“Nothing.”
Annoyance twists my gut. “Just say it. Whatever terrible thing you’re thinking, trust me, it’s nothing I haven’t heard before probably.”
“It’s not terrible,” she grumbles. “But do you always expect the worst?”
“Learned habit.”
She snorts and I tap down the urge to smirk at it. “I was actually just thinking that your car isn’t what I expected it to be. When you stalked me home the other night, I guess I just thought you’d have something a little flashier. It’s pretty simple.”
I wouldn’t exactly call the luxe leather and upgraded tech system simple, but I get what she means. Hayden bought a sports car the first chance he could, while Nikolai crashed a few cars worth more than his childhood home.But I settled with a BMW and have had it for the past three years.
“And compared to your car…” I say and watch her give me a dirty look out of the corner of my eye.
“I was trying to be nice.”
“Me too.”
She scoffs and sinks further into the seat. “I just assumed that with all that wealth and fame of yours that you’d waste it on something stupid like a car.”
“I waste it on other things.” Not really, but she doesn’t need to know how I spend my money. After growing up with very little of it, I’ve tried to be as smart as possible with investments and savings. Before the break up, I still knew that our career didn’t have a whole lot of stability in it, and I never wanted to be caught off guard.
“Maybe you didn’t forget after all,” she says quietly. I peek over at her as she gently runs her hand up and down the door handle.
“Forget what?”
“Where we came from.”
We.
It’s been a long time since anyone has included me in theirwe.
The turn for Aspen’s street approaches, and I make a split second decision that I don’t allow myself to overthink. All I know is that I don’t want to go home and make another shitty dinner by myself.
I flick my turn signal on, and instead of turning right like I should, I turn left.
Aspen rises in her seat and swivels her head back and forth, sending her hair rippling with the movement. It gives off a citrus scent that overwhelms the air freshener in the vent.
“Reid, that was the wrong turn,” she says and points back to where we came from. “You were supposed to turn right back there.”
“I know.”
She blinks, not expecting that answer. “Where are you going then?”
I scan the unfamiliar street until I spot a cafe with a wall of greenery out front and no line out the door.That’ll do.
“We’re getting dinner,” I say and drive a little further down the street until I find an empty parking spot. I make quick work of parallel parking before shutting the car off and grabbing my phone and keys. “Let’s go.”
I don’t give her the chance to object before I get out and start walking. Just like I knew they would, footsteps sound behind me as she jogs to catch up. “What if I’m not hungry?”
“Then you can sit and enjoy my company.”
She scoffs. “What piss-poor company. I’m sure if you wanted someone to eat dinner with, you could find some other poor woman to torture.”
Her tone causes me to glance down at her and see that her cheeks are a dark red. Amusement kicks up the corner of my mouth. “Oh, I know. But you’re here, so I’m all in for convenience tonight.”
“Convenience my ass,” she spits and marches forward, having spotted the same cafe and putting together where I’m taking us. She storms toward the door as I continue at my calm pace. She’s so easy to rile up, and I like watching the way her hips sway as she walks with a purpose. The jean shorts she’s wearing cup her ass in a way that hones all my attention.
She throws open the cafe door and slips through, of course not bothering to hold it for me. It almost shuts in myface, but I manage to catch it at the last second and step inside. She’s already talking with the hostess and doesn’t look back for me as the hostess leads her toward a table in the middle of the open space.
