Blue goes for the kill by shooting me a devastating smile. “I’ve got some spare time on my hands and there’s no one else I’d rather spend it on.”
I almost can’t believe what I’m hearing. He’s taking accountability. He gets it. He’s putting in the work. Those are all good things, but how long will they last?
Still, I can’t resist the urge to spend a little time with him. The truth that I don’t even want to admit to myself is that I’ve missed him—his laughter, his unique way of looking at the world. And yes, his other…talents, too. But mostly, I just miss Blue. “Do you want to stay and have some dinner? There’s bleu cheese on the salad, but I’ll share my fries.”
He hesitates, and I think he’s going to take me up on my offer, but then, at the last second, he shakes his head. My heart pinches. It shouldn’t, but it does.
“I wish I could, but I can’t,” he says, peeling off his name tag and tossing it in the trash. “I need to get back to the dorm and get my beauty sleep so I can get up at six a.m. and make coffee for a beautiful girl.”
I want to tell him he doesn’t need to make me coffee. Or that we can have a sleepover and he can make all the coffee he wants right here in this kitchen tomorrow morning. I want to tell him that I forgive him, and I trust him, and I want to try again. ButI’m not so sure I do, so I stay quiet and watch him walk out the door.
It’s not even seven a.m. and my morning already sucks. It’s pouring down rain, the hot delivery boy who promised me coffee hasn’t shown up yet, and my car won’t start.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
I don’t belong to an auto club, but I probably should because my car is almost as old as I am. She’s a beast and she runs like a champ, except when she doesn’t. And lucky me, today is one of those days. I’m wondering who else might be awake at this hour when a pair of headlights blinds me as a car pulls into the drive.
Blue pops out looking effortlessly styled and nothing like the drowned rat I’m sure I resemble.
“Sorry I’m late,” he says, handing over the steaming mug of caffeine. “I overslept. And then I ran out of hazelnut creamer because that shit’s addictive. So I had to run to the Kwik-Stop to get a new bottle.”
“Thanks,” I say, accepting the cup of warm brew. “This is totally unnecessary, but very much appreciated. I’m going to drink it inside while I figure out what to do about Becky.”
“Who the hell is Becky?”
“My car. She was working fine yesterday, but now she’s being a little bitchy. Walking to campus in the rain sucks, but it’s doable. The problem is that I have a field study today, and I need to be across town at a construction site in about…thirty-four minutes.”
“So take my car,” he offers, handing over the keys.
“No,” I protest. “I’m not taking your car. This is getting ridiculous. Sweet, but ridiculous. I’m sure somebody from my class lives close by. I’ll try messaging people on WolfChat.”
“You are taking it. And there’s no point in arguing. We’re both getting soaked for no reason. Here, get in,” he says, holding the door open for me.
“It’s fine. I can uber, or ask Fallon, or?—”
“That’s complicated. My car is right here. Just take the keys.”
When I hesitate, he sighs. “What if we were married?” he asks.
“Uh, excuse me? Our friends already did that. And we are not together. So we are definitely not married. Or thinking about getting married.”
Blue gives me an easy smile despite the fact that rain is drenching both of us. “I’m not proposing, I swear. Just play along, okay? Imagine that it’s five years down the road, you’re heading off to work and your car won’t start. If we were together, you’d take mine, right? And I’d catch a ride to practice with a teammate. It’s what partners do. I know we’re not partners, Liza. And I know it’s because I fucked up. I wasn’t fully invested. I am now. I’m going to prove it every day in every way until you see it. And even then, I won’t stop.”
I’m not sure what to say to all of that, but the rain is really coming down and the clock is ticking, so I just say the only thing I can think of. “Thank you. I’ll text you later so we can meet up and you can get your car back. I won’t keep it for any longer than I have to.”
“It’s yours for as long as you need it. Everything I’ve got to do is close by, and I can grab a ride with one of the guys if the rain doesn’t let up. It’s probably the battery, but I know fuck all about cars. I’ll have Dutton take a look and report back. If it needs more than he can handle, he’ll take it to the dealership.”
“That’s not?—”
“It’s no big deal. His family runs it, and he’ll get to see his folks mid-week. You’re basically doing him a favor.”
“Okay, well, thanks. And thank Dutton for me. I need to get going, but, yeah. Thanks again,” I repeat for the hundredth time. I pull out of the driveway as Blue ducks inside the house to dry off and deal with my car issues. I’m beyond grateful, but I’m also in danger of being late, so I focus on the road and follow the directions my phone is giving me.
A few hours later, I’m sitting in the library replaying my conversation with Blue. Something he said this morning didn’t add up, and it’s bugging me, so I pull out my phone to clear things up.
Liza: You said you’d catch a ride to practice with your teammate.
Blue: Yeah, but I don’t need to. I can walk.
