Chapter 52 Chapter Fifty Two
The tire of the car screeched against the floor as it suddenly sped into the moonlit night. Luigi drove fast but roughly. The ride was bumpy and the three of us in the car kept bouncing in our
seats
If Lucas had not tightened my seatbelt, my surest bet was that I would have somehow flown out of the open window.
“Luigi, gosh, can you slow down!” I yelled, tightly grasping the edge of my seat.
Luigi’s shoulders shook as he chuckled from the front seat, “Of course not.” He briefly glanced back. “I used to be a race car driver for F4. If I drove slowly like a grandma, my friends would Laugh at me and I would lose the race. Don’t worry, just hold on tight. By maintaining this speed, I would make sure we catch that thief?”
Then he took a sharp turn with a drift and despite the seatbelt, we all swayed to the side and I uncontrollably fell into Lucas’s arms. My face reddened even more as I remained in his arms since Luigi still seemed to be making a wild turn.
I thought of our limited time together at the party and realized that this was a perfect opportunity to bond with him. If only I had known that the handsome and smart man Doris wanted to introduce me to was my childhood crush, I would have gotten there early. We had hardly spoken a few words before we both had to leave.
Even though we were extremely happy to see eachother again after so many years, there was this awkwardness between us. After so many years apart, meeting again felt like we were strangers who were meeting for the first time and there was also the added discomfort that I was his nephew’s ex–wife. How were they even related, I thought frustratedly.
I
guess it was one of the vague reasons why our ride back to my place after the
party was awkwardly silent and it was also why I had hesitated to call him even though I looked forward to meeting him and spending time with him. We would both be at a loss for words to say or stuff to talk about. It wasn’t like we would begin to talk about the weather or how wide the park was. The smell of his sweetly intoxicating cologne suddenly wafted into my nose. I frowned, it smelt familiar. I smiled slightly when I realized why it smelt so familiar. It was the same fragrance he always wore when he was younger. Then, I loved it so much that I used to sniff him and he would just smile and shake his head at my silliness.
I looked up when the car started to feel like it was moving in a normal state. My eyes widened a fraction when I came face to face with Lucas. That was when I registered how close I was to him. I was clutching his shoulders, my hair sprawled over my hands on his shoulders. His hand was firmly placed on my upper back, the warmth of his hand seeped through the flimsy material of my dress and I felt goosebumps on my skin.
“Are you okay?” His brows were creased as he looked down at me with concern, his focused gaze made me feel safe and protected. Nevertheless, my lashes fluttered down shyly.
“I’m fine.” I shook my head as I murmured softly and looked away from him. Then I awkwardly. extricated myself from his hold. My hands slid down his ch*st and he seemed reluctant as he removed his hand from my back.
When I was at a safe distance and safely tucked in my seat, my eyes raked his face searching for any sign of discomfort, “Are okay too? Are you hurt?” I rushed out instinctively as memories of how easily he used to get hurt racked me.
He smiled softly. “Relax, I’m fine. You’re the one who fell. We should worry about you.”
“Oh okay,” I mered and turned away, embarrassed. Then I turned to Luigi and glared at him.
He was the cause of this heightened awkwardness in the first place. “Maybe I should just forget about my bag,” I bit out. I’m afraid we will all die in this car before we are able to catch the thief.
Luigi’s brows furrowed and he wore an angry face. “Miss Sydney! That’s an insult to my person.”
I opened my m*uth to give him a befitting response instead I let out a surprised gasp as he took yet another sharp turn, cutting through a shortcut that clearly was not meant for cars. “Luigi!” I screamed as he came to an abrupt halt and almost sent us ramming into the car’s front mirror only to speedily reverse the car back. I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched the edge of my seat, my mind reeling with chaotic thoughts. Is this how I was going to die? I had never imagined that I would die in an intentional car accident.
I opened my eyes when a deep laughter filled the air, giving me a mushy feeling. I turned to the person who made the sound. “Don’t be afraid, Sydney, Lucas said and even though he was not laughing anymore, laughter danced in his eyes. Luigi may drive roughly but believe me when I say he is an extremely good, experienced and talented driver. Nothing will happen. We will get your bag alive.”
I swallowed and shook my head but I kept my hold on the edge of the seat.
He roughly wove the car through the dimly lit streets and dark alleys until we finally cornered the thief in a dark narrow alley; I wouldn’t have spotted the thief if it wasn’t for the car’s bright headlights. I was surprised how he had just cornered him like that but I was impressed and of course, happy that I would get back my belongings.
The thief, unable to brake in time in his sprint, headed straight for the car in confusion.
My heart leaped to my throat and I clutched the edge of the seat tightly. I closed her eyes and braced myself for the impending collision. I felt bitter toward the thief but I wasn’t ready to see him uncontrollably ram himself into the car.
I was thrown forward when the car came to an abrupt halt and immediately, there was a loud. bang that shook the car. I felt hands on me then I felt myself in Lucas‘ warm and safe embrace. I opened my eyes
The thief who must have managed to get back on his feet was already limping back the direction
he came. Luigi caught up to him in no time and snatched my bag from his hands.
The thief who time to see Luigi jump out of the car through the window.
Luigi dragged the thief after him and sauntered toward the car. He flashed me a confident smug grin and stretched his hand that held the bag into the car toward me.
I raised my brows and bit out, “Thank you very much! I am glad I am still alive to get my bag Then I snatched the bag from his hands.
Him and Lucas erupted in laughter at my outburst.
I closed my eyes as the sides of the car scraped the walls as Luigi drove it out of the alley to the proper road for a car and called the police.
As we waited I saw the front and sides of the car and I was ridden with guilt; it was badly damaged and I was sure that a lot would be spent to return the part that got damaged to its original state.
“This all happened because of me,” I sighed as I walked back to where I had been standing beside Lucas. I leaned against the car, my b*dy turned toward Lucas. I looked up at him, “Let me pay for the repairs.”
Lucas smiled softly and shook his head. “Not on my life.en he turned to Luigi who sat sprawled on the car’s hood, the thief in his grasp. Lucas dealt the both of them a playful glare and gritted out, Luigi and the thief should pay for the repairs!”
The thief’s eyes widened as he turned to Lucas, his m*uth opening and closing. We all burst out laughing at his reaction. He must be wondering where he would to fix such an expensive car.
get the
money
After we all sobered up, Lucas said to Luigi, “Contact the tow truck service. Have them. car to the mechanic’s workshop.”
get the
Then he turned to me with a soft smile. He tipped his head back and looked into the dark sky, “The moon is so beautiful tonight, isn’t it?” He looked at me and I gazed up at the lone half moon in the dark sky, shining bright despite the darkness that surrounded it. It was beautiful, I agreed. within myself. When I turned back to him to tell him how beautiful the moon was, I found his gentle gaze on me and a smile danced across his l*ps.
My face reddened and I unnecessarily tucked strands of hair behind my ear. “It is,” I managed out, “the moon is beautiful.”
He stretched his hand toward me and opened his palm, “How about we go for a walk?”
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