Hidebound

Chapter FortySeven

The drive is silent. Hex's hand remains on my thigh the entire time as he drives with the other, his fingers tap either the steering wheel or my skin as I see the cogs turning in his head.

I know his mind is going to worst place scenarios. His anger and frustration can be felt radiating off of him as it fills the car. It's not directed at me though, I know it's not, I can feel it.

He knows there's only one reason that I would hide something from him in an attempt to avoid a public outburst. He knows this somehow has something to do with Amos and Ace Pollar. Nothing gets him wound up quicker then that family.

My body heats up as my anxiety builds with the impending conversation I'm about to have with Hex, the air inside the vehicle feels restricting and I can feel the sweat gathering on the back of my neck.

I tap the switch on the door and the window rolls down a few centimetres, not enough to freeze us but enough to feel good on my skin as it whips my hair away from the back of my neck.

Visions of Hex punching the wall and a hole being left in place fill my mind. Will he leave and come home drunk? He's done it before why would he not do it again? Or will he be calm and collected all the while that red, hot anger bubbles underneath?

I'm pulled from my thoughts as Hex curses loudly, the horn of multiple cars can be heard around us. Hex's hand squeezes harshly at my thigh as our car swerves, before it moves up to my chest, pinning me to the car seat and not allowing my body to fall forward into the dash like gravity wants it to. It happens too quickly for me to react as dust flies up around us when the car wheels disturb the dirt on the side of the road. Hex breaks harshly and the seatbelt squeezes the air from my lungs.

"Fucking fuck!" Hex shouts making me jump. My heart thumps in my chest and adrenaline runs thick through my veins. I sit up straight and look around as Hex removes his arm from me.

"W-what happened?" I question but he's already out of the car, the drivers door slamming loud enough to make the windows rattle. His hands clench at his sides as he walks determinedly.

I see the black car of the Pollar's in my mind. It's stupid and instinctive because when I blink it's gone and I can't see it anymore. Instead, it's a red Camry full of teenager boys.

They had run the stop sign and Hex had had to swerve out of their way. They hadn't hit us but it was close and that was only because Hex had been alert enough to avoided them.

"Oh god" I panic when I see Hex rip open the drivers side door of the Camry and grab the collar of the teenage drivers shirt.

I fumble with the seatbelt in my panic before it finally clicks undone. I glance up again and still see him spitting words at the kids in the car. I can see the forming of his lips as swear words spill out left and right. The young driver holds his hands up in surrender and his face is turned away as Hex speaks between clenched teeth, his nose nearly touching the kids cheek.

I push open my car door and stumble out, moving quickly around the car to get to Hex.

"Hex, please. It was an accident" I place a hand on his tense back and the other on his bicep of the arm that holds the kids shirt. He's skin is hot to the touch, his anger all consuming.

"Y-yeah! An accident, it was just an accident, mister!" One of the kids in the backseat stutters as they watch their friend being shaken by Hex. Their eyes are wide and their faces pale as they watch closely.

"Hex, please!" I pull on his bicep but he doesn't move, except to tighten his grip on the kids shirt.

"Learn to drive you little prick or get off the fucking road!" he continues talking between clenched teeth and I see the kid flinch when some of Hex's spit hits him on the cheek.

"Okay, he understands Hex, let's go" I say into his ear, my own teeth clenched. Not in anger but in desperation. There's passing cars watching us and I pray nobody comes to intervene, that will be Hex's last straw.

He eyes every pale face that resides in the car and gives one last shove to the kid in the drivers seat, sending him knocking into the centre console with an 'oomph'.

Hex slams their car door shut, it shakes the small car and he uses his hand to knock the side mirror causing it to break and hang from the wires. The guilt starts to eat me. The look of terror on the kids faces and now the fact that they probably won't be able to afford a new mirror makes me want to apologise.

"Hex, please" my voice cracks. I'm thankful no tears appear. I had already had a horrible day with the impending nerves on telling Hex what had actually happened at work. And now this, maybe I shouldn't tell him while he's so angry.

"Get in the car, Poppy" I flinch at the coldness in his tone. The harsh, cold and monotone tone sends a shiver down my spine. The use of my name and not the usual 'baby' that he would string onto the end of a sentence hurts a little.

I turn around before I get in the car and lift my hand in a 'sorry' gesture to the kids that are still sitting frozen where we had left them, their eyes glued to Hex waiting for him to come back for round two. Not even the honks from the long line of cars behind them that can't see what's happening can get them to move.

Cars had built up behind us too but they had been patient and silent because they had been able to see what had happened and didn't want to be the next to experience the fury of Hex. My cheeks flame and I can only hope that we don't know anybody in the line.

I take a seat with a huff and Hex doesn't even wait for me to put my seatbelt on before he drives away, my back meeting the seat as he takes off slightly too fast.

My seatbelt clicks into place as I watch his hands grip harshly at the steering wheel. I side eye him while keeping my head forward, he's not wearing his seatbelt.

"Put your seatbelt on, please" I whisper. It's quiet, not even the radio is on.

Hex does what I ask without a word, the click echoing louder than usual in the silence.

My hands wring together and I hold them tightly on my lap to stop the slight shake that I can't control, the adrenaline still rushing through my blood from the near crash.

The wind from the gap in the window blows on my face, stopping the anxious sweating that wanted to take over my face and neck.

Hex's voice is gravelly and raspy when he finally speaks. "I'm sorry, baby" he says quietly and I hear the plead behind it. "I shouldn't have reacted that way and I'm sorry if I scared you" I gulp the lump in my throat away. I can't help it, it grows whenever the tears want to appear and hearing Hex apologies always pulls at my heart strings, even when he had been a dick.

"It's okay" I whisper to stop the crack that wants to break through my words.

His hand once again finds my thigh. I grab it and hold it between my two hands on my lap instead, hoping his touch grounds my shakes.

"I love you" he takes one of my hands and lifts it to his mouth, his lips meeting my skin and having a calming effect that resonates within me.

"I love you too" I reply back as our hands find my lap again.