The Tension of Departure

The atmosphere around the table grew tense as Nick fidgeted with his tie. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go to work," he said, his unease evident. He glanced at Noah, whose probing questions had made him uncomfortable throughout the evening.

"At Mikel's?" Mr. Wills asked, looking up from his glass of wine.

"Yes," Nick replied curtly.

"Your first case?" Mrs. Wills inquired, her curiosity piqued. She was eager to know if it was his first significant case to handle.

"I wish. His dad asked us to take care of the paperwork," Nick said, adjusting his suit and gathering his belongings. He was ready to leave, anxious to escape the scrutiny.

"He studies law and gets great grades," Mrs. Wills said to Noah with a proud smile.

Nick, still smarting from Noah’s earlier comments, shot back, "But it's all strength of mind, no intelligence." He directed his words pointedly at Noah, a rebuttal to her previous criticism of his surfing.

Noah, undeterred, replied with boldness, "Don't worry if you're fired from Mikel's Dad's firm. You still have your dad's. There will be a Leister Enterprises subsidiary to milk, right, Nick?"

Her words hung in the air, and the rest of the family stared at her angrily. Mrs. Wills, trying to diffuse the situation, began to scold her daughter. "Noah, please," she said sharply.

Nick, trying to maintain his composure, forced a smile. "No, it's fine. My evening was going to be dull. Now we’ll have something to laugh about." He stood to leave, intentionally dropping his handkerchief. As he bent to pick it up, he whispered to Noah, "See you later, sis," before turning on his heel.

Noah, fuming, stood up as well. "I'm leaving too," she announced.

"You’re staying," Mrs. Wills ordered, trying to regain control of the situation.

"No, wait, Nick, can you take her home? Isn't it on the way?" Mr. Wills interjected, attempting to mediate.

"Not really, it's quite a detour," Nick replied, eager to avoid further confrontation.

"I'd rather take a taxi," Noah insisted, her voice tinged with defiance.

"That's enough! We won't tolerate this attitude. It's best if you get along," Mr. Wills shouted, his patience wearing thin. He turned to Nick. "Will's is right. Go with Nick. Don’t worry, he's a careful driver."

Reluctantly, they both agreed. Nick and Noah left the table, their departure leaving the rest of the family in uneasy silence.

Outside, the night air was cool, a stark contrast to the heated exchange inside. Nick led the way to his car, a sleek black sedan parked under a streetlamp. He opened the passenger door for Noah, who slid in without a word. They drove in silence for several minutes, the tension palpable.

----

Nick's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he sped down the dark, winding road. The tension from the restaurant was still simmering, and Noah’s persistent criticisms only fueled his frustration.

"What are you doing?" Noah asked, her voice trembling with fear as the car accelerated. She wasn’t sitting properly; instead, she was bracing herself against the door.

"What's your problem now?" Nick retorted, pretending he didn't know what he was doing.

"I don't want to die because of a lunatic who can't drive!" Noah shouted back, her anger mixed with fear.

"You think you could do better?" Nick challenged, his eyes focused on the road ahead.

"Wanna bet?" Noah snapped, trying to muster courage despite her fear.

"You're in my house, in my city, and in my car, so shut up," Nick ordered, his frustration boiling over.

"Just because you own things, you think you're a god. Well, you're in my personal space, my comfort zone, and my sight, so go away!" Noah yelled, her voice rising with each word.

"Your mom must love you a lot to put up with you," Nick muttered under his breath.

"What would you know about a mother's love?" Noah shot back, her words hitting a nerve.

Nick's anger flared, and he slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a sudden, jarring stop. "What are you doing?" Noah asked, panic seeping into her voice.

"Get out," Nick lashed out, his voice cold with fury.

"Why? What did I say?" Noah asked, confused by his sudden rage.

"Get out or I'll get you out myself," Nick warned, his patience gone.

"You wouldn't dare," Noah said, giving a doubtful laugh.

Nick didn't hesitate. He stepped out of the car, stormed around to her side, and yanked the door open. "Nick! Nick!! What's he doing? No way, no!" Noah shouted as he dragged her out of the car.

"Nicholas! Nick, let go of me! What are you doing?" she screamed, trying to break free from his grip.

"Call that taxi," Nick said, his tone icy as he moved back toward the driver's seat.

"No taxi will pick me up here!" Noah retorted, panic rising in her voice.

"Uber then?" he replied, dismissively.

Nick climbed back into the car and slammed the door shut. Noah banged on the window, desperate for him to reconsider, but he drove off, leaving her alone in the middle of the dark, deserted road.

"Nick! Nick! Nick seriously? You're not even going to give me a safety vest?" she shouted after him, her voice echoing in the silence. As his taillights disappeared into the distance, the reality of her situation set in. "This can't be happening to me," she muttered, trying to hold back tears. She pulled out her phone, only to see the dreaded low battery warning. "And now I'm out of battery. God damn. Fuck that asshole! Fuck!"

Frustrated and scared, Noah started walking down the lonely road, the sound of her footsteps echoing in the stillness of the night. After what felt like an eternity, she saw headlights approaching. She waved frantically, but the car drove past her without stopping.

"Fine, don't stop! I bet you're a serial killer. I dodged a bullet there," she muttered angrily. To her surprise, the car stopped a few meters ahead and began reversing towards her. Noah's heart raced with a mix of hope and fear.

The car window rolled down, and a stranger's face appeared. "Hey, are you okay?" the man asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.

"Yeah, some jerk left me stranded here," she replied, pointing in the direction Nick had gone.

"All alone, in the middle of nowhere?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, alone in the middle of nowhere," she repeated, exasperation in her voice.

"All right, bye," she said, starting to walk forward.

"No, wait!" he called out, realizing she must have been rude to her. "I know that sounded bad, but it's true. I can't leave you in the middle of nowhere," he said, a friendly smile breaking across his face.

---

Noah sighed as she slumped into the passenger's seat, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on her. "What a day. I couldn't even take my charger out of my suitcase," she grumbled, plugging her phone charger into the car’s USB port. She glanced over at her unexpected driver. "So, where am I taking you?" he asked.

She looked up from her phone, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Where are you headed?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "To some random party at a villa out there. I'd invite you, but if what I just said sounded bad, you'll think I'm gonna dismember you."

She laughed, the sound light and genuine. "The surprise guest, right?" she teased, her smile widening.

"Where do you live?" he asked curiosity in his voice.

"Where do I live?" Noah repeated, stalling for a moment as he navigated through the city's evening traffic. "Know where the Leisters live?" she asked him, shifting the topic.

"Of course, do you live near there?" he replied, a little puzzled by her question.

"I live there," she answered simply.

"What? You live with Nicholas?" he asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"Worse, he's my stepbrother, and the one who left me stranded," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Nick?! What an asshole," He said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Well, now I get it. He didn't have time to drop you home."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her interest piqued.

"He wanted to get there early," He said with a knowing grin.

"Get where?" she asked, leaning closer.

"To the party, I told you about," he said.

"Hold on, Nick is there?" she asked, her voice rising with incredulity.

"There's no party without Nick," he replied, pulling into the driveway of a sprawling villa, the thumping bass of music already audible from inside. He turned to her with a mischievous smile. "Welcome to the party."