"The p..police?", I hate how my voice comes out as a mere whisper
"I told you I don't take damage and running away without accountability lightly", his voice void of any emotion as he pulls his phone to his ear.
Gods, why does this keep getting worse? Don't panic, don't panic.....nope this is the right time to panic.
"Wait!", I shriek out, "I promise I won't run away"
He pauses for a second, turning toward me, and yet there is not a single ounce of trust of sympathy in his eyes as he continues to dial the number.
"I'll fix this, I'll take accountability. Right now!", I push
He finally puts down his phone, his gaze pinning me short, "How?"
Something in his tone tells me he won't be patient for long.
I turn my head around looking for help, maybe Aiden, weird how we turn to strangers in desperate situations we'd never trust otherwise. But, he's already vanished within the campus walls.
Cuz luck is a fickle minded bitch
I continue looking around desperate to find someone or something to get me out of this mess, I don't wish for anything other than magically getting my overworked editor life back, never thought I'd wish for that, but here I am.
The thought sends a wave of frustration and annoyance through my veins.
No, I won't give in, cuz there is always a way out...
"Miss Tire Stabber, you're thinking of running away again, aren't you?", he sighs dramatically, "Well let me remind you there is no way out"
This smug little bastard. I'm no Tire Stab--
Oh. Tire Stabber. Of course, why didn't I think of that before..
I smirk, "You're wrong mister, there is always a way out"
His blue gaze flicks with mild confusion and skepticism at my sudden burst of confidence. My eyes dart to the back of the car. Luxury model.
"Sure you might have a spare tire in the trunk right?"
"Yes, of course, Why?", he mutters as his brow twitches, the confusion more evident now.
His eyes follow me as I make my way to the back of the car and pop open the trunk in one swift move. I find a bunch of tools in a spare toolkit, a spare tire, a jack and wrench.
I carry out the tools and the tire one at a time. The tire is the hardest, but I manage to roll it out on the road.
He struts towards me, "What are you up to?", he asks leaning a bit too close
I sigh motioning him aside, "Unless your highness has a better plan, I suggest not to interrupt."
Unbidden realisation flits his face as he involuntarily steps aside, "You're not actually going to-"
"Yes, I am", I mutter as I crouch down beside the flat.
First, I place the jack under the car's frame near the flat. I crank it slowly, lifting the car inch by inch, the memory of my dad teaching me one of many life skills flashes in my head, making me smile.
'Elara don't forgetlefty-loosey, righty-tighty. I want my daughter to be no less than a man in any discipline. Be self reliant, Be your own mechanic little angel.'
Next, I loosen the lug nuts with the wrench — counterclockwise. I follow the image of my dad's teachings as I pull the busted tire out and roll it to the side.
I slide the spare tire onto the bolts and start tightening the lug nuts, rotating in a star pattern in a surprisingly precise manner
Once the tire's secured, I lower the car back down with the jack and wipe my hands on my skirt, grimacing at the grease."Done!", I rejoice
I stand up, facing him, clapping the excess dirt off, "There, all fixed, told ya I will fix it."
He does not respond for a long while, circling me as though I've defied all the laws of this world, but his amazement quickly turns into amusement as he steps toward me, closing the little space. He smirks, "You've done this before".
"You haven't?", I scoff. It's almost as if the disappointed and skeptical man from a few moments ago vanished into thin air, and somehow that makes me almost feel relieved.
"Of course, there is a mechanic for that you know, and yet you've done this before...one too many times"
I snort, "I find it weird, you haven't learnt to do it yourself, your Highness, it's a basic skill you know "
"Why would I, when I can just call my mechanic"
"Yeah-and if your car breaks down at a secluded area during an emergency, good luck finding a mechanic'
He lets out a low amused chuckle, "Touché"
I step back, steady and stern, "Now if that was enough entertainment for you, I would like to take my leave"
His straightens up, smile still unchanged with one dimple peeking out, "Of course"
A smug little bastard
Great. Now I can finally shift my focus back to the task at hand-figure out exactly where I am and why I am. My number doesn't exist in this place, not one soul I recognise.
