I didn’t like asking anyone for a favor. It was the truth. I would rather go without than ask anyone for anything.
And for three years, I’d been holding this favor that Rip felt he owed me, over his head.
No wonder he wanted to get it over with. It made total sense.
Hell.
“I’m sorry you feel like you owe me, and I get why you want to get this favor over with,” I muttered, feeling my face heat up as I accepted what I had done and why it was stupid of me to keep arguing with him over a favor that he was never, ever going to forget about. No matter how much I might try and talk him out of it, he’d gotten it into his thick head and nothing was changing.
“You’re not asking. I offered,” he suggested like I would really look at it like that.
I shifted my gaze out the window and nodded. “You’re right.”
There was a sigh, then, “You’re not gonna give me a hard time anymore?”
“Nope.”
His “huh” had me side-eyeing him.
“I appreciate your commitment and how… patient you’ve been with me over this,” I told him, a little more grudgingly than I needed to.
Rip hummed.
“I’m not sure how long this is going to take. If you want to drop me off and then—”
“What is with you always trying to get me to drop you off?” he snapped all of a sudden.
I made my eyes go wide at his freakingattitude. “Because, I told you, I don’t want to bother you. I don’t like to bother anyone. Don’t take it personal, okay?”
I wasn’t 100 percent sure, but I was pretty freaking positive he frowned at me.
Rubbing my hands against my pants, I decided to mess with him some more by muttering, “At the rate you’ve been going lately, I’m going to start to think that I don’t get on your nerves as much as you make me think I do, boss.”
The laugh that burst out of him literally had me clutching the door I was leaning against. It was so sharp, so out of the blue, like a freaking firework going off right inside the cab.
I jumped. Then I grinned.
And I kept it going, because why not? I’d made him laugh. Rip.Laugh.“Next thing I know, we’re going to be friends,” I kept muttering, barely able to keep from laughing.
His reply was a shake of that handsome head and a chuckle that continued on.
“But really, thank you for coming with me. And taking me home. And for having enough pride and honor to keep your word when you insist on doing me a favor that I really don’t think you owe me,” I told him, smiling even though he couldn’t see it.
The deep inhale of breath he took was loud and clear. That time for sure, I knew without a doubt he did look at me. “I don’t have that much honor, Luna. Don’t give me that much credit.”
I watched him, seeing he meant it. “Well, I think you do. Most people would have just given up and pretended like they forgot if someone told them a thousand times that they didn’t need anything.”
His “hmm” didn’t sound that convinced, but I knew I was right. There was no point in me forcing it down though.
Bringing out my phone, I pulled up my messages with Lenny and sent her one.
Me:Hey, going to Dallas. Thea’s place got broken into. Can you ask Out of My League if we can reschedule? Not sure if I’ll make it back in time tomorrow.
I couldn’t even say I was really that heartbroken about missing my first date in… six months? Maybe even a little longer? I doubted I’d be that disappointed if he couldn’t change the date either.
Lenny texted me back not two minutes later as Rip fiddled with the radio.
Lenny:She okay? I’ll send him a message. Sunday work for you?
