Electricity flared in the air as Luke inhaled.
“You know, Logan, you’re not who I expected you to be,” he said, taking a long thought-filled pause. “I thought the next twelve months were going to be hell living with a California socialite, but you’re pretty amazing. I guess I owe you an apology.”
“So, it’s a good thing that I’m nothing like you expected?” I asked.
“It’s a really, really good thing.”
As I started to smile back he craned his neck to look away from me. His eyes focused. Something black flashed across the road but I was more scared by Luke’s reaction. The warmth had vanished from Luke in a heartbeat. The object stopped moving toward us when it got to an opening between the trees. Even though I could feel Luke’s concern, I leaned forward toward the window, curious. It was a wolf – a really big wolf, staring directly at us with bright green eyes. It was close enough I could see quick breaths escape into the crisp rain-drenched air. I was startled when the engine roared to life. Luke threw the car into reverse, and I nearly slammed into the dash as the sound of gravel scattered everywhere. He quickly jockeyed around and pulled back onto the road heading home. I kept my eyes on the wolf until he was no longer in sight.
“Was that a wolf?” I asked. Everything happened so quickly, I had to be sure.
“Yes,” he spit.
“I’ve never seen a wolf before – that thing was huge.”
Luke immediately turned to look at me with an expression that I couldn’t begin to read.
“What’s going on?” I pressed, puzzled.
When he looked toward the road and didn’t answer, I knew my question needed to be more specific to get results.
“Why are you freaking out? It was just a wolf.” I was worried. He had gone from warm and comforting to moody and distant over such a small thing and I second-guessed how quickly I had fallen for him.
“Because I need to get you home, it’s getting late,” he muttered, failing to control his tone.
“That doesn’t make any sense, Luke. I have no curfew and you flaked as soon as you saw the wolf.”
“Wolves are dangerous.”
“We were in the car,” I countered.
“Doesn’t matter.”
And with that, I dropped it. I didn’t know much about wolves, but I knew we were safe in the car and something else was wrong. My father hadn’t wanted me exploring – maybe Luke was on edge he’d taken me out and we’d been gone so long. I wasn’t going to keep asking Luke questions if he was going to be rude.
We didn’t speak the whole ride back to the house. I could tell he was upset, but if he didn’t want to talk, I wasn’t going to ask. As we pulled through the trees in the driveway, I noticed my dad’s truck already parked by the garage. I grabbed my phone off the seat and shoved it into my pocket. We had been gone for over two hours, though it felt like we’d just left the house. Maybe time only flew by when I was around Luke, I concluded. He pulled up to the garage, leaving the car running and got out in the rain to open my door before I even had my seatbelt off.
“Go inside through the garage so you don’t get wet again.”
I stoop up from my seat, my eyes meeting his as the rain dripped between us from the sky. I slowly mouthed, “Thanks,” unsure about his mood swing and not appreciating his sudden curtness.
“You’re welcome,” he smiled, though it seemed forced.
He slammed my door and left me standing there as he walked around the back of his car, climbed inside and backed down the drive. He opened the garage door to the barn and disappeared inside before I finally realized I was getting soaked again. I turned to go inside.
“Where have you been?” my dad scowled as soon as I shut the door behind me.
“I went for a ride with Luke,” I replied pleasantly, trying to shake off my displeasure.
“Logan, what did I tell you before I left?” From his tone, I began
“You know, Logan, you’re not who I expected you to be,” he said, taking a long thought-filled pause. “I thought the next twelve months were going to be hell living with a California socialite, but you’re pretty amazing. I guess I owe you an apology.”
“So, it’s a good thing that I’m nothing like you expected?” I asked.
“It’s a really, really good thing.”
As I started to smile back he craned his neck to look away from me. His eyes focused. Something black flashed across the road but I was more scared by Luke’s reaction. The warmth had vanished from Luke in a heartbeat. The object stopped moving toward us when it got to an opening between the trees. Even though I could feel Luke’s concern, I leaned forward toward the window, curious. It was a wolf – a really big wolf, staring directly at us with bright green eyes. It was close enough I could see quick breaths escape into the crisp rain-drenched air. I was startled when the engine roared to life. Luke threw the car into reverse, and I nearly slammed into the dash as the sound of gravel scattered everywhere. He quickly jockeyed around and pulled back onto the road heading home. I kept my eyes on the wolf until he was no longer in sight.
“Was that a wolf?” I asked. Everything happened so quickly, I had to be sure.
“Yes,” he spit.
“I’ve never seen a wolf before – that thing was huge.”
Luke immediately turned to look at me with an expression that I couldn’t begin to read.
“What’s going on?” I pressed, puzzled.
When he looked toward the road and didn’t answer, I knew my question needed to be more specific to get results.
“Why are you freaking out? It was just a wolf.” I was worried. He had gone from warm and comforting to moody and distant over such a small thing and I second-guessed how quickly I had fallen for him.
“Because I need to get you home, it’s getting late,” he muttered, failing to control his tone.
“That doesn’t make any sense, Luke. I have no curfew and you flaked as soon as you saw the wolf.”
“Wolves are dangerous.”
“We were in the car,” I countered.
“Doesn’t matter.”
And with that, I dropped it. I didn’t know much about wolves, but I knew we were safe in the car and something else was wrong. My father hadn’t wanted me exploring – maybe Luke was on edge he’d taken me out and we’d been gone so long. I wasn’t going to keep asking Luke questions if he was going to be rude.
We didn’t speak the whole ride back to the house. I could tell he was upset, but if he didn’t want to talk, I wasn’t going to ask. As we pulled through the trees in the driveway, I noticed my dad’s truck already parked by the garage. I grabbed my phone off the seat and shoved it into my pocket. We had been gone for over two hours, though it felt like we’d just left the house. Maybe time only flew by when I was around Luke, I concluded. He pulled up to the garage, leaving the car running and got out in the rain to open my door before I even had my seatbelt off.
“Go inside through the garage so you don’t get wet again.”
I stoop up from my seat, my eyes meeting his as the rain dripped between us from the sky. I slowly mouthed, “Thanks,” unsure about his mood swing and not appreciating his sudden curtness.
“You’re welcome,” he smiled, though it seemed forced.
He slammed my door and left me standing there as he walked around the back of his car, climbed inside and backed down the drive. He opened the garage door to the barn and disappeared inside before I finally realized I was getting soaked again. I turned to go inside.
“Where have you been?” my dad scowled as soon as I shut the door behind me.
“I went for a ride with Luke,” I replied pleasantly, trying to shake off my displeasure.
“Logan, what did I tell you before I left?” From his tone, I began
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