Free A Whisper To A Scream by S.B. Addison Books

supposed to be giving you a
tour aren’t I?”
    “I didn’t come because I wanted a damn tour.
I came because I wanted to get to know you.” No. This is not
happening. I wrap my fingers around the wheel and jerk it to the
right. He yanks my hand off the wheel. “Are you crazy?” He raises
his voice. “What the hell are you doing?”
    “Take me home,” I demand. “This tour is
over.” Something about the way Adam said he wanted to ‘get to know
me’ doesn’t feel right. A bout of nausea waves over me. I need to
get away from him. I need to get out of this car.
    A hysterical laugh vibrates in Adam’s throat.
“I’m driving. This tour is over when I say it’s over.”
    “I’d rather be dead than be in this car with
you.”
    “That can be arranged,” he says icily.
    I crack my knuckles. Breaths leave my throat
short and raspy. I’m flushed and on the verge of freaking out. “If
you don’t take me home right now, I promise you. I will jump from
this car.”
    A deep booming laugh fills the confined
space. “No you won’t.”
    Up ahead, a bright red stop sign fills my
gaze. Oh, this boy doesn’t know me at all. A second later Adam
takes his foot off the gas pedal. In a flash, I undo my seatbelt,
open the door, and jump from the car.
    I roll several times on the ground and scuff
my hands on the blacktop, but other than that, I’m okay. Adam’s
tires screech and skid as the car slides to a stop just before the
road sign. I start walking. I don’t want to give him the
opportunity to confront me.
    But, he’s quick, too quick. A minute after I
start walking, he’s right next to me keeping up with me stride for
stride. He grips my elbow and whips me around, facing him. “You
could have killed yourself!” he shrieks, enraged. “Do you have a
death wish?”
    I grit my teeth and tug on his fingers. “Let
go of me!”
    He tightens his grip around my arm. “No.”
    “Let go!” I scream. “You’re hurting me!”
    He grips my free arm and pulls me close. So
close that I can taste his breath. A pleasant mix of coffee and
spearmint gum. His eyes burn into mine. Scorching. Smoldering. But
emotionless. There’s nothing behind them and the absent emotion
excites me and frightens me at the same time. “Please let go,” I
plead. “Please.” I feel like he’s examining me again. Or maybe he’s
searching for something. A spark for him that clearly isn’t
there.
    “You owe me,” he says, thoughtfully. He’s
confusing me. One second he’s furious, the next he’s calm. A light
switch flickering on and off. On and off.
    “Owe you? I don’t owe anything.” I try my
best to keep my voice level because every other part of me is
shaking. “Adam, I don’t like you like that.” More than anything,
I’m trying to convince myself that those feelings don’t exist.
    Shortly after I tell him that, he releases my
right wrist and twirls his fingers through my hair. “You do
something to me.” He’s mesmerized. And I’m terrified of him. Of my
feelings. Of being vulnerable. “I haven’t figured out what that
something is yet,” he tells me. “But I will.”
    The brush of his fingers sends a volt of
electricity through me. My hands twitch. My insides spark. And what
Adam does next startles me. He kisses me. He kisses me roughly and
hungrily. The kiss startles me so much; I pull out of it, whip my
free hand back and slap him across the face.
    Adam staggers backward, seizing his jaw. His
bulging eyes switch from my hand to my face. His mouth hangs open.
His fingers massage the fresh red welt on his jawline. I’m not sure
what to do. My heart plummets from my chest to my stomach. My
throat is coated with saliva so thick, I’m not sure I can
apologize. I swallow hard and open my mouth to speak, but a forced
grunt comes out instead. Finally, I say, “I’m sorry I hit you.” It
comes out shaky and insincere. And I do the only thing I can to
avoid the situation. I turn away from him and run down