Chapter Two
The next morning, when Bronx pulled up outside of Dread’s house, it wasn’t on his bike, but in his Cadillac DRW truck. Mia was already sitting on the front stoop with a giant grin on her face and her backpack on her lap, like a kid on her first day of school. Bronx laughed as he got out of the truck and walked over to Mia to take her bag and walk her to the car. She raised a curious eyebrow at him and tsk-ed.
“Well, you’re quite the gentleman. I didn’t exactly expect that.”
“We’re not all monsters,” Bronx said as he opened the door and helped Mia jump in. He could see her roll her eyes as he walked around to the driver’s side. She was already talking when he got in.
“I didn’t mean that. My brother is a teddy bear. I just meant that I read… Oh, never mind. I sound like an idiot.”
“Yeah, maybe a little,” Bronx said with a chuckle.
“I’m sorry. I spend so much time in the lab that I sometimes forget what it feels like to talk to other people.”
Bronx pulled on to the long mountain road that lead up to his secluded cabin. He’d bought the house because it was hidden away from the busyness of downtown Longview, but also because he’d never really know what it was like to live away from the city. He’d grown up just outside Manhattan, and had been what his mom called a “subway rat,” a kid who knew how to navigate the trains on his own since before he was able to ride a bike. So living alone in the mountains was welcome, but at times, it was more than a little lonely.
Out of the corner of his eye, Bronx could see Mia watching out the window with wide eyes, fascinated by the flora and fauna that made up his mountain home.
“It’s so beautiful up here! Tell me, I know you have a fairly temperate climate in Longview but do you seen snow here a lot?”
Bronx laughed as he made the sharp turn into his driveway. You wouldn’t even know it was a driveway unless you were looking for it.
“I moved here in May, and it’s August. I honestly couldn’t tell you. The real estate agent said something about snow, but frankly, I wasn’t paying attention. I just really liked the house.”
Mia rolled down her window and let her hand roll along with the passing wind. “It’s at least ten degrees cooler up here. I don’t know why anyone would live anywhere else. I hate the heat. It’s why I moved from Florida to Washington for school, and part of why I’m studying the climate.”
“Well, hopefully being up here for the day can help you with your work,” Bronx said as he pulled up in front of his massive home. It was like nothing Mia had ever seen before, all wood and glass and huge windows. It almost looked as if it had been built into the mountain itself. As they got out of the truck, Mia grabbed her backpack and immediately started for the woods, but Bronx chased after her.
“Whoa, hold up. I can’t let you just go off out there alone. Do you know what you’re doing? Do you have anything to protect yourself? It’s safe as far as I know, but a bear could wander on to the property or something. I guess. I’m just not sure I should let you go out there by yourself.”
Mia raised her eyebrow and pulled her pack tighter around herself, strapping a buckle around her waist. “It sounds like you know less about what goes on in your woods than I do. I’ll be fine. I have navigation equipment, and if all else fails, a compass. I’ll just be gone a few hours, and then I’ll be back in time for dinner. Do you cook? Maybe you can make something while I’m gone.”
Bronx stared at Mia, mouth agape. “Well, that’s a hell of a swing. You go out traipsing through the woods, and I stay behind to make your dinner?”
“Is that a problem? Because I can just hike back down the mountain and catch a bus or something.”
Bronx didn’t even know how to respond. Mia was nothing like his usual groupies, falling all over themselves for a chance to spend the night with him. In fact, she didn’t seem to give two shits about him. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to run screaming or drag her off to his bed immediately.
“No, I can. Cook, I mean. I guess just try to get back here before dark. Those woods are no joke in the dark.”
Mia winked, turned on the heel of her boot, and was gone, leaving Bronx standing in front of his house, completely confused.
Did that tiny blonde in Doc Martens just own me?