“I don’t doubt that youcan, but babe, you don’t have to. Let me help you.”
“I don’t need help with this.”
“Why won’t you let me help you?” he asks, furrowing his brows.
“Don’t act like I didn’t just spend the evening getting your help on my portfolio.” I cross my arms, annoyed he won’t move out of the way so I can get started.
“That’s different. It’s what I do for work,” he says, shaking his head. “You don’t have to do this by yourself, Kayla.” He touches my shoulder with one hand and points at the spare in the trunk with the other. The rage that ignites and courses through me under his hand comes as a surprise to me.
“The onlydifferenceis that your ego has deemed changing a tire as something a girl needs a guy to do for her. I don’t need you to save me.” I clamp my teeth together as I try to lift out the spare without bumping into Chase.
He puts his hand around the wheel, stopping my momentum. “…I’m not…trying to save you.God, you’re so hard to figure out sometimes. I’m trying to help you solve this problem. Can’t you just let me take care of you?” His voice edges on frustration as helets go of the tire and puts his hands behind his head, puffing out an exhale.
“I’m not some problem that needs to be solved, Chase! I’ve been taking care of myself my whole life. I don’t need someone taking care of me now.” It comes out louder than I mean it to, but I double down anyway. I’m overreacting. I know I am. But the frustration in his voice paired with my indignation makes it hard for my brain to care about the consequences of prolonging this fight. I’m seeing red, and my pulse pounds in my ears. All my defenses are up, while all my instincts are telling me to get out of here.
He drops his hands, looking at me with his mouth gaping. “I didn’t sayyouwere the problem, but you’re being so damn stubborn right now?—”
“This is who I am. If you don’t like it, then?—”
“Leave? Is that what you were going to say?” His voice is intense. He’s not yelling, but it’s enough to ignite my already overstimulated senses. “I don’t do that, Kayla, you do. When things get a little too vulnerable, when I get a little too close, you push me away, and you run.” He stuffs his hands in his pockets, the muscle in his jaw twitching as he grinds his molars together.
“I don’t push you away.” I look away from him.
He dips his head to look into my eyes. The frustration is there in his gaze, but there’s something else too. It’s raw and unexpected, threatening to extinguish the anger I’m feeling.Hurt.“What are you doing right now, then?”
I’m hurting him, and I don’t know how to handle it or how to stop it. Desperately trying to slow the air I’m pulling into my lungs, my eyes dart around, looking for any kind of escape. I just need to get out of here. Shaking my head again, I drop the tire back in the trunk and turn to walk down the sidewalk. “Whatever. Change the damn tire, Chase. It doesn’t matter,” I say over my shoulder.
“Where are you going? Kayla—” He starts after me, catching up in a few steps.
“I’m walking home.”
“No, you’re not.” His hand wraps around my elbow to get me to stop walking.
I snatch it back, glaring up at him. “You’re telling me what to do now? Don’t touch me!”
“Kayla, just let me get my keys and I’ll drive you home.”
“No. I leave, remember? So let me leave.”
He covers his face with his hands, a frustration-filled groan escaping his mouth. But he lets me go. He lets me walk away. I allow my anger to propel me forward, down the hill, to the main road. My bag swings wildly against my hip with each step, reinforcing the determination I feel to walk my ass across town. I almost make it to the end of the street before I hear the car behind me.
“Get in the car, Kayla,” Hunter’s voice says from behind the wheel of Chase’s car. I turn, confused for a split second before I remember everything that led to me getting here. My rage surges all over again.
“No. Go home, Hunter.” I continue walking.
“Naw, I can’t really do that. Dad and Chase would have my head if I let you walk home alone this late.”
“I’m not getting in the car.”
“Then I’ll follow you like this until you get home.” He drives slowly beside me for another block, his stubbornness matching mine like it’s built into our newly discovered sibling DNA. The speed in my pace slows, and suddenly, my face is wet. Fat tears roll down my cheeks, and I can’t seem to stop them. The adrenaline from the argument drains from my body. All I’m left with are heaving sobs.
“Kayla, get in the car,” Hunter tries again, with sympathy rounding out the concern in his voice. I can’t look at him, but I trudge to the passenger side door and plop down in the seat. He’s quiet as we drive through town toward my house. The only sounds in the car are my sobs as I play back the scene in my head repeatedly. I overreacted. I hurt him. I left, and he let me leave.
“What happened?” Hunter asks once we pull into my driveway.
“He wouldn’t let me change my tire. I’m fine.” I sniff, talking through the congested sound of my voice.
“You’re crying, so you’re obviously not fine…and neither is Chase, by the way.” He pulls out his phone to show four missed text messages, all from Chase. “He sent me after you because he didn’t think you’d get in the car with him.” His phone buzzes in his hand, and he shoots off a quick text before shaking his head and dropping it in the cupholder.
