"So what are we going to do now? "
Clare asked the figure who had just entered the vehicle once again.
The man looked at her with his regular indifferent expression, who then closed his eyes and massaged his temples.
He let out a deep sigh and faced her with tired eyes and extended his hand in front of her.
"Give me your phone. I'm going to call for someone to pick us up."
Biting her lips, Clare regretted not buying herself a new phone, as currently she did not have a phone to use.
"I d-don't have one…don't you have a phone that you can use? "
"... I didn't bring one."
Oh, great.
They were beyond screwed.
Speechless, Clare's face turned solemn. Currently, no means of communication or whatsoever was available to them! How were they supposed to get home?
"I guess we have no choice… either we walk back or find the nearest town here."
His cold voice even brought more distress to her.
Jaxon, who was familiar with the area, was certain that Option A would definitely be suicide, as they had passed a considerable distance from where they came from, and definitely the best option was to look for a nearby town.
"Do I really have a say in this? "
"No, we'll look for the nearest town. It's impossible to go back."
'I knew it.'
Clare swallowed and looked down at her feet that were bare, devoid of any footwear that could protect them from the arduous journey ahead.
She had already imagined how much pain she would have to go through just to get to the nearest town, knowing that there were no signs of civilization up ahead.
As much as she wanted to protect her precious feet, she had to get home the following day, or she was cooked. Clare wanted to smack her own head for not picking up the heels, which she used as a projectile.
Noticing that Clare was staring at something from below, Jaxon followed her gaze.
Seeing her bare feet wrapped around each other, he could not help but roll his eyes.
'This dumb midget.'
He got out of the vehicle and walked towards Clare's side of the car to open it, as he had already guessed that the latter was unaware of how to open the door.
"Get out."
Clare gulped and stretched one of her feet out of the door and anticipated the cold, rough cement to touch the soles of her feet. However, her feet stopped midair as she was startled by the sudden action that the man in front of her did.
Crouching down with his back facing her, Jaxon looked back annoyed at the girl who seemed surprised by his sudden gesture.
"What are you doing? "
Clare asked him, completely confused as to why he was doing the piggy bank stance.
"Not only are you completely annoying, you're also… ha, never mind—hop on my back, midget."
'Why does this guy keep on calling me midget?! '
Fighting the urge to retaliate to his last remark, Clare has no choice but to shut her mouth and hop on his back, as this gesture of his has actually made her situation less unbearable. Although she hated this man with every fiber of her being, she couldn't deny that this action of his was… chivalrous of some sort.
'Fine, I'll admit it, he's not such an evil being after all… maybe just a little bit.'
Soon, Clare felt an unfamiliar sensation of being lifted in the air; clutching on the hard, broad back of the man in front of her, she couldn't help but get a whiff of his manly scent. He smelled of fresh cologne and a musk unique to his own, which she did not find unpleasant at all. Instead, it pleased her nostrils that she wanted to secretly sniff the back of his neck.
'Not only is he totally my type, but why does he smell absolutely heavenly?! '
It was such a shame that this man had the worst attitude!
Anyways…
It's not like a man such as him would cast a glance at a girl like her if they ever met in normal circumstances…
"Am I not too heavy? Want me to walk? "
Clare felt awkward alone with her thoughts and wondered if the man carrying her was getting tired as they were considerably far from where the car was parked at the side of the road.
"Shut up if you don't want your feet all tattered up."
'There's that cold voice again. Does he eat ice cubes for breakfast or what? '
"But we don't know where the next town will be. You might pass out from carrying me for too long because I might be too heavy for you," Clare said with genuine concern.
Halting his steps, Jaxon turned his head and met her eyes. Clare held her breath as his pointy nose grazed a bit of her face, and his grey orbs pierced through her.
Clare swallowed her nervousness and looked away, a slight tinge of red coloring her cheek. Thankfully, it was dark that Jaxon failed to catch sight of it.
The man did not say anything to her at all but had an 'Are you dumb? ' expression on his face.
"Fine. I'll shut up," she grumbled under her breath.
Seeing the odd expression on her face, Jaxon let out a small chuckle before he went ahead and continued his pace. The reaction was slightly funny.
That small midget reminded him of his puppy when he was 9 years old. They were both stubborn but showed the same defeated expression when scolded.
Amused that he finally showed another expression besides annoyance and sarcasm, Clare's heart started beating loudly against her chest. The low chuckle that he gave was enough to make her heart skip a beat, which was unfamiliar to her.
'Weird.'
She had never felt this way before; she felt a bit nervous and excited.
Excited for what?
Clare shook her head; she should not entertain the useless thoughts entering her mind. She needed to at least help the man by being a lookout. Probably just use her eyes, since technically she could not use any other part of her body besides it.
From a distance, a pole of light illuminating what looked like a shed was caught in her line of sight. She excitedly pointed at it and tapped Jaxon on his shoulder.
Finally she could come down from this back! Any longer of it and she would die from her heart beating too fast!