by Shaw, Matt
“Shit,” Joel muttered under his breath.
“What seems to be the trouble?” asked the other man - the driver of the truck.
Even if the stranger they had met earlier at the petrol station hadn’t mentioned the fact he wanted to call for his brother, you’d have been able to tell they were brothers just by looking at them. The only difference between the two of them was that the brother with the tow truck looked older. He had more specks of grey in his dark hair - longer hair than his brother’s at near shoulder length.
“We ran out of petrol,” said Dan.
“Too bad, petrol station is miles away,” said the younger of the brothers - the one they had abandoned earlier.
“Hush now, Johnny,” said the other brother.
“Stephen...These fucks...” Johnny fell silent as his brother, Stephen, shot him a look.
“You’ll have to excuse my brother,” said Stephen. “He’s been stuck with his car most of the night.”
“Because they wouldn’t help me....” Johnny moaned under his breath.
Joel spoke up, “Look we’re sorry. As you can see, we clearly didn’t have the petrol to help out. We didn’t even make it to our destination!”
“There you go,” said Johnny, “they apologised.” He addressed Joel, “Although, had you helped him...You’d have been a lot closer to the nearest petrol station...”
“We don’t know the area, we’re only over this way because we got lost,” said Joel.
“Regardless, it doesn’t matter...Doesn’t change a damned thing now, does it?” Johnny continued, a smile on his face. “Anyway, as you can see, I’m already helping my brother out...Unless of course you’d like for me to leave his car here whilst we tow you to a petrol station?”
Dan could tell by the expression on Joel’s face that he was desperate to agree that this was a good idea; leave the car there and tow them to get some fuel. He jumped in before Joel had a chance to annoy the strangers so much that they’d just leave them there stranded, “How about you give us a ride to the nearest? We could just hitch a lift until one of us has enough phone signal to make a call...Get some help? Or, if we happen to get to a station first, we could jump out there?”
“No petrol stations where we’re going,” said Johnny. “We only live a little way from here. Sorry.”
Johnny turned away from the group and returned to the passenger seat of the tow truck. Once in, he slammed the door behind him.
Stephen made an excuse, “You’ll have to excuse him. He always gets cranky when he’s tired and hungry. He’s right, though, we only live down the road. Tell you what, I could drive him home...I could dump his car...Come back for you and take you where ever you want...How’s that grab you?”
“Or we could come with you...Make a call from your place, if that’s okay, and then...You wouldn’t have to come back out. If you only live down the road, we could walk back...” said Michael - sensing that neither brother would return for them.
“Or we could get someone to collect us from your place?” Dan offered.
Stephen turned his attention to Hayley. “Come back to our place?”
“Probably be easier that way,” Michael said.
Hayley shifted uneasily under the continuing gaze of the stranger.
“I’m not sure,” said Stephen. He looked back to Michael. “I’ll have to check with my brother. You okay to wait a minute?”
“Sure,” said Dan.
“Thanks,” Stephen walked over to the tow truck and jumped in next to his brother. He closed the door behind him so none of the group - watching on - could hear what was being said.
“Of all the people to show up,” said Joel.
“Just play it cool,” Dan told him. “We need to make the best of this situation. Unless...Unless you’d rather be sitting here for the rest of the day?”
“No, I’d rather be at the camp-site,” he said. He fired Michael a look to remind him that this was all his fault. Michael smiled.
The driver’s door opened and Stephen stepped down onto the road.
“Okay - hop in,” said Stephen. “You might have to sit on each others’ laps but...Should be enough room for you all to squeeze in,” he continued.
“What about our stuff?” asked Joel.
“Your stuff? Yeah, we aren’t going to fit that in,” said Stephen. “Seriously though, look around...It isn’t going anywhere...We’ll be back in about thirty minutes or so...I’ll take you back to my house...We’ll off-load my brother’s car...We’ll come back and tow you to the nearest petrol station. Your stuff will still be here...”
“I’ll wait here,” said Joel, “at least we won’t all have to squeeze in together...One of us should wait.”
“Up to you,” said Stephen, “I’m not going to twist your arm to come. All of you can stay, if you want...”
Joel turned to the rest of the group, “I’ll wait here...”
Dan stepped over to the tow-truck, “I’ll come with you,” he told Stephen.
“Me too,” said Hayley.
Stephen smiled, “So that’s settled...Unless anyone else wants to come along for the ride too?”
Charlotte stepped forward, “I’ll come,” she said - not because she felt it was necessary to go, she just wanted to get away from anymore awkward conversations with Michael.
