Chapter eleven
JULY
Question is driving. Ludo is sitting in front because not being able to have the man let her drive she settled for supervising him instead.
And of course Joshua is sitting back here with me because that's just how cruel the universe is to me. While I'm having nutty flashbacks about his hard torso he is just seated there like a normal person minding his own damn business.
Just kill me and get it over with.
My phone pings with a text and I jump for it grateful to have something to disrupt how hyper aware I am to the man sitting one metre away from me
- so?
I scowl at the phone and immediately type a reply to Ludo
- so what?
-did you get the number?
-not yet.... I'm not cat woman
- you might as well be... You are being catty towards the man.
- do you have a death wish
- oh cm on... Fyi Q just filled me in about your make out session
- whoa since when did you give him a nickname and start gossiping together like old bored ladies?
She doesn't reply for a good five minutes and I just have to check the review mirror and she is laughing. What the hell?
I growl loudly at her and she laughs even harder. Question and Joshua raise their heads in wonder. I clench my fists in irritation. This situation is no longer funny. Nancy and Vince are behind us in vincent's car like they were meant to be, we are on our way to a vacation we no longer looked forward to and do I really have to sit with Joshua?
I glance at him. Why is he looking at me like that?
'what?' I snap at him while Ludo's laughing has now become soft chuckles.
Joshua simply smiles at me and casually takes my hand into his and holy crow I feel heat all over me. I blink at him but I don't take my hand back. If I am reading the expression on his face correctly he is also being currently trapped by this attraction sizzling between us.
Which is crazy because I've known the guy for what? Like a few crazy hours and I already feel like his hand is home.
Coming back to my senses I start to pull my hand from his grip and he only holds it firmer like he is trying to understand the thing going on between us.
JOSHUA
I had thought earlier that July was hot... But at the moment she has suddenly become someone I don't want to lose. How and when did that happen? I have no idea. One moment I walked out of the bathroom and the next second it's like I was seeing my entire future with her. I'm not a romantic and I don't do relationships very well
Too risky
But suddenly with July I am willing to take the plunge. I don't need to try to figure out howand why all this has happened. All I am feeling is that July has gotten under my skin faster than a needle in a vein and I did not plan to let her slip away.
She may not know it but it's decided. And I am confident that she is attracted to me. That's a plus.
Keeping her hand trapped in mine I try to be optimistic about our journey ahead though it was Vince who dragged us into all this shit. But his possessiveness towards Nancy is almost forgiveable because what I am feeling right now.. I am not letting July go even if my life depended on it.
I don't do relationships and I sure as hell do not even think about trying it. Relationships were messy and I didn't have a great start with them in my life so.... Well you get the picture.
She is the first woman I have laid my eyes on and anything other than lust knocked over my senses. So until I figure out the new level of this attraction I had no plan to let her go.
She is sitting too quietly beside me while Question and Ludo are engaged in some sort of different gender pissing contest. I have no idea what really happened but the moment we got into the car they started calling each other Q and LALA.
I mean... The hell?
JULY
Downhill.
It's all downhill from here. Like I had somehow should have seen this coming and should have started running but now I'm just stuck in the moment when every second I'm still asking my self -what the hell happened?-
I mean is it necessary for peacemaker to possessively trap my hand in his as though i already didn't have many things to suffer heart attack over.
And do you know what Ludo and Question are doing? They are front seat chatting easily like we are all not stuck in a car to hell and the devil himself is not driving behind us in another hellbound car.
I mean really!
"I don't think we have reached a level where by you can easily keep my hand in yours."
"I didn't hear you protest."
"I was still trying to figure whether I am dealing with a normal person."
"Same here!"
What the hell?
"Excuse me?"
"We have already crossed initial stranger danger boundaries July. I say we move on from here,"
I scoff. "What are you. Five?"
And the man gives me a side glance. "Hardly " he replies doing a once over of his own body.
Of all the things that could have happened to me on this ruined trip I just had to have that image in my head, probably for the rest of my life and beyond.
I mean this was a real life image not the product of my own wild imagination. Yeah I need to start that damn YouTube channel already. I slowly pull my hand from the steely grip and maybe because I used a different tactic other than my initial plan that involved stabbing his hand with a fountain pen.
I take out my phone and text an SOS to Ludo and it doesn't take her a few seconds to write herself out from my trustworthy friends list.
"Joshua what are you doing freaking my friend out "
I press my lips together. For future reference I'm never planning a spy ambush with Ludo.
"Do you share everything with your friends?"
