by Jessica Wood
I turned on the radio as I pulled onto the main road and listened to the smooth sounds of Kenny G on the saxophone playing through the tinny speakers. I sighed as the speakers strained when I turned the sound up. That was the problem with these cheap cars; they just didn’t stand up to the more expensive cars.
I never stole expensive cars with better stereo systems; it wasn’t worth it. Expensive cars were too hard to pass on. People became more paranoid about buying a Mercedes or BMW without papers. I didn’t mind, I still did well with the Toyotas and Hondas. I cruised down Main Street and thought about the girl who had tried to steal the cop car. I could still picture the look in her eyes, in the quick glance we had exchanged. She had looked excited and scared, and I could sense the exhilaration and adrenaline coursing through her body. It was the same exhilaration I used to feel when I started stealing cars with my dad ten years ago. The fear of getting caught mingled with the excitement of doing something bad was better than any drug. At least, it used to be.
I was distracted from driving as I saw something or someone running down the street. I pulled over to the side of the street and slowed down to see who or what was running. I knew I was being dumb. I couldn’t afford to get caught in this car. I needed to keep going, but something in me had to know. A part of me thought it might be the girl again, but I knew there was no way it could be the girl from the pier. There was no way she could have run all this way this quickly. I heard the sirens before I saw the lights and I cursed as I saw the cop cars speeding down the street. I pulled over quickly, turned off the engine and the lights, and crouched down in my seat, hoping they were looking for the girl and didn’t know about the stolen Toyota yet. I laughed at the irony as I crouched down. They probably thought they were chasing me anyway. Stupid cops!
Knock, knock, knock. The sound sent my heart racing. What the fuck? I looked over to the passenger side and saw the girl.
“Open the door,” she hissed at me loudly. I stared at her in shock. What was she doing? Was she crazy? She didn’t even know me. I pressed the unlock button and she jumped into the car. “Shit, took you long enough to open the door.”
“What are you doing?” I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. It was definitely the same girl. I would recognize her vivid blue-purple eyes anywhere. She was actually more beautiful than I remembered. She had long black hair and her skin was flushed red. She was wearing tight black jeans and a tight black tank top. Her chest was heaving and I could tell she was out of breath.
“I’m trying to escape the cops, duh.”
“Oh?” I looked at her curiously.
“You were following me?” She turned to me with slanted eyes. “I saw you slow down, pull over, and turn off your lights.”
“I don’t even know you. I wasn’t following you.” I shook my head in disgust. “And why would you get in a car with someone who was following you? Are you dumb?”
“I tried to steal a cop car.” She sighed and leaned back in the seat in shock. “I can’t believe I did that.”
“Why did you do it?”
“I don’t know.” She started laughing hysterically. “I am going to be in deep shit if my parents find out.”
I stared at her, not sure what to say. I swallowed hard as I stared at the naked length of her neck and chest. I turned away, upset with myself for being turned on by this crazy, beautiful girl.
“What’s your name?” I asked her finally, not sure how much longer I could stay in this weird situation.
“Maddie.” She opened her eyes and looked at me. “You?”
“Logan,” I bit out, waiting for the inevitable recognition. The widening eyes that would turn her half-smile into a frown, and the worry that would cross her mind when she realized who she was with.
“Logan?” She smiled. “You don’t look like a Logan.”
“I don’t?” The words tripped out of my mouth in surprise.
“You look like a Brandon or something.” She laughed and then rubbed her eyes. “Don’t mind me, I’m rambling now.”
“Why do I look like a Brandon?” I felt like laughing. This was turning into one of the weirdest nights I had ever had. And Maddie seemed to be living up to her name; she was quite mad to be sitting here in a car with me, a guy she didn’t know.
“ ’Cause you’re hot.” She giggled and leaned towards me. “I’m not coming on to you or anything. I’m sure plenty of girls come on to you and say that. But I’m not one of those girls. But you’re hot. Like James Dean.”
“James Dean?”
“He was an actor—”
“I know who he is, or was.” I frowned. “I just don’t think I look like James Dean.”
“You’ve got that air about you.” She nodded. “Definitely a James Dean look: dark blond hair, shimmering, hooded green eyes, slight stubble, and you look like trouble.”
“I look like trouble?” I raised an eyebrow at this strange but honest girl.
“I know, right? It’s ironic.” She laughed. “Here I am, running from the cops, and you’re here sitting in your car, and I’m saying you’re trouble.”
“Ironic is a fitting word.” I nodded and tried not to smile. “Do you need a ride?”
“Yeah.” She sat up, and I think the seriousness of the moment finally hit her, because her body froze and she looked at me carefully with an extremely worried expression. “Shit. Shit. Shit,” she cussed under her breath, and she stared at me with wide eyes.
“No longer feeling like you made a good decision tonight?” I asked her softly. I knew that she was experiencing the crash. The adrenaline and excitement was fading now and she was starting to feel panicky and worried.
“I don’t know what I was thinking.” She bit her bottom lip. “I was just walking, and I saw the cop car, and something just came over me.” She shook her head. “I’m going to be in deep trouble.”
