"I figured you'd come looking if you got worried. I left it for you,

" Ernest replied with an ease that seemed second nature to him., But in a moment of brain fog, I blurted out,

"So, stepping out looking like that was on purpose?

", Ernest's Adam's apple bobbed,

"No, I heard my phone ringing and thought to answer it. Didn't expect... well, this.

", Yeah, just this kind of coincidence., Lucky for me, he was in great shape. Eye candy, for sure., On the way to the Wagners', Ernest kept quiet. Thinking he was nervous, I said,

"At the Wagners', just a hello will do. Leave the talking to me.

", Ernest just nodded,

"Mm.

",

"If Conrad's there and starts any trouble or makes things difficult, don't hold back,

" I instructed., Ernest affirmed,

"Alright.

",

"Also, we need to get our story straight. Let's say we met at Galaxy Harbor. You... took a liking to me and followed me there,

" I said, feeling a bit shy about the whole thing., Ernest reassured,

"I shouldn't mess that up.

",

"Huh?

" I didn't quite catch his drift at first, but then it dawned on me., That left me speechless, so we continued in silence., But the silence made the atmosphere all wrong. Feeling tense, my driving became jittery, and just my luck, some idiot ahead slammed on the brakes, nearly causing me to rear-end them. Ernest, reacting quickly, grabbed the steering wheel and jerked it, angling the car at 45 degrees to avoid a collision., It took me a moment to snap out of my daze. His quick thinking and action felt almost surreal.,

"Keep your eyes on the road. Crashing is one thing, but getting hurt is another,

" Ernest chided, then straightened the car once the traffic resumed normal flow., I've been driving for three years, yet I felt utterly amateurish now., After driving in silence for a while, I finally composed myself and asked,

"Your driving skills are incredible. Were you a driver in the military?

",

"No!

" I glanced at him curiously,

"Then what?

",

"Special Forces!

", I wasn't familiar with the specifics, but I'd seen enough TV to know Special Forces meant being at the forefront of action, which was undeniably cool., Ernest had that cool factor., He radiated a tough resilience that was truly rare.,

"Why did you leave the service? Why not become a SWAT officer?

" My curiosity about him was peaking today., Ernest didn't answer right away, which made me think of something Deborah had mentioned., Could it be his father's car accident?, But it felt too direct to ask outright, so I took a roundabout approach,

"Ernest, you've never mentioned your parents or siblings. Just in case the Wagners ask...

"

"My parents are gone,

" he cut me off before I could finish.,

"My dad died in a car crash while driving for his boss. Both he and his employers didn't make it,

" Ernest said, looking directly at me., My heart sank. My parents had died in a car accident, too, and the topic always unsettled me.,

"My mom passed away from prolonged grief after my dad's accident,

" his voice was low, heavy with emotion., I sensed his sorrow and immediately regretted bringing it up,

"I'm sorry...

",

"I suspect my dad and his boss' accident wasn't an accident,

" Ernest added, dropping a bombshell., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.