Page 12 of Love You From Afar

Dammit.Of all days, why did he have to go with the sexy lumberjack look today?

If someone were to ask me to admit my greatest weakness, it would be this.

He’s wearing a gray hoodie, paired with a forest green flannel layered on top.Fuck, the hoodie and flannel combo will always be hot no matter what. His long legs are clad in a pair of dark jeans and his left hand casually rests against the steering wheel. His dark stubble has grown out long enough to perfectly frame his face, but short enough to not look scrappy. My wandering eyes finally roam up to his beautiful, honey-brown hair. The thick locks rest right above his ears, looking messy but perfect all at the same time. My fingers tremble, itching to know if the intricate strands still feel as soft as they look.

Working in finance, I’m so used to being around polished men. Men wearing thousand-dollar suits, fancy wristwatches, shiny loafers, with slicked-backed hair and clean-shaven faces. There’s just something so rugged about Everett’s style. Something that has my heart doing somersaults in my chest.

“You can take a picture if you want, it’ll last longer,” he adds with a smirk, snapping me out of my trance.

“Sorry, I just can’t believe you already have so many gray hairs,” I lie, arching a brow as I stare up at his flawless head of hair. “How old are you now?” I smirk back at him.

“You’re lying through your teeth. You’re just jealous that even at thirty-five years old, I have better hair than you.” He clicks his tongue, flashing me a cocky wink.

Dear Lord.Please don’t wink at me again.

“Ten years older than me… Damn, you reallyareold,” I recover, hoping the heat searing beneath my cheeks isn’t showing.

“I may be a decade older than you, but at least I can still hold my bladder,” he retorts. His lips turn up in a mocking grin as he drops his gaze to my knees, bouncing up and down like a basketball. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you to use the bathroombeforea road trip?”

I wish I could smack that stupid, heart-melting grin off his face.

“We left over two hours ago,” I huff, giving him my best eye roll.

“Do we need to stop off on the side of the road? I keep a roll of toilet paper in the back just in case of emergencies.” His face is turning a dark shade of pink now, his lips pressed together in a hard line. He thinks this is funny. The asshole is trying his best not to burst out laughing.

“I’m glad I can humor you,” I reply, tossing him the middle finger.

“You sure you don’t need me to stop? We’ve passed plenty of trees.” Lines form in the corner of his eyes as he finally breaks, a pearly white smile stretching across his face.

Slowly, so slowly, I turn my head to gape at him. I narrow my eyes to little slits, giving him my best death glare. My stare obviously doesn't faze him because he throws his head back and laughs.He’s fucking laughing, meanwhile, I’m about to piss my pants.

“I’ll take that as a no?” He chuckles, his shoulders shaking up and down as his chest rattles. I try not to focus on the way his Adam’s apple vibrates with each laugh. I try to ignore the flippy feeling in my chest at the sight of him looking so carefree.

I hate him. I really hate him.Why does he have to have such a pretty smile? Such a contagious laugh.

“You’re disgusting,” I sneer, unlocking my phone and tapping on the Maps app. I type in “gas stations near me” in the search bar, hoping to God that there’s at least one within the next fifty miles. I exhale a relieved sigh when one single gas station pops up on the screen.

“The GPS says there’s a gas station twenty minutes up the road. We’re stopping there,” I say sharply.

“Okay,” Everett shrugs, “but I’m going to have to charge you extra for the unnecessary stop.” The corner of his lips turn up in a smug smile.

“Can you do me a favor?”Please shut the hell up.I cross my legs, trying to fight off the imaginary boulder pushing against my bladder.

“I thought I already was.” With one hand on the steering wheel, he gestures the other towards the open road.

Here we go again.

“For the last time, I did not ask to ride with you,” I snap. “As a matter of fact,youare the last person on the planet I would choose to go on a road trip with. So please, just shut the hell up and get me to the nearest gas station.”

The heavy weight crushing my bladder all but vanishes as I watch his face fall.

I wish I wasn't looking at him because his reaction to my jab makes me feel like shit. I instantly wish I could take it back. He winces as if my words physically pained him. His ocean eyes leave mine, returning to the open road as his beautiful smile fades away.

“Not a problem,” he replies in a hushed tone, so light I almost don’t hear it. He turns the radio back up, and we resume our deafening silence that not even music can drown out.

* * *

The streamof warm water feels like heaven against my cold skin as I wash my hands before reaching for a paper towel. Thank God we made it to the gas station when we did, or else I honestly might’ve had to take Everett up on his offer. I internally cringe at just the thought of pissing behind a tree on the side of the road.I would rather die. Just bury me on the side of the highway, because I would never come back from that.

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