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If I think too much about the likelihood that Chloe has really ditched ht lose it, so instead I sit down on a bench outside the restaurant and considerhome: it’s too far to walk My parents are at a scholarship fund-raiser Grace’s chess teacher throws every year all the way in Burlington And I sure as shit can’t call Jacob I scroll through ure out which of ht also have access to a car Nothing like standing alone in the parking lot of a strip ht to put your life choices in glaring perspective

I’o back inside and throw ht occurs to h my contacts until I find Gray’s name He put his nu today, then texted hi words,” he explained, handing my phone back to me with a flourish

Hey, I text now, hitting send before I can talk myself out of it Are you busy?

He shows up fifteenup to the curb outside the restaurant in a ten-year-old Toyota with a bobblehead dog affixed to the dashboard “Somebody call an Uber?” he asks as I climb in

“Hey,” I say with a grateful grin “Thank you You’re totally saving ht now”

“No problem” His car s; his phone is upside down in the cupholder, Kendrick La quietly from the tinny speaker “No Bluetooth,” he explains, a little sheepish

“I’ aside a half-dozen e h, I mean it Thanks I didn’t think you’d be around”

“Because I’m so popular?”

I ht now, that’s for sure”

Gray doesn’t co over his shoulder before pulling out onto the main road, “but I was tired of them anyway”

“You were, huh?”

“Yeah,” he says easily “I’ll be honest with you, Marin I’ve been thinking I need a change”

He’s full of shit, clearly, but I sainst the back of the seat rest “You and me both”

“So, um,” he says “Where to?”

“Oh, crap!” I laugh and give him my address “You can just drop me at the corner of Oak if you don’t want to deal with the roundabout I can walk the rest of the way”