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"I told you, you don’t have to do this"

"I know I don’t have to"

I start laughing when I look down to see the blue balls floating around the creaurt

She cocks her head playfully "Not even blueberries? They’re s, still sured it orth a shot I’ll leave the bowl here, in case you feel like i me More than you do" She adds quickly, "With the cars, I mean" Her cheeks flush with red

I watch her take another step and bu the ground with a rattle Her eyes widen with panic "Oh, no! I’m so sorry!"

I chuckle at her sudden shyness and her clumsiness She’s cute when she’s aard "It’s fine They’re car parts, not china"

Her botto It’s an infectious sound and it lights up her entire face I’ at herself

I hope so Because I love a girl who can do that

A slew of Russian words fly froe door, a phone in his ear I try to keepon the floor, a mess of cylinder caps and valves and bolts, but it’s hard, especially when I hear who he’s talking to

There’s a pause, and then in English, "I am a busyht now!I do not have ti two hours for roadside assistance will teach you to watch your gas levels after this Or, you can alalk the five miles"

Oh Jeez What is with that woman and cars?

He jabs at the "end" button and then to er "When you marry a woman, Jesse, make sure she has some common sense This one?" He holds up his phone, as if it represents his wife "I married her for her youth, her beauty, her obedience, and her ability to suck my cock I should have also looked for com his head, he slides his phone in his pocket "You are on your own here until she gets back How ether in another couple of hours"

"Good And, just reer you take on this car, the more time you will need to work on yours" With that thinly veiled threat, he cliuy from The Cellar is behind the wheel

What a dick

And I’ to just leave his wife sitting on the side of the road, in the rain, because she made a mistake? We’ve all made ate close behind the Hu tough If he’s actually going to go get her

Twenty minutes later, I still feel convinced that he’s not

And now I can’t concentrate Finally, I throw the wrench down and run out to e door button onTheshe doesn’t shop atin from the trendier part in the north

But if she’s not?

I look at the gate across the drivewayIf I leave, I won’t be able to get back in to finish what I orking on Viktor will be pissed

I crank ine

The rain hits my windshield in sheets, the pools of water across the road pulling at et is a drizzle Yet this is the second tih stories froet confused in heavy rain and plow into cars on the shoulder I bite away atirl?

I crest a hill to see the silver sports car pulled over on the opposite side My chest swells with relief And nostalgia Even though it’s mid-afternoon, this is all too fa behind the steering wheel, the s fogged up with her breathing Making a U-turn, I park directly in front of her That way she can seefroainst the

There’s a long delay And then a delicate hand wipes the fog away and Alex’s face appears She cracks open her door, wiping the tears fro at the back ofsoaked" My sweatshirt’s drenched and clinging toto make it to the full-serve near our house, but obviously I didn’t"

"You’re not the first to ever admit to that" I pull the door open and offer my hand "Coer do you want to sit out here, waiting for them?"

She considers my callused palht as I pull her out "I have an u hands to rope my arm around her waist and keep her close to ainst me I can’t tell if it’s froer side and stand in the rain, waiting for her to buckle up--another by-product of being raised by a police officer and a surgeon who have seen too many ejected bodies--before I shut her door and circleacross the rain-splattered hood

I shiver as I climb in "Sorry it’s not as nice as your ride"

"Does it have gas? Because if it does, I’ll take it overa tissue out of her purse to blow her nose "Did Viktor send you?"

I grit ht the conversation Figured I’d come find you"

"I didn’t think so" She leans forward to inspect the heavy gray sky "It hasn’t let up all day, has it? It’s depressing Icity, then"

She chuckles "Tell rew up in Seattle Rain is what I know best" There’s an aard pause "So, where’d you grow up?"

"In the interior Small town called Sisters Waycity"

"I guess you can say that"

"Do you ain, one day" When I can buyunder "the sheriff’s" roof Hopefully by then, he won’t run the town any out there, all those wildflowers in the ht?"