I was so tired I didn’t crack a joke about him deigning to ask for directions. At this point, I’d happily sleep in the gas station. Anything that would get me out of this damn car.
He made a tight U-turn, but we drove only a few feet before he stopped.
“What’s wrong? Why did you stop?” I asked.
Sebastian pressed the gas pedal. A whirring noise vibrated beneath my seat, but we didn’t move an inch.
“I didn’t.” His face was pale. “I think the tires are stuck.”
My stomach plummeted. “You think?”
“Stay here.” He shrugged out of his jacket and used it as a makeshift umbrella after he exited the car.
I drummed my fingers against my thigh, my nerves too frayed for me to sit still.
After what seemed like an eternity, Sebastian returned. I didn’thave to ask how fucked we were; it was written all over his face.
“It’s the mud,” he said. “The tires are bogged down, but it’s impossible to get them unstuck in this weather.”
“But the storm’s supposed to last all night.”
“I know.”
I swallowed, unsure whether my sudden nausea was due to hunger, fear, or a mix of both. “So what does that mean?”
Sebastian’s expression was grim. “It means we’re stuck in this car until morning.”
CHAPTER 12
Maya
“NO,” I SAID. “WE ARENOTSLEEPING IN THE CARovernight. There has to be a way out of here.”
“You think Iwantto sleep here in this?” Sebastian gestured at his drenched clothing. Dark sludge coated the bottoms of his jeans, and his shirt and jacket were soaked through. “If you have a brilliant solution, I’m all ears.”
“We’ll call the police. You can still dial 911 with no cell service.” But when I tried, I kept getting a busy signal. “Comeon!” I jabbed furiously at the redial button.
What was the point of an emergency line if you couldn’t get through to them during an actual emergency?
“The lines are probably jammed,” Sebastian said, cutting the engine. We couldn’t keep the car running all night if we wanted it to have enough gas in the morning. “I bet there are a ton of accidents due to the storm. Even if you get through to them, we’ll be low on their priority list.”
My parents hadn’t raised a quitter, but even I knew when to admit defeat.
I slumped against my seat, my goose bumps multiplying asthe rain intensified again. It was so thick I couldn’t see two feet in front of me.
Were there wild animals in these woods? Or, worse, humans? It seemed like the type of place and night where serial killers flourished. Maybe there was one standing right behind our car, waiting for us to lower our guard so they could hack us to pieces.
I shuddered.That’s it. No more true crime podcasts.
“We should’ve stuck to the highway,” I said. “This would’ve never happened if you hadn’t insisted on taking the scenic route.”
“The scenic route?” he sputtered. “Youagreed to do this! Don’t act like I forced you. Also, you were in charge of navigating and decided we should turn into the fucking woods. So if there’s anyone to blame here, it’s you.”
“I didn’t decide anything. That’s what the app told me to do!”
“Apps aren’t always right!”
“Easy for you to say in hindsight! You’re the driver. You didn’thaveto turn in here. So don’t go trying to pin this on me.”