Hard Bastard(18)

Gage was pretty powerful. I quickly put on a cute pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, fixed up my hair, did some light makeup, and was out the door in ten minutes. I had that excited and nervous feeling in my stomach, and I actually really loved feeling that way again. I hadn’t felt that in a long time.

I looked around the lobby and didn’t see him. It was pretty deserted since it was so late. I went out front and turned right, heading toward the back of the parking lot.

I spotted him right away. He was smirking at me as I approached.

“What do you think?” he asked.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

It was the car. It was the exact car that we used to drive around in back in the day. It was a little older, a little more beat up, but it was still in great shape despite ten years having passed since I last saw it.

“I can’t believe it,” I said.

“She’s still a beauty. Still runs great.”

“I didn’t believe you when you said you still had it. I thought you were messing with me.”

“I could never joke about this.” He grinned huge at me. “Want a ride?”

I bit my lip and nodded. “Yeah.”

“Get in.”

I walked around to the passenger side and got in. He started the engine and we pulled out. I laughed, looking around.

“It’s so familiar,” I said. “Seriously, I can’t believe it.”

“I know. I haven’t been driving it much in the last few years but it feels like coming home.”

I smiled at him, and I had to admit to myself that I was impressed. We pulled out onto the highway and quickly sped away from Ashertown, following the old familiar route. The moon was big in the sky, almost full, and I looked up at the stars as the wind whipped down my body.

We used to drive this way when we were teenagers together. We’d head out of town and into the forests around Ashertown, going absolutely nowhere. We wanted to find places where nobody else went because it felt good to be the only two people around. We could do whatever we wanted and nobody could stop us. There was no pressure to do something or be something out in the forest, there was just the two of us.

I remembered that feeling. I could feel it all over again. We were running away from the world, doing something stupid and reckless and bad, something that felt good. I should have been back home safely in bed ready to go be a good girl the next day, but instead I was out with a dangerous boy from my past.

I couldn’t help but watch him as we drove. His face was so handsome and intense, but I realized that I didn’t know too much about him. I didn’t know what he did for a living or how he spent his time these days. I thought I should be worried about that, but I couldn’t make myself care, not in that moment.

I just felt too wild and free. Gage brought that out of me and I never thought I would feel that way again. I was a serious lawyer handling serious cases, and I couldn’t let myself do dumb things anymore or else risk hurting my career.

But there I was, driving in a car with a boy I knew I shouldn’t be anywhere near. Instead of sleeping or prepping more for work, I was out for a joy ride.

After ten minutes of winding roads, I noticed that I didn’t know where we were. “Where are you taking me?” I asked him over the wind.

“A new spot. I think you’ll like it.”

I thought about arguing, but I decided against it. I was doing something wild and stupid, so I should just embrace the moment, I figured. I leaned back and watched the trees flash by as we drove deeper into the woods, getting further away from Ashertown.

There were no other cars on the road as he slowed down. He pulled off the paved path and down a bumpy side road.

“Okay, what is this?” I asked him, laughing. “Are we going to get stuck?”

He grinned. “Trust me. We’re fine. It’s just a little bit further.”

We drove on for another few minutes. I felt nervous, but I was excited, too. Finally, the dirt road ended and the car pulled out into a clearing.

“Wow,” I said.

“I know, right?”

Just ahead, a large gorged opened up in the earth. It was probably an old mine or something like that. Down in the middle of the cut in the earth was a lake that sparkled in the moonlight like it was filled with diamonds.

“Why is the water so gorgeous?” I asked him

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I think it’s from all the minerals in the water. The moonlight reflects off them.”

I nodded. “It’s really gorgeous.”

“They used to mine for shit back here years ago. I found it a few months back when I was out exploring.”

“You explore a lot?”

“Sometimes. I still go for drives when I need to think or some shit like that.”