“Okay, jump on in then,” said Stephen. He opened the back door of the tow-truck so his new passengers could climb aboard. Dan was first in, followed by Hayley and Charlotte. Stephen closed the door behind Charlotte and climbed into the front seat.
The engine of the tow-truck kicked into life as he wound down the window to talk to Joel, “So we’ll be back in about thirty minutes. You guys just hang tight and don’t go anywhere.”
Joel nodded.
“Thank you,” said Lara. She felt as though someone should say it and it was clear Joel wasn’t going to be the first in line to offer up some thanks for reasons unknown to her.
“My pleasure,” Stephen smiled. “What kind of human being would I be if I had just left you guys stranded?” He gave Lara a wink as the tow-truck pulled away from the conked out van.
“What was all that about?” Lara asked Joel.
“What?”
“You were rude. They’re helping us out and you were rude.”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“You were a little bit,” Michael chipped in.
“You know what, I don’t want to hear from you - this is your fault. Go for a walk, or something,” Joel told Michael.
“What’s wrong with you?” said Lara. “You’re like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde...One minute all nice - sweet even...”
“When was that?” Michael asked.
“The next, you’re back to being a bastard!” she finished.
“I’m tired,” said Joel, “and I don’t trust them. There’s something about them. Had we all gone with them - they’d probably have called one of their friends to come and take anything of worth from the van...It’s in the papers all the time, that sort of crime.”
“Well I don’t know what papers you’ve been reading,” Lara said. She turned her back on Joel and climbed back into the van. Once in, she laid down on the row of seats at the back.
“Shit,” Joel muttered. He had only just made it up with Lara, he didn’t want to ruin things again. Especially if he had any chance of fixing their broken relationship.
“What’s going on between you two?” Michael asked, picking up the mixed feelings between them.
“Just give us a minute,” said Joel. He walked over to the van and clambered up onto the seats in front of where Lara lay. He closed the door behind him to ensure Michael didn’t follow. “I’m sorry,” he told Lara. She didn’t reply. She just laid there, on the back seat, with her eyes closed. “Did you hear me?”
“Yes. Two apologies in one day. You must be coming down with something.”
“I meant what I said earlier,” he told her. He kept one eye on Michael to make sure he wasn’t l
istening to the private conversation but he needn’t have worried for Michael had turned his attention to throwing stones across the road. “I know it’s too late and the feelings aren’t mutual but...I do...I do still love you.”
“What do you want from me?” she asked without so much as moving. “Am I supposed to leap up and profess my undying love for you? Are we supposed to pick up from where you dropped us, as though it never happened? The two of us together forever? Back to boyfriend and girlfriend, married with kids before we know it...Live a long happy life, growing old together whilst watching our children continue in our footsteps...Starting their own family? Is that it?”
“What if I said yes?” he asked.
“What? I don’t have time for your games,” she moaned.
“Not a game. What if I said I did want to marry you? What if I told you that all this time, without you...I’ve been miserable. I know you have too...The time apart just made me realise how much I loved you...Helped by seeing you today...”
She opened her eyes to look at him, “You’re being serious?”
He nodded, “Marry me.”
“Do you know how ridiculous you sound?”
“I don’t care. We’ve wasted enough time.”
“We?”
“I...”
“We can’t get married,” she told him. “We’re too young for starters...”
“My folks got married early. They’re still together.”
“And mine are divorced so that must tell you what I think about the institution of marriage.”
“We could get engaged at least,” he pressed - desperation oozing from his voice.
“Do you have any idea how you are sounding at the moment?”
“I’m sounding like someone who is in love. Look, I want you. I know that now. I’m sorry for leaving you. I truly am. If I could take it back I would. Honestly. But I can’t. I just need for you to forgive me and say you’ll give it another go...That you want to give it another go...”
“And what if I don’t want to?” she asked.
He paused.
“What if I said okay to us getting back together and then you went and dumped me again? Do you know how much that hurt? How many nights I cried myself to sleep? Any idea?”
“It won’t happen again, I promise. I swear. You’re the one I want. We were great together, you know we were. And we’re meant to be together. If not then you’d have met someone else. Or I would have...But neither of us did, in the time we weren’t together. Come on, a speed bump, that’s what it was. We just need to get over it. I won’t let you down again. I won’t hurt you again.”
Lara sat up and rested her back against the back of the seat.
“I need to think,” she said. “This is all happening too fast.” And it was happening too fast. She had woken, that morning, hating him for what he had done for her. Deep down she knew she still loved him but what if he did dump her unceremoniously, by text, again? She knew she couldn’t take it a second time. Part of her wanted to tell him they could have another go but the other part of her feared they’d just be kidding themselves and the chances of them having a relationship were doomed from the offset.