Josh asks. Why? I don't know
I give him a sour glare. "I'm beginning to learn how to filter some things out "
"Oh come on July. We are just trying to help you two out. There is no need for you two to drag this on. Because I'm never getting in the middle of a couple banter again."
I gape at the seat she is in, "we are not a couple... And Vincent case is not a banter. He is a two timin two faced son of a..."
"Hey. You have no proof that we already told you that it was a misunderstanding." Question explains groaning.
"Oh prove it. " Ludo challenges, "how do we know that this..... What was her name again?"
"Tasha!" Question snaps
"Yes her is really your sister."
"They look alike." Josh says taking out his phone " it's not hard to see that they are related." He pokes at his phone screen, swipes before handing me the phone.
And I see the female version of Question. She's cute alright. Vincent has no chance looking the other way from a woman like this. Not a chance in hell.
"Hand it over I need to see for myself."
I give Ludo the phone and after five seconds she confirms my exact thouhts by saying;
"Damn was this not photoshopped?"
"Do I look photoshopped?" Question turns to her and gives her a smirky grin. The man has dimples. Ludo blinks and turns away from him. I want to laugh but girls fight for girls not the male species.
"She is a nut case Question .. there's always one in every family.
"Shut up Josh before I kill you."
"Hey, no murder threats while you're driving." I catch Question eyes on the rear view mirror and narrow my eyes at him.
"Oh she would fit in right with you girls." Joshua says easily. "I still can't believe you crashed the wedding.’
"And why are you so sore about that? Was the menu a fancy once in a blue moon for you?"
"A man's gotta eat July!"
Ludo makes a weird noisy sound."well men eat a lot of things."
Silence. Well I can still hear the purr of the car engine and the tires running against the tar.
Finally Question breaks the silence "how long is your dry spell?"
I can't help it. I snicker out loud and Josh joins me. But what Question doesn't know is that trying to embarrass Ludo is like just encouraging her.
"Long enough that your puny self wouldn't erase it."
"Oh I wasn't offering... But now that you've mentioned it--"
Shit the guy has some comebacks. But at the cost of our lives because I only see Question eyes widen before he loses focus on the road and what we all hear is the farmilia screech of tires, the startled scream, Question cursing and a force shoves me against Joshua's body and before I can think about it I am clinging to him for dear life
***
The smoke has faded and settled and cleared. Because this a secluded part of the highway just outside Franscistown so the only witnesses to the disaster before us is us six
The men are standing in front of the car with arms folded ( biceps bulging and all ... Mentally fanning my face) staring at the open smoking engine like they've never seen one before.
The girls and I are back here and Nancy is whisper- interrogating us
"And then?" She asks ludo impatiently. "were you trying to commit a squad suicide?"
Why won't she just let it go?
"Noone is dead it's all that matters." Ludo rolls her eyes
"You got physically violent with the driver." I give Ludo a pointed look,
She shrugs, "he freaked out over nothing the little fussy."
Nancy raised her eyebrows, "excuse me but it would help to notice that Question isn't little. He is slender ofcourse but I couldn't help noticing that you had your neck craned up while you were breathing murder threats to him?"
Ludo hisses at her. " Why you little..."
" Forget that .. we have to find a way to get the car back on the road again."
"They are working on it" I gesture at the guys. Yum scene there
"Right they are." Nancy shakes her head and marches to the guys. Yeah she can be a spit fire when she feels like it.
As soon as she is out of ear shot Ludo grabs my arm and her face transforms from that false calmness of denial to a crazed I-cant-believe- I-did-that look.
"Ludo what?"
"I can't believe he freaked out like that, we could escape right now you know.’
"Oh you didn't." I gasp
"Oh I did."
She goes into another fit of giggles and I am eating to wonder whether I am aware of my friends' level of craziness.
I wait for her to settle down. Arms folded and all before she manages to pull on a somber face and shocks me yet again
'and I got Tasha's number."
I blink. "What?"
"Don't ask me how I like keeping my shrewd side secret.... Now what do we do? Do we call and introduce ourselves?"
I sigh. "Ludo we almost died here in the middle of nowhere because you put your paws on the driver's ding ding....
"Ding dong July, it's called ....
"I don't care what it's called," I whispershriek lest the men hear us and I'd rather die than try to explain what we are talking about.
"Well there are other attractive names for ...
"Ludo!" I say loudly and four heads turn to look at us.
Ludo presses her lips together and I address the guys as my impromptu scheme of diversion
"So what's the verdict?" I ask.
"Diagnosis!" Ludo corrects me. "They are repairing not passing judgement."
I glare daggers at her. "I know that."
"Good!"
"Guys," Nancy waves a hand between us, "look Vince called a mechanic he should be here in ten."
