“Cheyenne! Are you listening?”

I jerk and sit up straight. “Huh?”

Mom stomps into the living room, the loaded laundry basket in her hands. She stares at me on the couch. “Are you taking a nap?”

I rub my eyes. “I didn’t realize I fell asleep.”

All I remember is laying on the couch lethargically staring at the TV while actively having a fantasy about Nash and Clay. I must have drifted off somewhere in between Nash licking me from head to toe and Clay popping my cherry.

“I need you to run out to the store.” She hands me a folded piece of paper. “Here’s the list.”

I pocket the paper and glance out the window at the gray sky. Are Clay and Nash still out in the fields? They’re probably pissed over me running away from them this afternoon.

There’s not much I can do about it. To say things are ‘complicated’ is to treat the matter lightly.

“Dinner will be ready in an hour,” Mom says, vanishing into the hall.

I pull my sneakers on and grab my purse from the hook near the door. The weather is perfect. If I weren’t busy being intensely conflicted, I might have a serious case of spring fever.

I roll my car windows down and suck in the sweet smells of wild flowers and new grass.

The nearest grocery sits about five miles out. I take my time waltzing down the aisles and filling the cart from Mom’s list. I obsessively read ingredients and compare prices in an attempt to keep Clay and Nash off my mind.

I still taste their tongues. I still feel the pressure of their hands. I’m still going insane.

I check out and carry the load to the car. Darkness blankets the trees all around the grocery store parking lot. I’ve taken longer than I meant to. I quickly pack the bags in the trunk and pull out of the lot. If I’m late for dinner, Mom will have a fit.

I hook my arm on the open window and pick up speed. A few miles and I’ll be off the highway and back on Ello.

I glance at the dash to check the gas gauge. I need gas soon, so I have to make sure to stop on the way to class tomorrow. The needle to the right catches my eye. It rapidly rises, leaving the cool area and going up to hot.

“Shit.”

I pull over and stop on the grass. The needle bobs at the top of the gauge. Cursing under my breath, I pop the hood and jump from the car.

Heat rushes from the engine and chokes me. I cover my face and reach into my back pocket for my cell phone.

It’s not there.

And it’s not in my purse.

I ran out of the house so quickly I forgot to grab it.

I run my hands through my hair and look around the dark highway. This part of the road is one of the slowest. There’s no telling when someone will drive by.

And there’s no telling whether they’ll be people I can trust or not. My parents drilled enough fear into me years ago about taking rides from strangers.

I drop the hood and loop my purse over my shoulder. Time to walk. It’s too bad about the frozen waffles, but I’m not carrying the grocery bags all the way home.

The purr of an engine slices through the air. Headlights appear around the corner and fly by me. The car slows down and starts to back up.

I tense up and stop walking. The car backs up right next to me and its window rolls down.

“Hey there.” It’s a young woman with long black hair. She’s about my age and no more than a hundred and ten pounds.

I let out a sigh of relief. Looks like I’m not about to get abducted and raped after all.

“Car troubles?” she asks.

“Yeah. It overheated.”

“Sucks. Want me to take a look? I’m pretty good with cars. My dad’s a mechanic.”

“Yes, absolutely. Please.”

I can hardly believe my luck. She pulls her car over to the side of the road and walks my way.

“I was just walking home,” I explain to her.

I pop the hood again. The car cooled down a bit, and the girl unscrews the coolant cap.

“It’s simple,” she says. “You just ran out of coolant. Hopefully your car hasn’t been hurt too bad.”

I palm my face. “I feel like such an idiot.”

“It happens. How about a ride home?”

“Please. You’re a godsend. I thought I would get murdered out here.”

She helps me transfer the groceries from my car to hers then I direct her to Ello road. It takes all of three minutes to arrive.

“You live down here?” she asks.

“Yeah. You know the road?”

“Um…”

I glance at her, waiting for an answer.

She smiles brightly. “No, I don’t know it. What’s it like? How are the neighbors?”

“It’s okay. The neighbors are fine. I’m right here.” I point to the driveway. She takes her time edging up it and stops at the very end.

“Here we go.” She grins, smiling from ear to ear as her head cocks to one side.

“Oh my God. Thank you so much.”

“Don’t worry about it. Have a good night.”

“You too!”

I gather my groceries and haul them to the porch. The car turns around and leaves. I realize I never got the woman’s name or number.

The front door opens.

“Where have you been?” Mom asks. “I’ve been calling your phone.”

I grimace. “My car broke down. I got a ride from this girl.”

“Cheyenne!”

I push past her and enter the house. “I know, Mom, but I didn’t have any other choice. She was just some college girl like me.”

“Is that her?” Dad calls from the living room.

I pop my head through the doorway and smile at him. “It’s me.”

He frowns. “You been out with a boy?”

“Dad,” I complain. “Really?”

“I’m not mad, Cheyenne. You should be seeing boys. Just as long as it’s not Clay Murphy.”

I hide my face by quickly turning away from him. “Don’t worry. It’s not.”