"Are you okay?" Cleo asked out of silence, being in a closed vehicle with quite sceneries and a long drive have made it deafening.

I kept quite and glanced at her direction too see that she had an unreadable expression, I couldn't quite read. I chuckle to myself while she stared blankly at the window with a frown on her face, in the midst of overthinking matters.

"What?" She hastily said, as she was out of her trance by my laughter.

"Nothing, you just look constipated when you overthink." Laughing softly, annoying the heck out of her.

"Am I suppose to laugh?" She asked sarcastically, faking a laughter going along with me.

Summer nights were always luminous with starlight, the moon full and bright and the road stretches onward, while I carefully took turns in an easy stride. Out of the corner of my eye, observing her movements, she was rubbing her arms feeling a chill.

"My coat's on the backseat, wear it." Concerned for her well being, I instructed hoping her thick head won't argue and let it be.

And she did, taking it on the backseat and wearing it then while I was focused on the road, for we had a long way to go.

"Are you okay?" It was my turn to ask her, casually leaning on my seat for support when I'm anxious.

"I'm fine, just a little shaky from ... things." Her voice was low and a soft sigh escaped her lips.

"What things? that I found out your participating in illegal drag racings? or the encounter I had with that mechanic?" I asked, making me frown as it left a bad taste on my statement.

"He has a name you know, and it's Jack." She made sure to remind, while I slyly chuckle as if I would like to remember.

"I'm kinda actually starting to think that you're meaner than I am." She adds, while my eyes were still on the road driving safely.

"I just don't like you hanging out with him, I hate his guts." I seriously replied, surprising myself a bit by my behavior as I was making it seem like I was an overprotective jealous boyfriend.

I don't do relationships.

But I do care about her, that's different.

My inner-being tells me so, convincing myself that there was nothing wrong for me to be that way. I push off the thought, coming to my senses.

"God, when do you both plan to stop going at it." She exasperatedly sigh.

"Jack's been a long time friend, okay? No need to." She spoke, backing up her statement.

Silence then again engulfed our closed area, the smell of argument was evident if I continued to push her buttons. Still I wasn't convinced, I would never see myself liking the guy let alone for her. But I drop the topic, and came to think of another one.

"Why do you race?" I questioned out of the blue, trying to gain her interest.

"I love the adrenaline." Her voice was sincere but her brows were slightly raised, uncertain if she'd tell the truth.

"You won't tell mom, won't you?" She questioned, her eyes were pleading as she looked at me intently.

"What do you think of me? 5?" I tried to assure her but my sarcastic response was far from the idea of her trusting me.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." I spoke sincerely with truth, the crease on her forehead from worry started to ease out as soon as she heard it.

"I first knew that hideout was on 10th grade, it was popular from the seniors and so we would go there and see, while I always look forward to the day I'd do one. I knew how to drive but it was just a matter of how will I be able to finish and win." Her eyes had zoned out, as she started to reminisce about her past.

I listened, carefully. Interested of her and how she was before our parents met, before we met. A private person she was, it was refreshing to see her open up about her life without me trying to ask because she just did and so I let her be.

"Then I met Jack, he taught me how to drive a sports car the ways, the different set ups and all. Throughout time, I tried and tried and I won my first race ... it became a habit and ever since then, I was always on for the races." A small smile appeared on her face.

"Unfortunately, mom doesn't approve because it's dangerous but I secretly continued anyway. Until I had this street racing thing going on, the cops were on our tail ... I tried to run away but to no avail it was one against five so. It was jail time, luckily I was bailed out and mom never let me have a car again." She shrugs, smirking and rolling her eyes like she was thinking of her situation before.

A close-lipped smile was plastered on my feature, mentally shaking my head as to how she was rarely behaves and changes nothing for nobody.

"How about you? ... how did you come to know of that hideout? You're a bad boy huh? Were you winning races and virginities before?" Breaking my thoughts, she asked in a serious manner as she was confused whilst her brows furrowed.

I burst out laughing, and I haven't had a good laugh for ages. She was teasing me, trying to get me to spill out my years of stupidity in puberty.

"No, it wasn't like that." I shake my head, while I try to refrain myself from laughing as she was starting to narrow her eyes on me.

"It was very popular in my years back as well, I used to participate but not really into it just felt like in the mood to. Cops weren't too tight before, until huge amounts of money's been put in making it a business and a gamble so it died down for a bit. Not until now, too see you drove that car like fucking A. You just keep on surprising me Cleo Cohen." I spoke with sincerity, a grin on my face.

"Why, thank you." She was smiling from ear to ear, a faint blush on her cheeks flattered by my comment.

While I saw her laugh, genuinely and for she was genuine. My eyes admired her, as she was biting her thumb like she was deep in thought and she runs her hand through her hair whilst her eyes looked from afar, admiring the view before us. It was no denying that she is beautiful.

Cleo's beautiful.

And ever since she came on that dining room, on her first day with us. With all that look that could lure but behind her facade was something else. I looked away and pursed my lips and was also in a deep thought.

This was just all the admiration talking.

We neared downtown California, brought back from the reality. Through the ride, I recalled that the last time we ate were hours ago and a plan came into mind as I turned the car around to the other direction, taking her to eat.

"You must be hungry."