Ludo and I mouths drop open and we both speak
"Oh so it's Vince now."
"And how exactly do you know a mechanic from, where the hell are we again?"I look at Question since he was the one following the GPS, but the man's eyes are lost on Ludo with such a look that makes me think of taking the woman away and locking her away from him for safety.
"Look I am trying to solve our current problem." Vincent says rubbing between his eyes as if we are giving him stress
Ludo plants her hands on her hips
" Like you solved the first problem? Couldn't you just let us go on our veccation in peace?"
"Not this again" Joshua mutters and whoa when did he get so close to me? I blink up at him.
"Do you really want to go down that road?"
Ludo narrows her eyes at the man we both dislike at the moment, "oh I'm sorry are there consequences?"
Vincent folds his arms. Question steps between pissed off hulk and spitfire
"Guys please mind on the matter okay?"
"Shut up Q... You are not his slaves." She looks at Joshua as a way of telling him that he is also a part of that decalration.
"Ludo!" Her name in Vincent's commanding voice stops her short and she looks at him as if she is seeing him for the first time. " If you are not going to solve the problem then I suggest you get out of the way of those who want to "
She actually deflacts before him under his intense gaze. How will the universe or karma explain how in the everloving hell Nancy ended up with a personality like that?
Ludo steps away from him, folds her arms and gazes into space. A stance I have learned to label as revenge planning ludo truce
Nancy and I share a look and I shrug back at her as in Saying... He had it coming.
"And July.." hulk begins to address me but doesn't get far because Joshua steps in front of me
"Yes!"
Vincent blinks for a moment, in surprise I think then he narrows his eyes as if in realization before his mouth forms a small smile.
"I was only going to say," his tone is respectful all of a sudden, "that she should take the front seat when we move again "
"So then I will drive "
"What?" Question protests
"Or Ludo can come with us " Nancy suggests
"I am not letting that woman near me while I'm driving," he looks at Question, "it could have been worse."
Question nods
"Are you sired to him or something such that you spill your every guts to him?"
"It's obvious you got violent ..
Ignoring Vincent Ludo fumes at Question, "you told him that I violated you?"
And I couldnt take it anymore
"Oh for heaven sake I will drive! Ludo and Question can paw each other in the backseat."
Ludo gapes at me, Nancy face palms herself and Joshua says, in complete shock;
"You think we will let you drive us?’
"she just did," Question says with laughter in his voice
Ludo looks at me and says in the most defeated way that she could master at the moment, "I give up these guys are insane "
I bite my lip. If I laugh at her now I will also become the subject of her vengeful ways
"Anyway so that is the plan." Vincent finalizes.
I can almost hear people restraining themselves from rolling their eyes.
Who put him in charge? Really. Well never mind that. How long will we let him boss us around?
So an hour and five minutes later we are ready for the road again. Question is driving and Ludo is sitting in the back with Joshua she looks like she wants to kill someone.
And poor Josh keeps casting wary glances her way just to be ready to defend himself against untimely death.
"Earth to you madam." I text her. Because I'm a great friend and all...
"Shut up, m too mad at that pyscho control freak to come back to earth." She texts back with an angry fiery hot emoji
I take a deep breath before I poke the unstable bear.
"I have yet to decide which of u is unstable, so please stop being dramatic"
She scoffs audibly and I actually hear her fingers poking furiously on her poor must-have-cracked-by-now screen.
"Shut up and help me set a proper revenge for the bastard.
I got the number so call or text. Which is more less weird?"
I raise an eyebrow at my phone, "nothing about this is less weird considering we are invading a woman's privacy "
I start to readon because deep down inside I don't want to go through with this. I don't like Vincent now any more than I disliked him since I learned of his infuriating existence but this is just too much ...
Speaking of which
"Ludo how did u get the number!"
"Who cares. Call or text I want to know the truth "
Oh right I hadn't thought about that. How can we just believe these men and let it go? Suddenly I am divided.
"JULY!!!"
Oh boy. Three exclamation marks can't be good. It means madam is about to enter dramatic mode and I don't need that right now. At this point only Nancy can subdue her and it's not like I can text her for help and explain to her all this madness.
"Do whatever you want!" I'm now frustrated. I do need a break
I actually feel Ludo glaring at the back of the car seat I am in and my spine becomes straight.
Ten seconds pass before I master the courage to glance behind at her. What I see undos me. Her fiery eyes are narrowed into slits at her phone. An evil smirk on her lips and fingers flying like a hacker's on her screen.
One conclusion from all this is that she has done it and we are all screwed.