the silence between them is broken only by the rumble of the car engine when it shifts up a gear, tension palpable in the air as it settles heavily upon them both like a blanket, almost suffocating in its intensity. knuckles whiten as hold on steering wheel tightens, gaze firmly locked onto the horizon instead of the man sitting to his side.
spencer hadn’t been his first choice, but the pairing had been made out of necessity —they were spread thin, all available vehicles repurposed for that week’s scavenge. he would put his own misgivings aside if it meant a successful run, one that would appease the man bartering with their existence, but his gut feeling told him this wasn’t the case with his unwilling partner.
jaw flexes as sharp breath is pushed from flared nostrils, car pulling abruptly to a stop at the side of the road without any prior warning. a beat, another breath — words are accompanied by the first eye contact since their departure, unforgiving in their intensity, ❝ this isn't going t'work if i don't know whether you'll have my back out there. we're doin' this for everyone else — whatever problems you have with me, we need t'put 'em aside for the good of the group. you got somethin' you wanna say to me? say it. now’s y’chance. ❞