The Ride
1062 Words
The hospital lights blurred past the window as the car rolled out of the parking lot.
I sat stiffly in the front seat, my hands folded tightly in my lap, afraid to move even an inch. The leather beneath me was too smooth, too expensive, everything about the car screamed a life I didn’t belong to.
Beside me, Alexander drove in silence.
The engine hummed softly, steady and controlled, much like the man himself. His hands rested lightly on the steering wheel, long fingers relaxed, confident. He didn’t glance my way, and yet I felt unbearably seen.
Grandma Evelyn’s words echoed in my mind.
Go home, my child. You’ve done enough.
She had insisted,and commanded that Alexander take me himself.
“I won’t hear objections,” she’d said calmly, fixing him with a look that brooked no argument. “You’ll take her home safely.”
So here we were.
Alone.
The silence stretched, thick and awkward, pressing in on my chest.
“You live far?” Alexander asked suddenly, his voice low.
I jumped slightly. “N-no. Just a few streets past the old market.”
He nodded, eyes still on the road.
Another stretch of silence followed.
I stared out the window, watching the city lights flicker past, my heart racing for reasons I didn’t fully understand.
Every nerve in my body felt alert, as if something was about to happen or had already begun.
“What were you doing at the market that day?” he asked quietly.
I hesitated.
“I was sent to buy ingredients,” I replied. “For dinner.”
“Sent?” His tone sharpened just slightly.
“Yes.”
He glanced at me briefly. Just once. But it felt like a spotlight.
“And the accident?” he continued. “You didn’t hesitate.”
I swallowed. “I couldn’t.”
“Most people would have,” he said.
I shook my head. “Most people didn’t lose their parents that way.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
The car slowed almost imperceptibly.
“I’m sorry,” he said after a moment.
I nodded, keeping my gaze fixed on the window. “It’s fine.”
But I didn’t expect him to understand.
We reached a red light.
The car stopped.
And then I realized i wasn’t wearing my seatbelt.
“I—” I began, fumbling awkwardly.
“I’ve got it,” Alexander said.
He leaned across me.
Everything happened at once.
His arm brushed my shoulder. His hand reached past me, fingers grazing my waist as he pulled the seatbelt across my body. His face was suddenly close too close.
I froze.
I could smell him—clean, faintly masculine, expensive cologne mixed with something darker. His breath brushed my cheek.
For one terrifying second, I thought
He’s going to kiss me.
My heart slammed violently against my ribs.
He froze too.
Our faces were inches apart.
His eyes dropped just briefly to my lips.
The air changed.
Neither of us breathed.
Click.
The seatbelt locked into place.
He pulled back abruptly, clearing his throat. “There.”
My face burned.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He didn’t reply immediately. His jaw tightened as he turned his attention back to the road, gripping the steering wheel a little harder than necessary.
The silence afterward was no longer empty.
It was charged and uncomfortable.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, startling me. I ignored it.
Alexander’s phone rang a moment later.
The name flashed on the dashboard screen.
Rose.
He answered without hesitation. “Rose.”
“Alex,” her voice came through sharp and familiar. “Why are you still at the hospital?”
“I left,” he replied coolly. “I’m driving.”
“With who?” she pressed.
I held my breath.
“With the girl,” he said calmly. “Elara.”
There was a pause.
Then a laugh too light, too forced. “Of course. The hero.”
My fingers curled into the fabric of my dress.
“You didn’t have to personally escort her,” Rose continued. “Security exists for a reason.”
“She’s under my grandmother’s protection,” he replied. “Which makes it my concern.”
The words settled heavily in my chest.
“I don’t like this,” Rose said flatly. “She’s getting too close.”
I flinched.
Alexander’s eyes flicked briefly toward me before returning to the road. “You’re imagining things.”
“I’m not,” Rose snapped. “Women like her”
“Enough,” he interrupted, his voice suddenly cold. “Watch your tone.”
Silence crackled through the line.
“I just don’t want trouble,” Rose said more softly. “You know how the media is. And your grandmother is vulnerable right now.”
“She’s not,” Alexander replied. “She’s very aware.”
Serena sighed. “Come over after.i miss you bby.”she said in a seductive tone,
“I’ll see,” he said.
The call ended.
The car felt colder afterward.
I stared straight ahead, my pulse racing.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.
He glanced at me. “For what?”
“For… causing problems.”
“You didn’t,” he replied immediately.
“But she”
“She’s wrong,” he said firmly.
I turned to look at him, surprised.
He met my gaze briefly before looking away again.
“You didn’t ask for this,” he continued. “And you didn’t manipulate anyone. My grandmother sees that.”
The words eased something tight inside me.
Still, fear lingered.
“What happens now?” I asked softly.
He didn’t answer right away.
The car slowed as we approached my street,narrow, dimly lit, familiar in all the ways his world wasn’t.
“I don’t know,” he admitted finally. “But whatever happens… you won’t be alone.”
The car stopped.
I unbuckled my seatbelt slowly, my hands trembling.
“Thank you,” I said, opening the door.
“Elara.”
I paused.
“Yes?”
He hesitated just for a second. “Be careful.”
I nodded.
As I stepped out of the car, the door closed softly behind me. The engine hummed once more before pulling away, disappearing into the night.
I stood there long after it was gone, my heart still racing.
- Writer