“Do they know it was you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why did you do it?” I looked at her curiously. She didn’t look like the sort of girl who would steal a car.
“For fun?” She made a face. “You probably think I’m a horrible person, right? I wouldn’t blame you if you decided to call the cops on me.”
“I’m not going to call the cops.” I laughed.
“You have a baby?” She surveyed the car and I looked at her in shock.
“No, no baby.” I shuddered.
“So why do you have a baby seat in the back?” She frowned and I turned to look in the backseat.
“Oh.” I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel. “About the car.”
“Yeah?” She leaned towards me. Her eyes looked even more purple up close. I could smell her minty breath on my lips, and I had a sudden urge to kiss her. We stared at each other for a few seconds, and I studied her eyelashes. They highlighted her eyes and I wanted to feel them against my cheek, to see if they were as soft as they looked.
I leaned back away from her and gripped the steering wheel. “I don’t own this car.”
“You borrowed it from a friend?” She cocked her head at me, and I shook my head. “You rented it?”
“No.”
“Then what?” She looked puzzled and I watched as realization hit her. “You weren’t following me, were you?” She sat back and looked dazed. “Shit, you pulled over because of the cops? You— you stole this car?” Her voice was amazed and loud. I didn’t look at her because I didn’t want to see the reproach in her eyes. I knew what people like her were like. It was okay for them to commit crimes because it was just for fun. But when it came to people like me, it was a big deal. It was a bad thing. A really bad thing.
“That is fucking crazy.” She started laughing and I turned to look at her in shock. Was she insane?
“Did you escape from a mental institute?” I asked her seriously, worried that I had perhaps picked up a real crazy person.
“A mental institute?” Her eyes glittered as she stared at me. “Maybe.” She laughed even harder an
d gasped out, “Maybe I should be in one, indeed.”
“Why aren’t you jumping out of the car? I’m a bad guy.” I looked at her, unsmiling. This wasn’t a joke. Maddie made me uncomfortable, and I didn’t like feeling uncomfortable.
“I thought you were going to give me a ride home?” She buckled her seatbelt.
“Are you crazy? I just told you I stole this car, and you want to stay in here with me?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I just told you I tried to steal a cop car.”
“But that’s different.” I started the engine and sighed. “You did it for fun.”
“This is your career?” She sounded surprised.
“Yes,” I bit out and pulled away from the curb. “This is my career.”
“Well, no wonder you’re better than me at stealing cars.”
“Where do you live?” I studied the road ahead of me. I didn’t understand this girl. Why didn’t she have more common sense?
“Are you attracted to me, Logan?” She pressed her fingers against my arm, and I turned to look at her quickly. She was giving me a sultry look, and I almost did a double take. What was going on here?
“Where do you live, Maddie?”
“I don’t want to go home,” she said softly.
“Where do you want to go?”
“To your place.”
“I don’t have my own place.”
“Where do you live?” she asked.
“With my dad and two brothers.”
“Do you have your own room?”
“Yeah,” I replied.
“So let’s go.”
“Why?”
“Do I have to tell you why?” She laughed. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“How old are you, Maddie?”
“Twenty.”
“Let me take you home.” I gritted my teeth and ignored the stirrings of lust in my pants. It would not be a good idea to take Maddie home. She was trouble, I could sense it in my bones. They didn’t come any crazier than Maddie. Yes, she was beautiful, and yes, she was fearless, but she was not someone I needed in my life.
“Come on, Logan Martelli, take me home.”
My breath caught as she said my whole name and I looked at her with suspicion. Had she known who I was the whole time? “How did you know who I was?”
“Who doesn’t know the Martelli family in River Valley?” She spoke matter-of-factly. “I mean, I only just figured it out a few minutes ago. You don’t look like I pictured.”
“How did you picture me? Like the big, bad wolf?”
“Something like that.” She nodded. “You’re younger than I thought. How old are you?”
“Twenty-five.” I paused. “So, what’s your address so I can take you home?”
“I don’t know if I should give you my address. What if you come back to steal from my house?”
“I wouldn’t—” My face flushed as I responded to her angrily.
“I’m joking, Log.” She touched my arm again. “Can I call you Log?”
“No.”
“I’m joking. I want to go home with you.” She shifted in her seat and moved even closer to me. “Please.”
“No.” My voice was resolute, and I was saying that “no” to her and myself.
“Please.”
“You don’t even know me.” I shook my head. “You shouldn’t go home with strange guys.”
“You shouldn’t let strange girls into your car.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“So can I. Please.” Her voice broke. “I don’t want to go home tonight. I don’t want to answer any questions.”
“I can’t take you back to my place.” I shook my head. There was no way I was taking this girl back to my house. Not only would my dad and brothers wonder what was going on, it would go against my own rules. I never brought women back to our place. It was something I had never done. And I wasn’t about to start with her.
