he opens my door and doesn’t stop there as he leans in to pull my seatbelt over my chest. Typically, I'd flinch at such a close proximity motion, but with his face so close, I can make out the light freckles that hardly seem noticeable in the daylight along his nose.

He’s pretty, not in a cute way, like his jokes or boyish charm, but in a rugged way that is hard to notice if you only know his personality.

“You’re staring.” He points out, and I quickly look away with the click of the buckle. I’m glad he doesn’t push any further because the genuine smile that crosses his features makes me want to punch him in his pretty face.

“And you're smiling,” I say quietly.

Before the car door can shut, our eyes lock, and he gives me another one of those charming grins that crinkle his eyes.

“I am.”

Five

Moe

11-03-2025

Daddy D'sShop

The moment I step into the mechanic’s office, the sharp scent of oil and old metal slaps me in the face like a memory I can’t shake. It’s the kind of place that never changes, with a counter permanently stained by grease and calendars from five years ago still pinned to the wall like no one had the heart—or energy—to keep track of time. David, the mechanic I tolerate more than most, leans on the service desk with a smug expression that already irritates me.

“Alright, mate. A fresh battery and a full service repair will cost £520,” David says from behind the counter, already rubbing the grease into his palms like it’ll justify the price hike.

Yeah, yeah. I already know this scam. He charges me extra every time I come in, but I let him get away with it. It’s worth it—he’s the best in town. At least now, I’ll know she’s getting around safer than she was. Look at me, being such a good boyfriend.

“Where’d the Mercedes go?” David asks, his eyes flicking behind me as if it might roll into the bay on its own.

“Still have it,” I answer shortly, reaching into my jacket and pulling out a clip. I thumb an extra twenty off the top and slide it across the counter without a word. It’s not a bribe, not really—it’s insurance. I want him to double and triple-check everything.

“So, whose car is it?” he presses, and this time, I look up. Briefly. Enough to make him shut up.

“My girlfriend's.”

David barks a laugh, catching the hint. “I’ll triple-check it for free, then.”

I roll my eyes, ignoring the grin tugging at the edge of my mouth as he disappears behind the rusted swinging door. I don’t know what bothers me more—the fact that he says ‘for free’ and yet still takes off with the tip, or the fact that I haven’t seenhersince that night. It’s been two weeks. Two weeks of silence, of her refusing to see me. She says it’s about the car. She wants it back before anything else. Maybe that’s true, but I’ve spent enough time in the dark with her words echoing in my skull to know she’s lying.

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