Fuck Derek.
Fuck letting him get into my head.
I don’t want to bethat girl.
The girl who stops eating because of a man.
No fucking way.
So, I take a big bite of the delicious burger, a drip of cheesy goo sliding down my finger. I devour the burger between songs, not stopping to think about the calories or the fact that if Derek saw me, he would think I looked like a pig. I’m just enjoying a meal because I haven’t eaten since lunch, and I am fucking hungry.
Nitro’s music moves on to AC/DC and rock, mixing with my anger, making it taste like rebellion. Like I am reclaiming myself. Like it is giving Derek’s opinion the middle finger it deserves.
As we drive, Nitro talks to me about anything and everything to keep my mind off my shitty night. And if he isn’t talking, he’s humming along to whatever song is playing. I don’t know which karmic god was on my side tonight, but I need to thank them for sending Nitro my way.
Because he is just the pick-me-up I need.
By the time we’re pulling into Sage’s neighborhood, I’m actually laughing at something Nitro says about his grandmother’s terrible taste in movies.
How did this happen?How did I go from sobbing on a porch to laughing in the back seat of a stranger’s car?
“So…” he says as we pull up at Sage’s house. “Big plans with the bestie?”
“Wine, cheesy movies, and bitching about stupid men.” I move to gather my things, but I don’t want to leave the car just yet in this safe space this stranger created. “The holy trinity of heartbreak recovery.”
“Sounds exactly like what you need.” He puts the car in park and turns to face me one more time.
Our eyes meet, and time seems to stop. The air between us feels charged, heavy with something I don’t understand but desperately want to explore. Nitro is beautiful. Not in the polished, corporate way, Derek is gorgeous, but in this raw, genuine way that makes my chest ache.
“Thank you,” I say again, my voice soft. “Honestly… thank you.”
Before he can respond, Sage’s front door flies open. I see her blonde head appear, and then she stops dead in her tracks, staring at Nitro through the windshield.
“Holy shit,” I hear her mutter, and I have to bite back a slightly hysterical laugh. I climb out of the car, and Sage immediately pulls me into a hug, though I notice her eyes are still on the driver over my shoulder.
We start walking toward the house, and I open the Uber app, only to see the ride has officially ended with Nitro. Then the prompt appears asking for a rating and a tip. So, I smile, give him five stars, and tip him almost as much as the ride-share cost.Because honestly, he was worth every damn dollar. Then I add a note.
For making me believe
in decent humans again.
“Get off your damn cell, woman, and tell me when the hell did Uber drivers get so fucking hot?” Sage giggles as she cuddles into my side.
I smirk, quickly glancing over my shoulder to see him still sitting in his car, looking at his cell. Probably looking at the tip and note I just sent him. But I don’t have time to watch his reaction as Sage drags me inside, closing the front door behind us.
Sage immediately walks into the living room, where she has an array of wine, cheese, and God knows what else laid out, ready for us. Then she pours two enormous glasses of wine and steers me toward the sofa.
“Okay,” she says, handing me a glass. “Tell me everything. But first, who the hell was that Uber driver? Because…damn girl.”
I slump down on the sofa and smirk. “You are obsessing, Sage, but his name is Nitro.” I take a long sip of wine. “And he was…perfect. Genuinely the nicest person I’ve ever met.”
Sage reaches dramatically for my cell phone and yanks it from my hand. “Gimmie that!”
I widen my eyes as she opens my Uber app and begins checking my Uber receipt, and her eyebrows shoot up. “Girl, you tipped him almost what the ride cost.”
I shrug, like it’s no big deal. “He deserved it.” I curl up against the sofa cushions, suddenly exhausted. “He saved me tonight, Sage.”
She sits beside me, her expression turning serious. “So, tell me what happened… I’m assuming this has to do with dickhead Derek?”