“You think I’m pitiful, don’t you?” Her voice cracked and I could barely hear her as her face was pressed against the window. “You think I’m just this beautiful girl, with nothing better to do than just steal cars for fun. And now I’m practically begging you to be with me, and you’re disgusted with me. Do you think I’m crazy?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t believe you said that.” She turned towards me, laughing. “I guess the pity act doesn’t work on you, does it?”
“What do you want, Maddie?” I turned to look at her again. “I’m tired and…”
“Shhh.” She leaned over to me and kissed my cheek. Her hand reached up to my face. She twisted my face towards hers and I felt her lips press down on mine. Her lips were soft and firm as she kissed me, and I felt a warm surge of electricity run through me. She pulled back after a few seconds, and I sat there immobile. She sat back in her seat and smiled to herself. “I live on Manor Road. You can take me there, or we can go somewhere else. Your choice.”
I stared ahead and didn’t answer her. My mind was spinning with questions. She lived on Manor Road? That meant she was rich, really rich. The sort of rich that made the Forbes’ Richest People in the World list. What was she doing trying to steal a cop car? And what was she doing with the likes of me? And how brazen was she to kiss me? I grinned to myself as I thought about the kiss; I could still taste her on my lips. She was trouble, plain and simple. The only possible outcome to this evening was to take her home. Take her home and never see her again. I’d warn her that a life of crime wasn’t the way to get attention from her rich parents. Obviously, she was crying out for attention. Maybe her daddy worked too many hours and her mom was too busy servicing the pool boy and getting her hair done. Maddie was lost and crying out for help. I couldn’t do anything to help her. Not a damn thing. She didn’t need to get messed up with a Martelli.
I stared straight ahead and pressed my foot on the gas, ignoring the thumping of my heart and the heat in my face and pants. Maddie was not the girl for me. I wanted nothing to do with some rich girl who was looking for a joy ride. I could sense the exact moment the grin spread on Maddie’s face. As I passed Manor Road and kept driving, I wondered what I was doing. But I ignored the niggling thoughts in my mind. I’d worry about everything tomorrow. Tonight was special, it was crazy, it was beautiful, it was full of wonder. Tonight, I was going to just be with Maddie, and tomorrow, I’d worry about all the other shit.
Chapter Two
Logan
“I can take you back home if you want.” I looked at Maddie as we walked across the grass. “It won’t be comfortable.”
“I see a blanket in your hand. Where did you even get a blanket from?” She laughed and pointed at the Disney Princess blanket in my hand. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.” She paused and said casually, “Do you bring a lot of girls here then?”
“No, and I got the blanket from the backseat.” I shook my head and turned away from her. The truth was, I had never brought another girl here. It was my special place, the place I came to when I wanted to think and be away from my brothers and my dad.
“The stars look so close,” she whispered in hushed tones. “I didn’t think the sky could look any prettier than it does down by the pier, but it is gorgeous here.”
“I think we’re closer to the sky.” I nodded in agreement.
“Really?” She looked surprised. “I didn’t think the altitude was any higher here.”
“I don’t know if that’s a fact, scientifically or anything,” I increased my pace. “I just think we’re closer.”
“You may be right.” She reached out and linked her arm through mine. “It’s pretty here. Where are we going?”
“There’s an old shack further down this path.” I pointed in front of us.
She giggled. “Oh, it looks grand.”
“You can see it?” I frowned. It was extremely dark, and while the stars and moon illuminated the field we were walking through, it wasn’t so bright that I could see the shack.
“No, silly.” She leane
d her head into my arm and I tensed up. “I was joking.”
“Oh.”
“I’m glad you decided not to take me home.”
“I figured you may as well continue your night of crime and debauchery.” I tried to make a joke, but my voice sounded too serious.
“We’re a regular Bonnie and Clyde, aren’t we?”
“No, no, we’re not. I had nothing to do with you and the cop car.”
“I’m joking, Logan.” Her voice was suddenly serious. “I’m sorry if you think I forced you to bring me here tonight. You can take me home, if you’re scared I’m going to get you in trouble.”
The irony of the situation hit me once again. She was worried she was going to get me in trouble? “Let’s not talk about our crimes of the evening,” I said lightly.
“Sounds good to me.” She stumbled and I grabbed hold of her to make sure she didn’t fall. My hands slid around her waist, and I brought her in close to me to steady her. She looked up at me in thanks, and I was overcome with an emotion that I was unfamiliar with.
“Be careful,” I spoke gruffly as I let go of her. “I don’t want you to get a twisted ankle.”
“I’ll be okay.” She spoke lightly and ran ahead slightly. I felt slightly disappointed that she was no longer holding on to my arm. I missed the feel of her hand on my body.
“Where are you running to?”
“The shack.”
“But you don’t know where it is.”
“I’m sure you’ll tell me when to stop.” She started running faster, and I watched as her long legs sprinted in front of me, and her hair flew behind her. Her strides were long and she had perfect form as she ran; I realized that she must have run track at some point in her life.
“Hold on.” I ran behind her and tried to catch up. She paused for a second and looked back at me. I saw the same twinkle in her eye that I had seen earlier that evening.
