She turned on her heel and walked out, but I followed, not because I was actually following her, but because everyone in the bar was glaring at me. And when we got outside, we walked in the same fucking direction.
It was awkward.
“Why are you following me? Want to throw a few insults my way?”
“I’m just going to my car.”
She snorted and continued through the parking lot to the back where I had parked. To her Jeep.
That was parked right next to my car.
When I opened my door, she scoffed at me. “Figures you’d drive some pretentious vehicle.”
“It’s just a car,” I snapped.
“A pretentious car for a jerk,” she yelled, getting in her Jeep.
Rolling my eyes, I got in my car and started the engine, waiting for her to pull out because, believe it or not, I was actually a gentleman. But she just sat there, and after a minute, I realized why.
Her Jeep wouldn’t start. Sighing, I got out and walked around to her vehicle, knocking on her window. She rolled down the window, refusing to look at me the whole time.
“What?”
“Car problems?”
“I don’t need your help. I already called for a tow.”
“Do you want me to look at it?”
“Nope.”
Her utter refusal to give me the time of day really grated on my nerves, but I let it go. She had a right to be pissed at me. I was an asshole to her nearly all her life.
“Fine, then I’ll just wait here with you.”
“I don’t need a protector.”
“Call me crazy, but you don’t leave a woman alone in a parking lot. Especially not at the back of a parking lot. What did you park all the way back here for, anyway?”
Her head finally whipped toward me. “I’m sorry, is this your idea of being a nice person?”
“No, this is just me asking some common sense questions.”
“Keep your commentary to yourself. And go away. I don’t need you here as some sort of savior.”
“Yes, clearly, you’re fine on your own.”
She lifted her hand, waving her phone in my face. “See this thing? It makes phone calls and everything. Which is what I did when the vehicle wouldn’t start.”
“And how do you plan on getting home?”
“Well, I could ask for a ride. I could call a cab. Hell, I could walk home.”
“At night? Do you have a death wish?” I snapped.
“I know you’ve been gone for a while, but this town is still pretty safe.”
“Aside from the murderer,” I muttered.
