“Ow.”
“Are you okay?”
I pushed myself up and felt my left leg crumple under my weight. My ankle throbbed.
“Why did you jump out the window?”
I pretended not to hear this.
“I think I need to go to the ER.” There was a pause as he stared down at me. A very long pause.
“D’you want me to—”
“I’ll get an Uber.”
“Okay, cool. Well. It was nice, um—”
“See you, Felix.” I turned and hobbled away. When I was out of sight of his building, I leaned against a parked car and summoned my Uber.
I thought my troubles were winding down, but they were only beginning. The driver pulled up and opened his window to greet me, and my limbs turned to jelly when I saw that he looked exactly like Adam Driver.
Was I delirious from the pain of my ankle? Was I doing word association—Uber driver, Adam Driver? I might never know, but the evidence was all before me: he had dark, luscious hair and sad eyes, like a kicked puppy. He also had a delicious southern accent.
“ER, huh? How’d you get banged up?”
There was an undeniably sexy rumble to his voice. My ego was so bruised by my embarrassing exit that I wanted Adam Driver to soothe it. I wanted to be impulsive and sensual, not to be shutaway in a magical nunnery. I wanted to be driven mad with lust each time he flicked those deep-brown eyes toward me in the rearview mirror.
But I… wasn’t. What was wrong with me? First I had forgone ex sex with Felix, and now I couldn’t even summon some inappropriate stirrings when Adam Driver was driving my Uber?
“I jumped out a window.”
“Why’d you go and do that? You weren’t in danger, I hope?”
“No, no. I’m only a danger to myself.”
He let out a lowhmm, and the corner of his mouth curled up as his eyes flicked toward me again. I swear, it felt like the whole evening had been fated, leading me to this point, like the universe knew about my Kylo Ren fantasies. My mind raced ahead: I was meant to sleep with this sexy, southern Kylo Ren. I could see it unfold: The eye contact would get more and more heated at each stoplight, until finally I asked him to pull over, and he would turn around to ask me if everything was okay, and this magnetic attraction would overpower us. We would spring together, unable to stop ourselves from devouring one another and tearing off our clothes.
Yet the more I thought about it, the less appealing it sounded. I gave a tiny, confused whimper.
“Your leg?” he asked. “Hurts, doesn’t it?”
The pain in my ankle had, in fact, increased, and I felt like my sense of self was sliding around, unsteady and confused. I asked Adam/Kylo questions about himself so I wouldn’t have to think. He told me about his podcast and his hopes of becoming a voice actor—a goal I heartily encouraged—and within a few minutes we were pulling up to the hospital.
“Here we are, Miss Rachel. Need any help getting inside?”
“I’ll be okay. Thanks, Ad—er—” I checked the app and saw that his actual name was Matt. “Matt. Good luck with the podcast.”
“Hey.” He stuck his head out of the driver’s-side window as I hauled myself out of the back seat. “I never do this, but how’d you like to get a drink with me sometime?”
I froze.Yes, screamed the little slutty Rachel in my head.Say yes to Adam/Kylo/Matt!But his words reminded me of someone else’s:I’ve never done this before, but Rachel, I think I’m in love with you.
“I’m flattered, but I don’t think so.”What? No! Damn you, Christopher!
“Ah.” He gave me a rueful smile and slapped the side of his car. “Can’t blame a guy for tryin’. Have a good one.”
Completely devoid of breath, I hobbled into the hospital without looking back. I must have looked as pale and shell-shocked as I felt, because the woman at the desk called me over with concern in her voice.
“Can you stand to fill out the paperwork? Here, take a seat and I’ll bring it over to you.”
