Fragile Little Things ?

14 drive

I use this as my chance to reach to the back of the car for my bag of marshmallows. My hand barely grazes the bag when she snaps her neck to face me. “What are you doing?!”

My brow lifts. “Uh, getting my marshmallows?”

“What?” Focus on the road.”

“Fine. Jesus, woman, you stress me out.” I huff, twisting into my seat and settling both my hands on the wheel. “Get it for me then, will you?”

I catch her rolling her eyes in my periphery, but she reaches back and grabs my bag anyway, the plastic crinkling under her hand.

“I’m gonna have to let go of the wheel to eat those,” I say as she straightens. And then I grin. “Unless you feed them to me.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Why do you like marshmallows so much?”

“Because they’re fucking amazing, that’s why,” I say, reaching out to grab my babies from her evil grasp.

Indie just pulls the bag further out of my reach. “Stop! Focus on the road, Jem, seriously!” I don’t miss the fact that it’s the first time she’s said my name. When I pass her an incredulous look, she sighs. “Fine. I’ll give them to you. If you’re so badly craving your crack supply.”

Before I can ask what exactly she means, she rips the bag open and pulls out a marshmallow, reaching over and shoving it into my slightly ajar mouth. By the time it all sinks in, I’m semi-shocked and semi-turned on, and I only manage two chews before I swallow.

She already has her fingers wrapped around another marshmallow, extended halfway over the console to me. I turn to flash her a grin. “I was kidding about the feed them to me part, you know.”

There’s a furious flush to her cheeks, and she’s about to pull away when I reach over, lightning fast, and close my mouth over the marshmallow. My lips graze her fingers in the slightest, and she freezes for a second, only to resume wrenching away like it burned.

“Mmmm,” I moan obnoxiously as I swallow, just to grate on her nerves.

It works. She deadpans, pulling out another marshmallow, proceeding to unceremoniously shove it into my mouth. “Shut up.”

And because my mouth’s kind of full, I do. Only for a second, though.

I grin. “It’s too late to turn back now.”

Her jaw tightens as she stares at me. “You’re so . . . ugh. I don’t even know why I agreed to come with you.”

She fidgets with the hem of her dress, and I can tell that although she agreed to come on this little road trip, it was more or less an impulsive decision—maybe to prove something to her annoying boyfriend—and she’s on edge about it all.

I tilt my head as a shard of sunlight hazes my vision. “It’s not a bad scene. The crowds are nice, and I’ll find you a nice spot. Right at the front where I can see you. And if something happens to me, and we can’t drive back, I’ll book you a flight.”

Her eyes are wide. “Something might happen to you?”

“No,” I say, too quickly, “I got roughed up a bit because of a rookie. The list’s pretty safe this time.”

Except for Monroe. But she’s clearly anxious, so I don’t mention it. Besides, I know his moves in and out now, and I know how to avoid the little traps he sets. I’m confident that I can take him.

I glance at the time on the dash. It’s almost midday, and I’m starving. “You hungry?”

She shrugs. “Not really.”