“Ethan, can you *please* stop messing with the AC? It’s freezing back here,” Paige called from the backseat, tugging her oversized hoodie tighter around her. Ethan glanced at her in the rearview mirror, his sandy hair slightly messy from hours of driving, and smirked. “You’re the one who said it was too hot an hour ago. Make up your mind.”

The car hummed along the empty highway, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows over the asphalt. Paige, with her dark curls piled into a loose bun and her cheeks flushed from the warmth of the car, leaned forward between the front seats. Her fitted tank top clung subtly to her frame as she reached for the bag of chips on the dashboard. Ethan, in his worn flannel shirt, kept one hand on the wheel, his other tapping the beat of the radio on his thigh.

“Fine, I’ll turn it down,” Ethan said, adjusting the dial. “But if you start complaining about the heat again, I’m pulling over and leaving you at the next gas station.” Paige rolled her eyes, but her lips curled into a playful grin. “You wouldn’t dare,” she said, tossing a chip at him. Just then, the car sputtered, and the engine let out a low, ominous groan. Ethan’s smirk faded as the dashboard lights flickered. “Uh… that’s not good.”