“Are youfollowingme?”
Her hair surrounded her face like a curtain—leaving only a sliver exposed. The hairdo and hat screamedhidingand my skin prickled.
I fought the explosive anger charging through my veins. “You shouldn’t be out here. Are you lost or something?”
She crossed her arms and stepped back. “No! I’m not lost!”
I pushed past to look into the engine. “Did it overheat?”
“I—I don’t really know. I wasn’t paying close attention.”
“That’s a shocker.”
She scoffed.
“It’s going to catch fire if you keep driving.”
Her head tipped downward. Between the hair and the hat and our one foot height difference, the only thing I could see of her was the top of the stupid hat.
“I’ll wait. It will cool down.”
“How much further do you have to go?”
She shrugged. “A few minutes?”
“Well, you won’t be driving this thing. You need to call for a tow.”
She said nothing.
“I’ll wait with you.”
“No!” She shook her head. “Go on. I don’t need help.”
“I’m not leaving you out here by yourself.”
She made no move to call.
“Fine! I’ll call.” I pulled out my phone and searched for tow companies. She shifted in discomfort, the aging asphalt crunching beneath her feet.
As I dialed a number, I asked, “Where do they need to tow you?”
The top of her head moved side to side and she gently lifted a shoulder.
“Miranda? Where do you need to go?”
“I can’t afford a tow, Jack.” Her tone was bitter, frustrated. She turned her head toward the oncoming traffic. “Even if I could, I wouldn’t be able to afford whatever is wrong with the stupid thing. No doubt it’s colossal. I haven’t really kept up with maintenance the last few years.”
“Yeah—okay.” I ran a hand over my hair. “I can pay for it.”
“No way.”
“Then I’ll take you where you need to go. Once you’re off the side of the road, you can decide what to do.”
“You don’t need to help me!”
“So what? You’re just gonna camp out here?”
“No.”
