A/N: Hiya lovelies, So happy you came back again. I'm amazed by the response I got for this story. There weren't many reviews but quite a few of you put it on alert so mad love to all of you!

I need to show some love to my Beta, GoldenGirl2707. She's gone where not many have ever gone before and I love her for it. Big Smooches, GG.

Ok, its time for me to shut up and you to read. Til then end...Mad Love, Scrappy

~~~~DRIVE~~~~

I spun around at the sound of Jake's baritone voice. "Stalker much?" I joked.

"Everyone needs a stalker," he said as he started towards me, quickly closing the distance between us.

I don't know where the snarkiness came from, but I replied, "And you think you're man enough to handle me?"

Jake smirked. "I don't know. I guess we'll just have to spend some more time together and see if I'm up for the job. What do ya say we find somewhere to chill and wait out this traffic?"

I was enjoying being spontaneous, so I decided to go with him. It was an easy decision. The simple fact was that I enjoyed his company and had nothing better to do, so what the hell? With a small nod, I agreed, and we headed out the lobby doors into the warm sunshine. There were people everywhere. I flipped a mental coin and decided to go right. Jake never questioned where I was taking him; he just fell into step beside me. I scanned the crowded parking lot, looking for somewhere we could relax. All the picnic tables were taken, so I decided to head towards a grassy area that stretched out beyond the buildings of the rest stop. We made our way out of the cluster of disgruntled travelers and over to the outlying trees. I chose a spot far enough from the crowds but was still close enough that we weren't completely alone. I stopped and gestured to the ground. "So stalker-man, you wanna get down n' dirty with me?"

Jake threw back his head and let out a boisterous laugh. "I'd be an idiot to turn down a proposition like that." He contorted his large frame and lowered himself down to the grass in front of me. I just watched as he tried to get comfortable. After a few awkward positions, he finally decided to just stretch out and rest his head on his hands. I sat with my legs out in front of long seconds before Jake finally broke the ice and asked, "So this traffic is insane. Is it gonna mess up of your plans?"

"Not really," I answered. "I've got a long drive ahead of me and I really hadn't decided on any specific stopping points or anything. I'm just going with the flow and right now the flow has stopped. What about you?"

"Nah, no plans for me either. I'm just like the lone wolf, wandering aimlessly around, except now I'm traveling home."

"Have you been away long?" I asked.

"Not really. But for a guy who never left the neighborhood, being gone any amount of time may be considered long."

"Why'd ya leave in the first place? Did ya get the itch to get out?"

"Not exactly," Jake replied, pausing a moment to think before falling into an explanation. "Things at home had gotten a bit too intense for me a few months back. I wasn't coping well, so I decided to get away for a bit. I haven't really done anything interesting or exciting. I just drove and thought about things. There's something about speed that is just relaxing. The problem is my pops is in a wheelchair and being alone is hard for him. I've tried to call home almost every day, and he says he's fine, but I can tell he's getting lonely. Not to mention, I'm sure he's wearing on everyone's patience. There aren't many people who are willing to help out and he can be an ornery old man when he wants to be. So now it's time for me to head home. I need to get back and be responsible, ya know?" He hesitated for a second, pulling up blades of grass, before quietly adding, "They don't even know I'm coming back yet."

It was obvious that this was something he wasn't looking forward to. I couldn't help my curiosity, "Are you worried about it?"

"Yes and no. Like I said, it was intense. It's just a lot of crap that we're gonna skip over for now." He rolled onto his back and stretched out fully, focusing on the few clouds overhead. "That wouldn't lead us to a conversation that promotes relaxation. So let's end my story and you can tell me yours."

"So much for relaxing," I joked. "Well, um, my story is pretty close to yours except while you're running towards home, and I'm running away from mine." I looked up and noticed he had turned his face to me and was waiting for me to continue. We hadn't really spoken of anything personal during our first meeting at lunch, but things were just easy with him and I decided that it couldn't hurt to tell him a bit about myself. "Well, I guess to use your words…things were a bit intense for me, too. I just couldn't deal anymore. So I decided to break away and start somewhere new. I realized I was living the life that everyone else wanted me to instead of living the way that I wanted. And I was done. I wanted to make my own choices, even if they ended up being mistakes. It was time to do me. I had been following everyone else's advice and I was still miserable. So maybe, even if just for a bit, I would listen only to myself and see what happened. So I quit the job, broke the ties, and I'm heading out into the great wide unknown looking for something different."

"That's a bit adventurous for a little thing like you."

"Little? I got your little." I snapped. "I'll have you know I have mad ninja skills. You might just want to watch yourself."

"Sure, sure, Mini-Lee. What have you done that was so ninja?"

