#crbit

The rain was pounding on the windshield as Ryan was driving Jeremy and Trevor back to their respective homes. Ryan gripped the steering wheel, the pitter-patter a strange relief in contrast to the bickering that was coming from the back seat.

“I just can’t believe you sometimes, Jeremy. Like what the actual hell?” Trevor grumbled at him, staring out the window. Ryan looked in the rearview mirror and saw Jeremy glare at the other man before he too, turned and faced out the window.

“Nothing I say apparently is making a difference in your fat head. In one ear and out the other.” Jeremy hissed. Ryan rolled his eyes as the two carried on while a flash of lightning shot across the sky not that far from them. Thunder immediately followed.

The car wobbled slightly as Trevor turned with momentum. “Do you honestly think it’s okay to talk to your co-workers like that?” his voice raised up in volume.

“Oh, so now I’m in the wrong here? What the fuck?” Jeremy raised his voice to match, although it cracked a bit. Ryan looked again in the mirror as his knuckles gripped the steering wheel more. Jeremy face was getting red and flustered. Ryna just bit down and ground his teeth. The two had been fighting the entire time back and in all honesty, Ryan was starting to get a bit tired of it.

“You honestly just had to come in and make things worse, didn’t you?” Jeremy shouted, his eyes starting to fill up with unshed tears. Ryan started a mental count to ten in his head trying to calm down at least a little bit.

“Never have I-” Trevor started, but Jeremy cut him off quickly.

“Oh really?! Never?” Jeremy bit out.

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Ryan now shouted and slammed on the breaks. The car came to a screeching halt and slid a few feet as the tires spun to gain traction on the slippery road. Quickly, Ryan spun around in his seat and turned to glare at the two of them.

“Both of you. Get the fuck out of my car now. I get it. We all had a fucking stressful day, but I’ve had it up to here with the two of you fucking bickering in the back seat. So get. Out.” he hissed.

Trevor and Jeremy stared at him in disbelief before looking out the windows.

“Are you fucking crazy? We’re in the middle of nowhere at the edge of town right now and you expect us to walk home? And in a shitstorm like this too?” Jeremy asked. Trevor only shrugged.

“It’s only a block to my place so I don’t care at this point. Thanks, Ryan. And fuck off to you, Lil J.” Trevor said, his voice slightly fluctuating at the end as he slammed the door as hard as he could and ran off towards his house.

Ryan now turned to stare at Jeremy. Jeremy stared back.

“Asshole. I still live at least another twenty minute drive.” Jeremy mumbled as he too got out of the car and slammed the door as well.

Ryan turned back around and sighed with relief and breathed in the rain scent air, the pitter-patter calming him down. Putting the car in drive, he took a side-tour away from his house, wanting to release the last of his anger from the petty argument. A buzz from his phone and he saw that Trevor had text him, indicating he got home no thanks to him.

“Jerk.” Ryan huffed and slowed his car down as he pulled up on to a lookout spot off the road. He turns the vehicle off and watches the storm happen around him. The rainfall increased, now a torrential downpour and Ryan watched as lightning danced across the sky, never touching the ground and barely giving the clouds a break. The rolling thunder soothing the anger in him.

Ryan looked at his phone once again. Almost an hour had passed now since the two men were kicked out of his car. He frowned, not seeing any texts from Jeremy.

Ryan unlocked his screen and shot a quick text out to the smaller guy. Hey, you home yet?

He locked it back up and turned the car back on and started to drive back to where he kicked the man out.

Thirty minutes later and still nothing.

Worry was now eating away at Ryan’s stomach. The sun was long set, regardless of the storm happening around them. The time burned itself into Ryan’s eyes as he checked his phone again; 9:32 pm.

“Jeremy. Where the fuck are you.” he mumbled to himself as he drove around, searching for him. Ryan was now trying to keep panic at bay, mixed in with anger. Anger at himself now.

“How could I kick them out in a storm like this. I’m such an asshole.” Ryan swore. Ryan dialed Jeremy’s number this time, hoping the other man would pick up. No such luck. Another hour passes by as Ryan continues to look for Jeremy, bile threatening to creep up his throat at the thoughts passing through his head.

He pulled over and put the car into park, slamming his head against the wheel.

Bzzz. Bzzz.

Ryan’s phone started to vibrate seconds before his ringer went off. Quickly, Ryan snatched it up and looked at the caller ID.

It was Jeremy.

Ryan almost dropped the phone from his hand as he hurried to unlock it.

“Jeremy? Shit man, I’m sorry for kicking you out. Where are you? Please let me know you are okay. Jeremy?” Ryan got out all in a rush. Ryan paused, waiting for a reply. There was nothing there except heavy breathing.

“Jeremy?” Ryan asked, his voice almost a whisper.

“Ryan he-” Jeremy’s voice cut through, panic and fear lacing his voice. It was cut off short, a muffled scream echoed in it’s place. Ryan’s entire body stilled as he heard grunts and shuffling, followed closely by yelling and Jeremy sounding in pain.

“Jeremy! Where are you? Jeremy!” Ryan screamed into the receiver. At once the sounds stopped. Ryan held his breath.

“Jeremy?” he whisperd.

There was a sound a footsteps echoing on the line, slowly getting closer and louder. The sound of a man painting came on the line, a man Ryan did not know before he heard a click and the line went dead.