Page 119 of Falling Backwards
He probably doesn’t,I think in a grumble.
Maybe he does, though,another part of me allows.
“I’m not going too fast,” he adds, “or texting or messing with the radio or anything else dangerous.”
True again—and not only regarding tonight, I guess, since I’ve noted before that he isn’t a reckless driver in general.Therewasthat one time in my apartment’s lot that upset me, and he actually did get pulled over not long ago for not fully stopping at a stop sign, but….It’s just such a pet peeve of mine that he won’t use his turn signals.There’s literally no harm in using them.
But after the evening I’ve had, I can’t seem to decide between trying harder to convince him of my rightness and trying to convince myself that it’s not truly a battle worth fighting.So I change the subject.
“Okay, well, what’s the thing you were gonna tell me about Dan?Ornotabout Dan, since you said he just got you thinking earlier.”
Luke is quiet for a few moments.Then he huffs out a laugh that sounds only somewhat amused.Then he’s quiet again.
While he figures out what he wants to say, I let my gaze settle on his hands.They’re both on the steering wheel in a way that looks calmly confident—a perfect match for what he was saying about not being an irresponsible driver.And they’re…nice.They’re nice to look at.There’s an obvious strength about them.A strength I’vefelta few times.
I can’t help wondering what it’d feel like to have one of them sliding intomypocket the next time I wear pants that aren’t leggings.
It doesn’t stay a wonder for long, though; it quickly becomes an imagining so clear my breath catches.He’d be calmly confident in that action, too, I’m sure, and I’d feel sofeminineespecially if it were my back pocket, and also because his hand would be all masculine and probably too big since girl pants pockets are always—
“I got written up earlier ’cause I called your ex a jackass to his face.”
My eyes fly wide from shock and having my thoughts interrupted.
I whirl a look to him.“What?”
It’s mostly dark in here, but I still catch his slow nod in the streetlights we’re passing.
“What happened?Why would you do that?”
Once again, he doesn’t speak right away.
I can’t seem to quit talking, though.
“You gotwritten up, Luke?Like, formally?And it was because you cussed at a customer—youinsulteda customer—and of all the random people it could’ve been, it was Marcus?”I scoff.“Oh my Lord, there I was not long ago, telling you not to cuss where guests could hear, and you’ve gone a step further than thaton purpose.”
“Well, he insulted you first.”
My heart leaps into my throat and my mouth snaps shut.
My brain replays that sentence, and again.
Luke did it because…Marcus said something mean about me?
“I’ll tell you what happened if you want me to,” he goes on.“Tell you what he said.It’ll probably upset you, though.It upset me.And I told him to apologize, but he wouldn’t, so yeah, I called him an insufferable jackass and happily accepted my write-up for it.”
My pulse is so fluttery, it’s like my veins are trying to fly out of me.
I don’t know if I’m more embarrassed that Marcus was talking about me behind my back or moved that Luke didn’t put up with it.
I swallow at the strange feeling rising in my throat.“Youhappilyaccepted your write-up.”
“Yeah, fuck that dude.He deserved way worse than what I said, honestly.”
Moved.
I’m more moved than embarrassed.
So much so that I don’t know what else to respond with.
