Was I a pussy for going to work and leaving Melvin to give her the key? Abso-fucking-lutely.
She loves Melvin. He’s a sweet old man. She can’t shout at him like she might shout at me. It seemed safer. I figured she might have calmed down by the time I get home tonight.
“Freya,” I soothe.
I’ve been calling nonstop since Melvin called to say she practically threw the keys at him and stormed off.
I bought her the car to keep her safe, not so she could march around the streets alone.
My irrational need to protect her thumps through me.
“Do not ‘Freya’ me,” she snaps. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that I was going to do something nice for you to ensure you get to work safely every day. I won’t have you standing on the side of the road waiting for a random man to come and pick you up. Not happening again, Freya.”
“I can look after myself. I don’t need a man controlling anything I do. Not again.”
Her words knock all of mine right out of me. “I’m not…that’s not?—”
“I’m done with men thinking they can pull my puppet strings, Cole. That time of my life is over.”
“I know it is. I promise, that wasn’t what this was about. I just want you to be safe. Where you go, what you do, that’s all on you. Just please, do it safely.”
I hear her let out a sigh.
“Where are you, Freya?”
“Don’t do this,” she begs.
“Do what?” I ask, confused that she thinks I’m doing anything right now.
“Be nice after I’ve just gone off on you.”
“I can be nice if I want to be nice,” I argue.
“You just bought me a car, Cole. That’s insane.”
“I think the words you’re looking for are ‘thank you.’”
“You’re insufferable.”
“Is that a synonym of thank you?”
Her soft laughter floats down the line; it makes the hairs on the back of my neck lift.
“Where are you?” I repeat as I take off down the hallway.
“At the store. I just bumped into Levi.”
My grip on my cell tightens.
“Is that why you weren’t answering?”
Something hot and uncomfortable twists my stomach at the thought of her ignoring me in favor of him.
“No. I wasn’t answering because I was—I am—mad at you.”
“So why did you answer?”
