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“It’s fine,” I say

Really, I’m a bit worried It’s already seven o’clock as it is; what a to do if I have to stay too late at his place? The buses don’t run indefinitely and it’s a long bus ride as it is

Don’t worry, worse coht, a taunting little voice in my head says

A shiver eats away at me No It won’t come to that It can’t

The errands don’t take too long It’s al Winston in the cart up and down the aisles while Clayton picks up what he needs

Once we finally ah it’s definitely late, the sky outside is dark No sooner have we pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road, then does Winston almost immediately fall asleep beside me

“Co the seat beside him

“Ok, just pull over and I’ll come around up there,” I reply

He shoots me an utterly uni of the century

“You really think I can’t steer the car properly enough for the next ten seconds for you to be able to climb up here safely?”

When I don’t immediately respond, he adds, “trust me”

That’s just the problem I don’t trust him, and I certainly don’t trust myself Nevertheless, ood excuse not to

Once I’ve sat beside him, Clayton aims a smile my way

“See, that wasn’t so bad—”

The next word is smacked out of his lips as he hurtles the car to the side to avoid hitting the suddenly stopped van ahead of us Our car shoots over two lanes before settling on the road shoulder

Meanwhile, the navy blue van, which stopped for seeency flashers on

It takesis that I’m terrified

Clayton puts his hand on top ofa shiver to join the shakes

“You okay?”

He says it to me while he cranes his head back at Winston, who is still obliviously asleep

“Shit, that was close,” he says, his brow furrowing, “just a few uilt “I’m an idiot I could’ve killed all of us”

I place my hand on top of his

“But you didn’t You reacted just in time”

His hand under htly balled as if he didn’t hear me