Filed to story: Crushing on My Enemy Stepbrother
‘The car had no lights’ I whisper, ‘I didn’t see it until it was too late. I stopped at the lights, they were red . . the car, it hit me. I was going to get out but then it kept pushing me, I was going over the line into the intersection. A truck was coming, he wasn’t going to be able to stop in time, I knew he was going to hit me so I put the car in gear and pressed the accelerator to the floor, shooting through the traffic.
The truck missed me, only just and the driver was beeping his horn at me, I think he thought I jumped the light, I don’t think he realised that the car was pushing me in front of him. I got across the lights and they turned green, the car came across and hit me again, I tried to stay on the road but I couldn’t.’ I look up at Caleb, tears starting to form in my eyes, ‘I couldn’t stop the car, I’m sorry! I hit the tree, oh God, Caleb, I hit the tree hard, is the car OK?’
‘F*ck the car’ Caleb growls angrily.
‘No, your dad paid for that car’ I ramble, trying to move off the gurney so I can go an check the damage for myself. ‘He gave me that car and I wrecked it, how am I going to tell him that I had an accident. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.’
Two strong arms wrap around me, and I find myself lifted from the gurney and placed in a strong lap, my head fitting into the crook of Caleb’s neck as I breath in his masculine scent.
‘Dad isn’t going to give a f*ck about the car baby, he’ll only care that you are OK’ he murmurs, stroking my back. ‘that’s the only thing that matters love, that you are OK.’
‘But . . ‘ I try to argue.
‘We’ll buy you a new car baby, just stop thinking about it, it’s just a shitty lump of metal’ the man holding me murmurs, pressing his lips to my hair.
I let out a deep shuddering breath, sinking further into the strong embrace around me, soaking in his calming effect as I relax.
I don’t know how long we sit like this, Caleb’s chin resting on top of my head, his hand trailing up and down my back in a soothing motion, but at some point, the door to the back of the ambulance and the EMT climbs back in, waving for me to retake my seat on the gurney. Caleb snarls loudly at him, holding me tighter only releasing me when the medic reluctantly agrees to let me sit behind them muscular grumpy man so he can continue to pin me to his side.
Checking my blood pressure and eyes again, he agrees that I’m OK to leave the scene but urges me to go to the ER just as a precaution.
I shake my head, standing up, dizziness washing over me, ‘no’ I reply stubbornly, ‘I don’t want to go to the ER.’
‘Baby, you should go, just to make sure’ Caleb tries to convince me.
I glare at him, shaking my head slowly to try and stave off the nausea that comes with moving. ‘I don’t need the ER, I have a banged up face and probably a slight concussion from the airbag. All they’ll do is sit me in a chair for 6 hours, take my blood pressure AGAIN, and then tell me what I already know and send me home saying someone needs to watch me.’
I can see my stepbrother garnering another argument, but I hold up my hand to stop him.
‘Either drive me home or I’m calling a taxi’ I growl, fishing my phone out of my pocket, where I stashed it and waving it obnoxiously in front of Caleb’s face.
Rolling his eyes, he reluctantly nods in agreement, standing up himself and taking my hand in his. Turning back to the EMT, he raises an eyebrow.
‘Anything I need to be watching for?’ he asks.
The medic rattles off a list of issues to keep an eye out for before turning his disapproving gaze toward me.
‘If you feel like anything is wrong, you go straight to the ER’ he orders me, ‘no messing about, I mean it, I don’t need your death on my conscience.’
I give a small nod, and allow Caleb to step around me, climbing out of the back of the ambulance and then help me down.
Making sure that the officer on scene is happy for me to go, Caleb leads me toward his SUV, opening the passenger side door and ignoring my squeal of surprise, scoops me up in his arms, placing me carefully into the seat. Grabbing the seatbelt, he pulls it across my body, clipping it firmly before giving it a couple of tugs for good measure. Moving back, his head turns, his eyes connecting with mine as my breath hitches from his close proximity. This close, I can really make out the Mediterranean blue of his irises, each individual one of his long eyelashes as he blinks, his gaze on my lips.
I lick them automatically as my fingers dig into the leather of his seat.
Caleb’s gaze follows that quick flick of my tongue, a scorching heat searing me where his eyes touch my skin.
‘Uhh, should we go?’ I whisper, breaking whatever spell the older man was under, causing him to shake his head and step back, shutting my door without a word.
I watch him walk around the front of his truck, his profile lit up by the lights of the officers vehicle and ambulance before he opens the drivers door and climbs in, clipping his own seatbelt securely and pushing the key into the ignition.
‘You sure I can’t convince you to go to the hospital?’ he asks me, avoiding my gaze.
‘I’m sure’ I sigh, leaning back in my seat and closing my eyes.
‘Don’t go to sleep!’ my stepbrother barks out, making me jerk my eyes open and stare at him. ‘Don’t go to sleep’ he repeats much softer, ‘not until we get home . .please . .’
I nod, relaxing back in my chair but making sure my eyes stay open as he pulls away from the side of the road and heads back toward our home.
Pulling up to the gate, Caleb waits for the barrier to slide out of the way before driving into the grounds and pulling up in his usual parking space.
He’s out of the car and around to my side before I can even get my seatbelt off, the passenger door opening and two muscular arms pick me up, cradling me to his chest.
‘I can walk you know’ I grumble, more to myself than him because I’m pretty sure he’s not listening to me anyway.