Free Scared of Forever (Scared #2) by Jacqueline Abrahams

other nomadic wanderers. And I can tell
that you hate all the concrete. Plus, the other day when I walked you
to work, you scowled every time a taxi honked its horn,” Tyler
says, grinning.
    I do do that. “I can’t believe you noticed,” I say in
true disbelief.
    “I notice more than
you realize,” he says, staring intently at my concealer-covered
jaw.
    We walk back to the
apartment together and part ways to change into drier, more
comfortable clothing. Tyler tells me to meet him in the garage under
the building. I’m ready in fifteen minutes, wait another five for
good measure, and then take the elevator down to the basement level.
Tyler is standing there already, leaning against a khaki colored
jeep, thick mud caking the wheels. The soft top is pulled closed. In
his hands, he holds a big brown bag.
    “If that’s duct
tape and rope—” I begin jokingly, stopping dead in my tracks and
pointing sternly at the bag.
    “Depends,” he
smiles. “Do you want it to be? Does duct tape and rope look like
freshly baked Italian herb loaf, Swiss cheese slices, and macaroons?
Oh, and I may or may not have stuffed the rope into this,” he
quips, holding up a thermos containing what I assume to be coffee.
    “How did you change
and do all that in twenty minutes? And aren’t we going to lunch?”
I ask.
    “We are going to
eat,” Tyler says, feigning seriousness.
    “Just not at an
actual eating establishment, I’m guessing,” I say, somewhat
apprehensively.
    “That’s so
ordinary. Relax, I don’t bite,” he says with a small laugh. “And
I know that’s the line most people in horror movies say right
before they drag their helpless victims into the woods to do away
with them. But I promise, my only intention is to give you a break
from the smog and bright lights.” Tyler offers me an absolutely
angelic and innocent smile.
    His warm eyes silently
attest to the sincerity of his words as he eyes me expectantly. He
walks over to the passenger side of the Jeep and opens the door with
exaggerated grandeur, sweeping a hand across his midline elegantly.
    “That’s a bit of a
lost art,” I say as I climb up the high step into the seat,
thankful that I’d opted for ballet flats and jeans.
    “What is?” Tyler
asks as he hops into the driver’s seat.
    “Gentlemanly
behavior. Chivalry. I don’t know when, if ever, anybody has opened
my door for me,” I say, slightly ashamed that as a woman, I hadn’t
demanded better treatment.
    “Well, strap yourself
in, princess. Today is gonna be a day of amazing first times.”
Tyler shoots me a cheeky grin, before turning the key in the
ignition.
    “Is it too late to
change my mind?” I laugh, playfully grabbing for the door handle.
    “Yup. You’re now my
willing prisoner,” he says solemnly before taking off.
    Tyler drives us
carefully out of the city. The rain clouds that had opened up above
the city seem to be moving in the opposite direction now. The further
away we drive, the clearer the sky becomes, the ratio of blue to grey
skewing more as the road widens from narrow city streets to open
country roads.
    “Where are we going?”
I ask. The drive seems to be infinite.
    “Do you trust me?”
Tyler asks.
    “Should I? I barely
even know you.”
    “Trusting the people
you know can sometimes be even worse than trusting the ones you
don’t,” Tyler says quietly.
    “What does that
mean?” I ask nervously. Does
he mean Blake? Eliza?
    “Forget it,” Tyler
says. “I don’t particularly want to ruin the day by talking about
all that heavy shit. We’re nearly there.”
    “Why are you being so
nice to someone you barely know?” I ask, looking towards Tyler, who
is focusing intently on the road ahead.
    “Do I need a reason
to be a nice guy?” He shoots me with a charming smile. His brow
furrows as he averts his eyes back to the road. “You can tell me if
you’re uncomfortable with any of this. We can go straight back. I’d
understand, I mean, you haven’t known me