Page 66 of The Way Back Home

I feel his eyes on me suddenly. A shift in the air that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

“So,” Ryowoon starts. “You’re not wearing a ring.”

I almost turn to look at him but stop myself at the last second. My brow furrows as I keep my gaze fixed ahead. “What?”

“You’re not wearing a ring,” he repeats, shifting in his seat. “You not married?”

My hands tighten on the steering wheel. I make my voice flat and emotionless when I answer. “Did you think I would be?”

I hear rather than see him shrug. “Well, you were the relationship guy.”

My teeth grind together.

I don’t return the question. I don’t want to know, I tell myself firmly. I don’t care.

But that’s a lie. I do want to know. I just don’t want to hear the answer.

Ryowoon blows out a long breath, shifts around in his seat again. My eyes dart to him as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his pack of cigarettes and lighter, puts one between his teeth. He flicks the lighter as he says, “You don’t mind if I smoke in here, do you?”

But he’s already lighting it.

“Yes, I do mind,” I growl.

Ryowoon takes a drag, exhaling slowly. “Why? It’s not like you’re going to get secondhand smoke or anything.” He snorts.

“No,” I snap. Then I reach over, snatch the cigarette from between his lips in one quick motion, roll down the window with my other hand, and toss it out. The whole thing takes maybe three seconds. “But I don’t need my dog getting it.”

Ryowoon exhales hard through his nose, glaring at me. “I’m going to fucking strangle you. It’s a four-hour drive, for crying out loud.”

“They’re going to have rest stops,” I shoot back.

“Fucking hell.” He runs an agitated hand through his hair, making it stick up. He glances at me again, his jaw working. “How the hell did you find me, anyway?”

“One of your neighbors recognized you from a picture.”

Ryowoon sputters. “Neighbor? I don’t know any of my neighbors. What picture?”

I explain briefly about the forum, keeping my eyes on the road. When I finish, Ryowoon snorts and runs a hand through his hair again.

“Damn. Well, that’s what I get for being too nice.”

“I don’t think that’s ever been a problem in your life,” I mutter.

He scoffs. “Well, I should’ve known better, I guess. Never could outsmart you when you put your mind to something.”

“That was a last resort.” I can’t keep the bitterness out of my voice. “After I’d basically exhausted myself running around the whole southern tip of the country.”

I turn to shoot him a glare, taking my eyes off the road for just a second. “You owe me weeks of my life I’ll never get back searching for you.”

I face forward again, my throat tight. “I even called in a favor with a friend to search criminal records.”

“Criminal records?” Ryowoon’s voice rises. “Fuck, Seyeon, what the hell do you think I’ve been doing?”

“How the fuck should I know?” I say hotly. “I don’t know shit about you now.”

The anger feels good. Better than the hurt underneath.

I grip the steering wheel tighter, my voice dropping. “Was it such a stretch for me to think you might’ve done what you always did? Bend the rules to get by?”