"Jacob-san…One does not speak of the ninja," I said in my best Mr. Miyagi imitation. I was starting to feel better now that I had moved the conversation away from such serious topics. It was an odd situation because all I could think about when he was talking was what it would feel like to hug him or to kiss him. Images of his arms around me kept popping up in my mind, but at the same time, I knew he would never think of me the same way. In the end, I was happy just spending time with him, even if in my head it was a completely different scenario. As much as I wanted to be the new Naomi, some habits die hard. "So enough with the serious; tell me about your favorite place to drive?"

Without a second's hesitation, he beamed and replied, "In the mountains. Definitely the mountains." I smiled at his enthusiasm. "My absolute favorite place would be on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It runs along the very top of the Appalachian Mountains and goes through about three states. The roads are narrow and windy, so I was completely focused on not dying. There wasn't enough down time to worry about any real life drama. My car hugged each turn so tightly. I probably pushed it a little too fast but it was perfect for a good thrill. I mean, the roads are built on the very edge of the mountain ridge. If you just look straight ahead, it feels like you are flying. There is nothing but mountain tops as far as you can see. I think I drove along that road for hours. I know I didn't stop until I had to come down for gas. But I swear, I…"

My giggle stopped his rambling. "So, you LOVE Mountains. Noted," I teased.

"Whatever. I guess I did get a little carried away. But it really is a damn good drive," he conceded. "What about you? What's the most fun you've had behind the wheel of a car?"

The cocky grin that spread across his face was proof enough that he meant that exactly how it sounded. "Hmm?" I stroked my chin as if I was in deep thought. "I think the most interesting thing I ever did was actually on a mountain road, too. See, it was not long after I had left home, and I was just kinda driving for the fun of it. Well, I reached the crest of the top of this mountain and the highway was clear. All I could think about was something my dad use to talk about and figured what the hell. So, just as I started down the incline, I threw the car in neutral and then shut the engine off."

"You're kidding!" Jake blurted out. I just shook my head no and smiled. I had his undivided attention.

"Any who, I'm free rolling down this mountain and I'm gaining speed. I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't hit the brakes because, well, that would just be crazy," I snickered before going on. "It was a serious rush to just let go like that. I rode like that for the full length of the downhill slope; must have been a couple miles. Don't get me wrong-I was full on scared and excited all at the same time. I was definitely white-knuckling the whole way down. I could see the hill ending, so I braked and got the car down to about 70. I took a deep breath, pressed in the clutch, threw her in gear and proceeded to bump start my car. Luckily, I remembered that I was supposed to pop out the clutch and then push it right back in just as the motor started." I shrugged nonchalantly and added, "But yeah, that was probably the most interesting thing I've done."

He nodded approvingly, "Well Mini-Lee that was definitely Ninja!"

We compared a few more car stories, falling easily into different conversations. On and on we talked, completely oblivious to the time passing or the people moving around us. Jake told me about his home and his friends. I couldn't resist asking if he had a girlfriend. He just shook his head 'no' and proceeded to tell me about this crazy female he hung out with. He said her name was Leah and she was so bad-ass that she had successfully scared the shit out of each and every one of the guys in the neighborhood; present company excluded, of course.

It turned out his love of cars went farther than just admiring them. He was a mechanic and had actually built several cars from scratch. Naturally, the one he was most proud of was one he built when he was 17. I'm sure there was probably more, but I was hypnotized by his husky voice. I couldn't seem to really comprehend what he was saying and was pretty sure I missed most of the more adventurous stories he was telling me.

All too soon, he was looking at me, hinting that I needed to start talking. I don't know why this was starting to feel like a tennis match, volleying back and for the as we spoke; first him, then me. I didn't know what to say at first. It was always difficult finding the right balance between sharing too much and just enough. It was the difference between looking overly emotional or being interesting. This is where most of my conversations with me went wrong; I'd either scare them away because I came across as too needy, or I'd sound so butch that they no longer looked at me as dating material.

I took a deep breath and tried to find the appropriate mix of words. I decided to start with the basics, because as long as I kept everything on the superficial, I would be okay. I told him about my family and about living at home with the parents and my younger brother. I didn't talk too much about school because I was a book worm and definitely not popular. The only positive thing I could say about school was that most everyone knew who I was, so I decided that was all he needed to know. Anything more than that and I was risking over-sharing.

I tried to find a few interesting stories from my past, but this was proving to be pretty difficult. I was certain that telling a guy like Jake what I was really like wouldn't make him interested in me. If he knew that I spent most of my nights up in my room, listening to music while jumping on my bed, he would never want to put his huge hand on mine. And I was positive that mentioning I had read more books than most of the senior class combined wouldn't make him interested in reenacting any of the love stories I was addicted to. The bottom line was telling Jake the truth about the dork I really was something I could never do.

