Damaged Beyond Repair by Kashmira Kamat (KittyKash) (best short books to read TXT) 📗

Chapter 9

To say Claire's driving skills equated walking towards the gate of death would be an understatement. That chick had no idea how to drive, made me wonder which jack ass even passed her driving test. Rowan sat in the passenger seat in the front, while I and Minnie sat in the back seat.

"In case you're not aware, Claire, this is not an amusement park and we are not driving a bumper car." he glared at her, "what the hell do you think you're doing?"

I almost flinched back in my seat, but it didn't have an ounce of effect on his sister.

"Rowan, are you aware of the fact that you're swearing in front of your three-year-old daughter who might as well pick on your swears one day and turn those back at your gaping face?"

That earned her a few more swears in a low tone, "It's your fault. I am not dying so soon, so I suggest you pull over and let me drive." He let a frustrated groan, "I never knew you sucked at driving so bad. Who the hell taught you?"

"It was Drew."

The car went dead silent.

Rowan smiled at some distant memory, "that asshole."

"Don't worry; I won't end up like him just because he taught me."

"Why would you say something like that, Claire?" Rowan asked palely, "you know it wasn't his fault, nor was it yours."

The atmosphere had taken a wrong turn from Amusement Street to intense street. Something told me they were talking about their dead brother and it didn't feel like my place to be listening to such an intense conversation.

"Wasn't it?" I could hear her voice drop, her fingers clenching the wheel tightly, "If I hadn't bailed on him that day, maybe he and Stef would have been alive. I was supposed to take his place."

Rowan clenched his hands in a fist, and snarled, "you stop your Guilty talking right now, or I swear I'll push you out of the car while the tires are still rolling."

His threat did wonders, and Claire fiddled with the radio, as she drove silently. As much as she made fun of Rowan, she was equally scared of him like a younger sister she was. She knew her place.

She looked into the rearview mirror, "Alana, we didn't make you feel uncomfortable, did we?"

"No. No of course not." I waved my hand at her in a dismissive gesture, "I wasn't even listening."

She offered me a nervous smile, and apologized to Rowan.

*~*

Claire was a ridiculous shop-till-you drop shopper. There were no traces of jet lag whatsoever. It was like a little emotional interlude in the car never even happened. I could relate her to Rowan in some ways. In the short while that I'd known him, he struck me as a speak-shit-now-and forget-in-the next-hour kind. I guess craziness ran in the family. I bet there were large scratches on that credit card due to excessive swapping.

She shoved a black tote in my face, "you like?"

"It's pretty." One look at the price tag told me, I would be skipping day and night meals if I were to buy this one.

Claire pouted, "You can have it."

"What?" I gaped at her, "No! No, no no. It's really expensive, I can't do that."

Claire batted her eyelashes, "pretty please."

I accepted her gift after a lot of convincing, though the guilt refused to stay at bay. She was so happy, and all I didn't want to make unhappy. She was like an exotic model, and when one bats her eyelashes like that it's a task to refuse any offer.

"So you gals BFF's yet?"

"She became my BFF the minute you told me she was your girlfriend."

Rowan's cheek resembled her red tote; he stifled laughter and turned to me, "she didn't bribe you into becoming her friend did she?"

"Nope." I said, "I already like her." which was the truth.

"Well, I am glad you girls are getting along." He seemed genuinely pleased.

"Daddy daddy, balloon." Minnie pulled on his shirt, pointing towards the balloon vendor.

"I'll be back." he sauntered out of the boutique towards the balloon vendor.

I looked through the clothes, pulling apart from each one—while I secretly checked the price tag. I didn't roll my eyes or displayed any kind of expression which might tell Claire I wanted something. The last thing I wanted was for her to buy me any more expensive stuff, not that I couldn't afford. It was just that I was completely broke this month plus I seriously didn't like bothering my parents about it.

Claire turned to me, "so Alana, I hope you don't mind me asking, how did you meet him?"

I wasn't sure I wanted to tell her that I was his student. "Uh—University. I—I mean we..met during a university carnival." I could freaking hit myself for arousing suspicion and for coming up with the worst lie anyone could ever think of.

Her brows shot upward, "Oh." She winked, "did anyone tell you're not good at lying?"

I laughed, seriously? I wasn't the one who could keep up my I-am-not-his-student facade any longer. Surprisingly, she laughed with me. She recovered before me, "so tell me," she scanned a tight red dress and shoved it back on the hanger, "what year?"

"Second year."

She nodded, "you guys are pretty into each other huh? I mean I can tell the way his eyes are always fixed on you and the way you look at him. Explains all." she smiled, "it's cute. I just hope it remains the same for a while longer."

I found myself smiling, but forced myself to stop when I heard that last line.

"Why would you say something like that?"

Claire smiled nervously, becoming all jittery, "Oh God. Oh God. I'm doing it again." she continued, "I didn't mean to put it that way."

I sighed heavily, I wished I hadn't met her if she was gonna spill some old rotten beans. I wanted to keep living my teenage dream and pretend everything was normal but from what Claire just spew I doubted all kinds of major bad. I had this feeling from the very start that something was wrong with this man. It took all my strength to ask her, "What are you talking about?"

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