CHAPTER 27

The van sputtered once. Twice. And then it died, coasting to a stop in the middle of the road.

"No… no, no, no," my voice cracked, trembling as the weight of the moment hit me like a freight train. I threw my head back, squeezing my eyes shut, my lips quivering with barely contained panic. My heart, which had just started to settle, now decided to go full-on marathon mode in my chest. "This… this is literally the worst possible time for this to happen."

Alex didn't respond. Not a word. He just let out this slow, deep breath—one of those frustratingly calm ones that only made my nerves worse—and leaned his head against the steering wheel. For a moment, I thought maybe he was as freaked out as I was. Maybe. But then, without so much as a sigh of exasperation, he pushed the door open and hopped out.