Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

Chapter 164

LILY

Sitting in the back seat, I kept myself occupied by responding to a few messages from Ryan. We chatted for nearly the entire drive until he let me know he had to step into a meeting. With a quick "talk later," I pocketed my phone and shifted my attention forward. I looked at the driver, feeling a bit curious about him. "Clover, right?" I asked, hoping to start a conversation. I've never been one to ride in silence if I can help it, and I could only imagine that driving a stranger around might feel a bit awkward. He nodded, "Yes, my name is Clover."

I smiled, folding my hands. "That's a pretty unique name. Is there a story behind it?" I asked, genuinely curious. I hadn't come across anyone named Clover before, at least not in my adult life, and I found it refreshing.

He glanced back at me through the rear-view mirror, a small smile on his face. "No story, ma'am. I think my parents just liked the name." He paused, then chuckled softly, as if the idea of his parents choosing it on a whim amused him. "Something funny?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded, a small grin on his face. "Yeah. I was in New York last week, and someone else thought my name was strange and unique, too."

"Oh..." I smiled. "So I'm not the only one, then. Still, it's a nice name."

He murmured a quick thanks, and the conversation trailed off. For the rest of the drive, silence took over, but it was a tense silence, made worse by the glances he kept sneaking at me through the rear-view mirror.

After a few minutes, I'd had enough. The next time his eyes met mine in the mirror, I shot him a sharp look. "Do you have something you want to say to me?"

He looked startled, quickly diverting his gaze and clearing his throat. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, ma'am," he stammered. "I didn't mean anything by it."

I leaned forward slightly. "I don't need an apology. I just want to know why you keep looking at me like that. If there's something on your mind, spit it out."

He hesitated, swallowing nervously before speaking. "Well, actually... I was hoping I could make a quick stop at a store, just right on our path."

I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Excuse me? Did I hear that right?"

He cleared his throat, looking slightly uneasy. "I just want to pick up something from a friend, that's all."

I stared at him, barely hiding my disbelief. Was he serious? "So, let me get this straight. You want me to let you, make a detour and stop somewhere unfamiliar, just so you can pick up something?"

"No, no," he said, stumbling over his words. "I promise, we're not going off route. The store's right along our path,

much time was left before the school day officially ended. "You have less than three minutes," I said firmly. "You're not changing directions, you're not getting out of the car, and just so we're clear, I have 911 already typed out on my phone. If you try anything-anything

ma'am," he agreed with a nod, his tone grateful. "And thank you for

keeping my eyes on him and watching for any hint of strange behavior. Every glance he threw toward the rear- view mirror, every subtle movement of his hands on

he'd said he would. There, a young woman,

bag with a quiet thank you,

made up my mind. "Open the bag,"

mine in the rear-view mirror, confusion etched across his face.

whatever that is, in the same car. For all I know, that could be drugs or something illegal." Clover's face paled, and he held up his hands slightly as if to calm me. "I promise, ma'am, it's nothing illegal. Just some personal items. I didn't mean to make you suspicious."

chuckled lightly. "I

up

pulled over to the side of the road again, picked the bag, and carefully tore it open. Reaching inside, he pulled out a bottle of perfume, holding it up for me to see. Then he crumpled the bag to show it was empty before offering the

hand, declining. "It's fine, I don't need to touch

the bottle on the passenger

*********

I knew I owed him something. Taking a deep

with a warm smile. "No need to apologize, ma'am. You were just being cautious, and

a bit lighter after his response. "Right. I'll be back shortly." With that, I stepped out, grateful

their faces pale, and their usual energy seemed drained. Concerned, I immediately tracked down their teachers to find out what had happened. "They both had a bit of a fever, ma'am," the teacher explained. "They were in the

Liam's forehead, checking for any sign of fever. "Why didn't anyone call me?" I asked, my voice rising slightly in

"It wasn't that serious, and

me," I insisted. "Next time, the moment either of them starts feeling sick, you

ma'am," he replied, nodding

we resumed our journey home. As we drove, I focused on keeping the boys comfortable, trying to distract them

"So, ma'am," he said,