Page 25 of Lured By Shadows

Parked neatly in the driveway was a sleek black car, its surface catching the dull morning light. And leaning against it, like a figure cut from a completely different world, stood Culver.

I didn’t bother fixing my hair or checking my reflection again before opening the front door. The crisp morning air hit my skin, but it did nothing to cool the heat crawling up my neck.

“What’re you doing here?” I demanded, my gaze flicking between him and the car, refusing to linger long enough to really take either of them in.

“I came to pick you up,” he replied calmly, as though this were the most natural thing in the world. As though we were friends. As though I hadn’t spent most of the night haunted by the storm he’d stirred up inside me.

I crossed my arms, planting my feet. “And who said you could do that?”

Men really did just wake up and decide things.

“Surely you are not troubled,” he said, a faint smirk tugging at his mouth. “I am already here. You may as well enjoy the ride.”

I didn’t even try to hide the eye-roll this time. “No.”

The word came out blunt, but I was running on too little sleep and too many thoughts.

“You should take him up on his offer,” a voice said from behind me, making me jump.

“Ma?” I turned, startled. “You’re still here?”

She stepped out with a coffee in hand, strolling toward us as though the whole situation wasn’t strange in the slightest. “Yeah. I stayed back a bit today to run a few things through the printer.” Her smile was soft, but there was something knowing in her eyes that made my shoulders tense. “Anyway, I think you should take him up on the offer. If he wants to drive you to and from school, let him. It makes things easier for you, and you won’t get caught out in the rain.”

I tilted my face toward the sky, noticing the dark clouds gathering overhead like bruises.

Still, accepting his offer felt like stepping through a door I wasn’t ready to open, especially with people already whispering about me and how out of place I felt. And if I said yes now, would this become a thing?

Would he expect it? Worse, would I?

“I still think walking to school and getting some exercise is better,” I started, clinging to the last shred of control I had left.

“Nonsense,” my ma cut in smoothly. “Go on and take the ride.” She nudged me forward, gentle but firm.

I hesitated, the argument in my head flaring hot against my already flushed cheeks, curiosity and reluctance twisting together until walking away felt impossible. “Fine,” I muttered, lowering my gaze. “You can take me to school, but please don’t make this a habit.”

“Oh, come on now, honey,” she called after me, teasing as though this were nothing more than a harmless push in the right direction. “He’s just trying to be nice. Let him drive you back and forth. This makes up for us not being able to bring your car. Plus, he waited a while out here for you today.”

Great. Fantastic. Now I felt guilty too.

I shot a glance at Culver. He didn’t say anything, just smiled faintly. Mortified, I hurried toward the car, nearly forgetting for a second that the steering wheel was on the opposite side. I buckled up quickly and folded my arms tight, suddenly aware of how small the space felt and how heavily his presence settled into it before he even got in. Outside, Culver and my ma exchanged a few words I couldn’t make out, which only made my anxiety climb higher.

When he finally slid into the driver’s seat, silence settled between us, thick and tense enough to make the air feel heavier somehow. He placed my bag in the back with quiet finality, and whatever fragile hope I’d had of escaping this dissolved completely.

“Thank you for allowing me this, Ira,” he said softly, his voice smooth enough to slide straight beneath my defenses.

“You’re lucky my ma was home to back you up,” I muttered, keeping my eyes fixed on the window. “She’s usually gone by the time I wake up.”

“How are you feeling?” he asked as the engine hummed to life, adjusting the heat as though he already knew I’d be cold.

I ignored the question. “Did you really wait outside for a long time?” The words slipped out, carried by a strange, uncomfortable hope. I tried to hide the warmth creeping across my face.

“Yes,” he said steadily. “But do not let that trouble you. I have plenty of time on my hands. Especially when it comes to you.”

I turned toward him, questioning how easily he admitted it. There was no hesitation or uncertainty. Just calm serenity. I looked away again quickly, unsettled by the warmth gathering low in my chest as the car rolled forward. The heater hummed quietly while another thought drifted through me against my will. I wondered if his skin would still feel cool beneath my fingers today, smooth and unyielding as marble.

“You left your car back in America,” he said suddenly, as though he’d reached into my thoughts and pulled something free.

“Yeah,” I replied. “We couldn’t bring it over. Ma said she’d get me a new one eventually, but I told her it was fine. School’s not far, and I enjoy running… or walking.”