Evol

chapter thirty-two

Friday 21st June, 2019

He drove like a maniac.

I knew that he could drive fast - he always did, but this time was different. Julian's pale hands were so tight on the wheel I was afraid he'd crush it. The lean muscle in his arms stuck out, tensed.

The dark sky flew by, street lights streaking by. Adrenaline shot through me; I'd always liked to drive fast, but my Beetle never let me.

An idea surfaced in my head; I thought maybe I'd pissed him off earlier for wanting to learn how to defend myself - was he trying to scare me now?

Glancing over, I took in his clenched jaw, brown eyes staring straight ahead.

"Can you go faster?" I asked.

Julian looked over, and pressed on the gas. We shot forward down the empty highway, and I felt the speed pressing me back into the leather seat, the rush in my veins. "Faster?" I asked.

Julian grunted, and pressed down further. At this point, I knew I should have been afraid of being caught by the police, or crashing, but I was enjoying myself too much.

"Faster?"

"Brooke," Julian snapped. "That's enough."

"Why?" I hid a smile.

"If I crash, only one of us makes it out alive."

I already knew that; I watched him carefully as his jaw relaxed, foot easing off the gas pedal. It was quiet then, and I picked at my faded blue jeans anxiously, analysing the wet patches on them for something to do.

"Are you mad?" My voice was quiet.

"Yes." Came the curt reply.

"Why?"

"Because you're more stupid than I thought. And so is Carter."

I grimaced at the insult; Julian was staring out of the window, clearly trying to control his hot temper. "Why?" I ignored the signs he could blow. "Because I want to protect myself? Because I don't want to have to rely on other people all the time?"

"You're an idiot for thinking that you can protect yourself against vampyres." He gritted out.

"Don't call me an idiot," I snapped, suddenly angry. "I'm not a kid."

"Might as well be," I heard him mutter.

"Shut up." I hissed, pushing my hair behind my ears with shaking hands. Agitated. "You act like a child all the time."

Julian turned toward me sharply, "what?"

"You do!" I said, eyes wide in disbelief. Surely he knew! "Sometimes it's hard to believe you're not 12!"

Julian scoffed. "That's not true--"

"Yes, it is." I folded my arms across my chest, unhappy. Why did he always have to be like this? It was so hard - too hard - to have a civil conversation with him. I always lost my cool - I almost felt sorry for the boys.

Just then, a fast food restaurant flew by. The cramping in my stomach worsened, and I licked my lips hungrily. "Turn around," I said.

"What?" Julian looked at me. "Why?"

"I'm hungry."

"So? Don't you have food at--"

I repeated, "turn around."

"No. I'm not going back just for--"

"Turn. Around. Julian." I fastened my eyes on his - Julian was watching me, mouth parted at the tone of my voice, eyes wide.