Page 26 of Tar City
“Just when people act like they’re right all the time.”
“I am right.”
I frown at him. “Okay, so?—”
“Just the two of us then,” he says, like he’s been waiting to say it.
I look at him. “You say that like it’s good news.”
He lifts one shoulder. “Depends who you ask.”
I fold my arms. “Let’s get this over with.”
His mouth twitches. “Yeah, sounds like a great time.”
I glare at him.
A train passes on the far track, loud enough to shake the platform. My hair lifts slightly in the rush of air before settling again. I glance down the platform one more time, then back at him. “We could… do this another day. When Ivan can come.”
Jax looks at me like he’s deciding how seriously to take that. “Or we don’t wait,” he says. “The sooner we get answers, the sooner you can help your friend.”
I hesitate. I look away, toward the tracks. “You don’t even believe he needs help.”
Jax looks at me. “You don’t either.”
“Then why are you here?”
He holds my gaze. “You asked. That’s what friends are for.”
I scoff. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Yeah,” he says easily. “You’ve mentioned.”
I shake my head, already annoyed with myself.
The train starts pulling in with the brakes screaming.
Everyone else crowds forward, pressing closer to the edge, but Jax stays completely still.
“Hurry up,” I say, pushing past him and onto the train.
Inside, the car is already packed. I grab the metal pole automatically, shifting to make space as people rearrange themselves around us. Jax just stands there. No pole. No wall. No anything.
I blink at him. “You’re not even going to pretend you know how this works?”
He looks at me like I just insulted him. “I know how a train works.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
The train jerks forward and Jax immediately loses his balance. His hand shoots out, missing the pole completely, brushing my shoulder before catching my arm. I stumble into him, his eyes flick down, quick, like he didn’t mean to—but he did.
I raise an eyebrow. “You definitely don’t take the train.”
He clears his throat. “My parents send a car.”
“A car,” I repeat. “Like… every day?”
