anything severe.
The first drop splashed across their window. Damian clicked on the windshield wipers. Within moments, the rain became a deluge. Alexa relaxed back into the warmth of her sweatshirt and listened to the droning voice on the radio.
The car jolted beneath them.
Alexa turned wildly to look at Damian. "What was that? Did we hit something?"
Damian focused on something in his rearview mirror.
Another jolt. The car slowed.
"No. No-no-no," she said as Damian immediately engaged the hazards and pulled to the gravel the side of the road. "This can't be happening."
"It's going to be fine."
"How is it going to be fine?" Alexa asked.
The car rolled to a stop and lurched back on its haunches. Even through the driving rain, she thought she saw smoke escaping past the hood. An acrid burning smell assaulted her nostrils the next instant.
"Because I said so," Damian said curtly. He put the car into park unnecessarily and kicked the door open to let himself out.
When faced with a decision—a little rain or an exploding car—Alexa scrambled after him. Hell if she was going to chance the latter.
"You can't just command things to be fine!" she shouted above the roar of the rain. She followed him to the front of the car, crossing her arms and bowing her head beneath the hood of her sweatshirt. She was soaked through within minutes. Damian didn't appear to fare much better. When he noticed her beside him, he whipped his coat off his shoulders and covered her.
“Probably the alternator,” he yelled over the downpour.
“ This I may write a strongly worded letter about.”
His expression transitioned from kick-the-tires pissed to something in the neighborhood of a scowl.
“A tow could be risky,” he said. “I can’t be sure my phone is secure.”
“I saw a sign back there for the next town. Can’t be more than a mile.”
"Come on." He led her around to the trunk. They bailed out their belongings and started down the road, leaving the car behind. Damian insisted he walk on the highway side, never more than a foot or two away. When Alexa turned to regard the vehicle in the distance, all she saw were the hazards blinking a muted red warning.
No more car-camping, then.
A fleeting wave of regret rolled through her chest.
She wanted to force Damian to take his coat back but knew before opening her mouth that there was no reasoning with the man. He struggled through the rain beside her in a T-shirt and never uttered a word to voice his discomfort. She followed his lead now in more ways than one.
They didn't hike far. The pair turned off on the first divergent road they found and ran for shelter beneath the moldy awning of the No Tell Motel .
Perfect.
While she stood, shivering by their bags, Damian composed himself, running a hand through his hair and straightening his posture before entering the front office. In less than five minutes, he emerged with one keycard.
"Come on. I booked us a single."
"Wh-why a s-single?" Alexa stammered as they crossed the parking lot and paused outside room 235 , the 5 dangling as if it had given up right about the time the motel owners started a tumbleweed collection in the empty swimming pool.
Damian swiped the keycard in the lock. The pad turned green, and they were admitted into one of the smallest rooms she had ever seen. A queen-sized bed sheathed in a dubiously-washed comforter dominated the living space, and a small hallway indicated the probable existence of a shower. She headed straight for the bathroom as Damian pulled the door shut forcefully behind them.
"The Feds will be less likely to track us with one room." There was a tremor in his normally deep and steady voice. “Desk clerk will remember us as a married couple.”
“Married?” she deadpanned.
“On our honeymoon.”
“Wow. Nothing says forever like a stained polyester bedspread and lassoes on the wall.” A hearty guffaw escaped her that must have sounded so privileged and ungrateful. She dialed it
The first drop splashed across their window. Damian clicked on the windshield wipers. Within moments, the rain became a deluge. Alexa relaxed back into the warmth of her sweatshirt and listened to the droning voice on the radio.
The car jolted beneath them.
Alexa turned wildly to look at Damian. "What was that? Did we hit something?"
Damian focused on something in his rearview mirror.
Another jolt. The car slowed.
"No. No-no-no," she said as Damian immediately engaged the hazards and pulled to the gravel the side of the road. "This can't be happening."
"It's going to be fine."
"How is it going to be fine?" Alexa asked.
The car rolled to a stop and lurched back on its haunches. Even through the driving rain, she thought she saw smoke escaping past the hood. An acrid burning smell assaulted her nostrils the next instant.
"Because I said so," Damian said curtly. He put the car into park unnecessarily and kicked the door open to let himself out.
When faced with a decision—a little rain or an exploding car—Alexa scrambled after him. Hell if she was going to chance the latter.
"You can't just command things to be fine!" she shouted above the roar of the rain. She followed him to the front of the car, crossing her arms and bowing her head beneath the hood of her sweatshirt. She was soaked through within minutes. Damian didn't appear to fare much better. When he noticed her beside him, he whipped his coat off his shoulders and covered her.
“Probably the alternator,” he yelled over the downpour.
“ This I may write a strongly worded letter about.”
His expression transitioned from kick-the-tires pissed to something in the neighborhood of a scowl.
“A tow could be risky,” he said. “I can’t be sure my phone is secure.”
“I saw a sign back there for the next town. Can’t be more than a mile.”
"Come on." He led her around to the trunk. They bailed out their belongings and started down the road, leaving the car behind. Damian insisted he walk on the highway side, never more than a foot or two away. When Alexa turned to regard the vehicle in the distance, all she saw were the hazards blinking a muted red warning.
No more car-camping, then.
A fleeting wave of regret rolled through her chest.
She wanted to force Damian to take his coat back but knew before opening her mouth that there was no reasoning with the man. He struggled through the rain beside her in a T-shirt and never uttered a word to voice his discomfort. She followed his lead now in more ways than one.
They didn't hike far. The pair turned off on the first divergent road they found and ran for shelter beneath the moldy awning of the No Tell Motel .
Perfect.
While she stood, shivering by their bags, Damian composed himself, running a hand through his hair and straightening his posture before entering the front office. In less than five minutes, he emerged with one keycard.
"Come on. I booked us a single."
"Wh-why a s-single?" Alexa stammered as they crossed the parking lot and paused outside room 235 , the 5 dangling as if it had given up right about the time the motel owners started a tumbleweed collection in the empty swimming pool.
Damian swiped the keycard in the lock. The pad turned green, and they were admitted into one of the smallest rooms she had ever seen. A queen-sized bed sheathed in a dubiously-washed comforter dominated the living space, and a small hallway indicated the probable existence of a shower. She headed straight for the bathroom as Damian pulled the door shut forcefully behind them.
"The Feds will be less likely to track us with one room." There was a tremor in his normally deep and steady voice. “Desk clerk will remember us as a married couple.”
“Married?” she deadpanned.
“On our honeymoon.”
“Wow. Nothing says forever like a stained polyester bedspread and lassoes on the wall.” A hearty guffaw escaped her that must have sounded so privileged and ungrateful. She dialed it
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