When I ran out of things to say, I figured it was probably a good time to get moving. I suggested that we get up and stretch our legs since my butt was completely numb from sitting on the hard ground. Looking around, it was obvious that the rest stop had cleared out substantially, so the traffic was probably moving again. We slowly started walking back towards the parking lot, not saying much of anything. This time I let Jake lead the way. He started off in the opposite direction from the main building and my Precious. But before I could question him about where we were going, he said, "I'm thinking we should take the long way around and check the traffic situation. You know, just to make sure that we don't rush to get back on the road and end up sitting still again."

We continued along the gravel pathway, walking between the now empty picnic tables until we made our way around the far side of the building. We could see that the cars were moving and I knew that this was probably the end of our time together. Jake pulled his cell out of his pocket and held it out towards me. I looked at his him, confused as to what he wanted me to do. "Um, I was wondering if you wanted to exchange phone numbers. I mean, we're both traveling alone, and we are heading in the same direction, so…well, maybe we could…aw shit, I don't know. I was just thinking maybe you should have it in case something goes wrong. I'll probably not be too far away, ya know?"

"Are you volunteering to be my knight in shining armor?" I teased, poking him in his stomach. I was a little startled by how hard his abdomen actually was. If I was honest, I think I hurt my finger more than anything. He just shrugged and looked at the phone held between us. I smiled bashfully, but I took it and entered my phone number into his phone. I pressed the send button, waiting until my phone chimed so I knew that I had his number as well before I handed it back to him.

"Well, of course I am. After all don't you think it was fate that we met up? I should have known after seeing you at my first stop this morning that this was gonna be an interesting trip."

"First stop?" The question was out before I even had a chance to think it through. It struck me as odd that he hinted at more than just our meeting at lunch. I didn't know what to make of the situation, but something just felt a little off about it all. "What do you mean, 'this morning'?"

"Damn, busted!" he mumbled. I looked at him inquisitively, waiting for him to explain. "Time to come clean, huh? Well, I guess you could say that I noticed you at a gas station early this morning. But I didn't realize that you were the same gorgeous girl I saw hunting chips at '0 dark ugly this morning. To be clear, I really wasn't stalking you; that was purely a joke. I wasn't completely sure you were the same girl when you sat down at lunch. It wasn't until you admitted it was your purple car parked at Sonic that I knew for sure. I mean, you have a very distinctive car and I admired it when I came out of the Quik Stop. So there ya go. That's the whole story of your wanna-be stalker."

For a second I just stood and stared at him. I could barely process everything. Not only had he said that he had noticed me at the same time I was noticing him but he also thought I was gorgeous. How in the world was I expected to believe that he had been checking me out? This was definitely a situation that I wasn't used to. I decided the best plan of action was to joke about it, so I replied, "Well I'll give you props for your mad stalking skills, but you need to make sure of your target next time. You know nothing about me. I could be looking to take advantage of the innocent man traveling alone."

"Another proposition?" he teased. "You know if I didn't know any better, I'd think maybe I should worry about my virtue."

I couldn't come up with anything witty to respond with so I just started walking again. I was still working over what Jake had just said. My body was on autopilot, just following along while my brain was in hyper-drive. As we rounded the corner, Jake slowed down and I bump into him. I looked up to see why he had stopped and noticed parked under the shade of a huge tree was the car of my dreams. My hand flew out and grabbed a handful of Jake's black shirt as I muttered, "Holy shit! Three times in one day! Do you see it?" I whipped my head around looking for anyone who could own this amazing automobile. "I wonder whose car that is."

"Yeah, I see it," Jake replied cautiously. "So you remember how I told you about how I noticed you this morning?" I nodded. "And do you remember how my car wasn't around at Sonic?" I nodded again.

"Well, um, that's my car."

As excited as I wanted to be to know the owner, the truth of the situation was starting to freak me out. Jake was Mr. R8. The random man who had spotted me at a gas station hours earlier in the day, was Jake. Jake just happened to be travelling the same way I was going. Then we ended up at the same restaurant for lunch. This man drove the car that had kept pace with me for the last few hundred miles. And finally he miraculously showed up at the very rest stop that I was at to kill time and wait out the traffic. I'm sure my breathing must have stopped as I took a small, and hopefully unnoticed, step away from him.

I should have known better; I should have known that when things seemed too good to be true that they usually were. I wanted to believe that Jake was a good guy, but all the warning signs were there. He even joked about being a stalker. But somewhere deep inside, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was nothing to fear from Jake. My first instinct was to turn and run away screaming, but as I looked at him standing there me, I hesitated. He didn't look like some crazy stalker dude, and he hadn't so much as touched me; not even one time, and I'd been with him for hours. And if I really wanted to be honest, I had picked where I stopped for lunch and it was pure coincidence that he was already there. There were many coincidences and just as many questions.

The only thing I knew for sure was that I didn't know anything for sure.

C/N: So...What'd ya think? Let me know. I can't promise an update this weekend but the next chap will be a bit longer than this one. Hope to see ya there. Smooches, Scrappy