Strangely, I can swear that this place is still planet earth, yet it couldn't be farther away from the world I recognise.
Regardless I can't stop trying.
Everything has a reason to exist, there can never be smoke without fire. Maybe I should try and call some of my close colleagues, at least they were the closest to 'friends' .
I had no friends of course, one of the many perks of being an overworked editor ...or so I tell myself.
I shake my head darting my thoughts back at the dire situation. I need a phone asap, and the closest I can get my hands on one is--
"Wait!", I yell out.
His head snaps toward me, he shuts the car door with a swift click and looks at with an eyebrow raised, "Anything else, Miss---"
I don't let him complete the rest of that awful nickname, "You haven't thanked me yet", I mutter, voice low and stable.
His infuriating smirk finds his way back to his face, "You mean thank you for fixing the disaster you caused?"
"You called me out for fake vandalism", I huff out annoyed
"You gave me a fake number, enough reason to believe that", he says without missing a beat
"You threatened to take me to the police", I push
He strolls toward me, then sighing heavily, he leans against his car door and asks, "What would you like for me to do?"
"Why would you think I want you to do something?"
"Because...", he leans forward, making me catch a whiff of his perfume, a heady blend of cedar wood, burnt amber, leather and something else I can't quite place, "Why else would someone, so eager to run from me, suddenly beg for me to stop?"
What the bloody-
"I did not beg alright-"
He juts out his palm in front of me, "Cut the chase already, what do you want?", he snaps
"Your phone, I need to make a call"
"Ah...so that was it", he drawls as a lazy smirk paints his lips
He pull out his phone from his coat pocket, his languid demeanour definitely testing my patience.
As soon as he unlocks his phone and hands it over to me, I snatch it. That earns a low chuckle from him.
This is it. Please gods, let this not be a total waste, show me some direction.
I pace back and forth, dialing in the numbers I know by heart, hoping that at least one of them reaches its true owner.
My heart beats a little faster as the nerves in me begin to clam at the surface. As the first number is dialled in, of Ron, a junior intern, I clutch the phone a little tighter and bring it to my ear with slightly shaking hands
Please let this get through....
The line connects.
"The number you're calling does not exist...."
No, no, no
I call another number, and then another, hoping to hear back an actual human voice rather than this stupid computer generated message.
With each dial, I can feel the hope in me beginning to fade, I can feel the dread pooling in my stomach threatening to swallow me whole.
My heart twists and my mind goes blank after I've finished dialing the last number.
The message does not change, nothing changes.
My shoulders slump as I feel all my previous optimism fly into thin air. I'm alive and dead at the same time. No one knows me, I don't know anyone.
Fate has a funny way to mess around with me, gave me another life only to kill me again.
You were alone, you will always be alone.
I feel so pathetic at this point that I don't even register anyone's eyes on me, I must be dreaming, hallucinating cuz when I look up from the phone, I see brows twitching and worried blue eyes, that smug bastard almost looks like he cares.
I feel a lump forming in my throat, and worst of all, I can feel the tears begging to be given an opening, brimming at my eyelids.
"Hey, is everything okay?", he asks slowly stepping toward me
I don't want to be alone, I really don't...please
"Hey, Miss Tire Stabber"
"Don't-", I say raising a palm
"Okay, okay fine, I won't , how about we start again, why don't you tell me your real name?"
I close my eyes and turn toward the car door, because I know the tears might fall any time now, and I refuse to be pitied no matter how pathetically stupid I look.
I never wanted to end up like this, but I guess , fate loves playing fool with me. I take a deep breath, if fate wants me alone and lost, then alone and lost I am. That is who I will be.
Alone and lost stupid little Elara
You win stupid fate. Congrats.
I take a deep breath, eyes still closed. "My name is.....", my eyes snap open holding on to that last shred before I break, "El---"
A heart wrenching gut churning scream rings out