Joel desperately wanted to push her for an answer but knew, to do so, would be to push her away. “Okay,” he said, “well...Take as long as you need,” he said. He only hoped that she didn’t need too long to think about it as he wanted nothing more than to cradle her in his arms once more. And some petrol for his van.
CHAPTER FIVE
The tow-truck turned off the road and slowly made its way up a dirt-track towards a large, nice looking house which was set back against some woodlands.
“You guys live here?” Dan asked from the back seat.
“Whole family does,” said Stephen. Johnny simply muttered - still annoyed at his brother for offering help to the people who left him stranded. “Me and my brother grew up here!” he continued happily.
Stephen parked the truck outside the house and backed up slightly until the car was in line with a garage which was set apart from the rest of the house. Stephen hadn’t even turned the engine off before Johnny jumped out of the truck and made his way towards the house.
As soon as Stephen finished maneuvering the truck, he turned the engine off and climbed out. Dan took his lead and also stepped into the fresh air - followed by Hayley and Charlotte.
“Still no signal,” Dan moaned as he shot a quick glance at his mobile phone.
“Really is a nice home you have here,” said Hayley - for no other reason than to fill the silence.
“I’ll just get the car off and then we’ll go back for your friends...”
“Thanks, we really appreciate it,” said Charlotte.
“Not a problem,” said Stephen. “So you got anyone waiting for you? You need to borrow a phone and let them know you’re running late? We have a phone just inside the house,” he continued helpfully, “yours if you need it...” Stephen moved to the back of the tow-truck and started lowering the car until all four wheels were back on the floor.
“We’re going camping,” said Hayley.
“Nice,” said Stephen. “Should have just pitched your tents where you ran out of petrol. Could have stayed close to the van and got someone to help with the fuel situation before you were ready to go home again.”
“Did cross our minds,” said Dan. He slid his mobile phone back into his pocket.
“You should have told me you were bringing back some friends!” called an elderly woman from over by the front door. Stephen rolled his eyes at the sound of his voice.
“My mother, Andrea...” he said. “I apologise now, she doesn’t get out much!”
“I’m just helping them out,” he called over to his mother. The group turned to see the lady, in her sixties, making her way over to greet them.
“I’m Stephen’s mother,” she said, “so very nice to meet you all...Are you staying for some dinner?”
“Mum, I’m just helping them out...I don’t even know them...They were just parked up on the side of the road...Ran out of petrol. We’re going any minute...”
“Going? You’ve only just got here!” his mother moaned.
“I’m just taking them back to their van and giving them a tow to the nearest petrol station.”
Dan stepped forward, “Honestly, if it’s a problem - we can make a call and get someone to come and meet us...”
“No!” said Stephen. “It’s not a problem. If it was, I’d say so. It’s all good.”
“Andrea,” said Stephen’s mother. She extended her hand towards Charlotte. “You are?”
“Charlotte,” she took Andrea’s hand and shook it. As soon as she let go, Andrea moved to Hayley and did the same.
“Dan,” said Dan when Andrea finally got to him.
“It’s lovely to meet you all. Now I insist you all stay for dinner,” said Andrea. She smiled at Stephen.
“They have friends waiting for them,” said Stephen whilst undoing the chain which bound the car to the truck.
“Well I suggest you go and get them,” she insisted. “Bring them back here. You can all have something to eat and then be on your way....”
“Thank you,” said Dan, “but that won’t be necessary. But thank you.”
“Nonsense. I insist. Come inside and meet the rest of the family,” she took him by the hand and pulled him towards the house. He had no choice but to go with her. “Come along, girls...” Andrea turned back to Stephen who was left standing by the truck, “Run along and fetch their friends,” she said, “we’ll be waiting.”
“Mum, they really don’t...” his words fell on deaf ears as the front door slammed shut. He sighed and reattached the chain to the back of his truck to stop it from swinging around when he next drove away.
* * * * *
“Please, make yourself at home,” Andrea told Dan and the two girls as she led them through to the living room. She pointed them towards the sofa which lined the longest wall of the room. Small co
ffee tables with lamps were on either side of the settee.
“Thank you,” Charlotte said.
“Listen, this really isn’t necessary...It was good enough of your son to help us in the first place. We don’t want to put you to any further trouble,” Dan tried to tell Andrea but she wouldn’t hear it.
“It really is no trouble at all,” she continued, “it’s nice to get visitors. We so rarely get visitors out here. The boys rarely bring anyone home. Their father, Robert, and I actively encourage it too!”