Page 87 of Forever Relentless

“Then why are you here?”

“I thought you might like someone to stay with you while you call for roadside assistance, or I can take you back to Wrighton, and you can arrange it from there?”

“You can’t fix the car?”

He shook his head slowly. “Not a mechanic.”

I sucked my teeth. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called my brother. “Hey it’s me. Where are you?”

“A bottomless abyss of self-pity and loathing. You?”

I couldn’t stop my grin. “Halston. The battery’s dead in my car. How do I bring it back to life?”

“Jump start.”

I glared at Noah, who sighed as he leaned against my car.

“No, wait, your car’s too new,” Mason corrected himself. “You need roadside assistance. What did you leave on? Lights?”

Noah hid his smirk with his hand when he saw me glaring at him.

“I didn’t leave anything on.” I rarely lied to my brother. But he’d understand, given the circumstances.

“Batteries just don’t die, Bri.”

If Noah Matthews’s shit-eating grin got any bigger, I’d need recovery for my car and for the giant lug beside me tonight.

“So there’s nothing I can do?” I asked Mason.

“Sure there is, call roadside assistance.”

“You’re the worst possible help, little brother.” I hung up on him.

I refused to look at Matthews, who was struggling not to laugh out loud. I checked the sidewalk for parking signs, checking that I wasn’t in any danger of something bad happening to my car.

“Can you give me a ride back?” I asked him without making eye contact.

“Of course.”

“Will you promise not to mention tonight?”

“Nope.”

“If I ask nicely?” I gritted my teeth so hard, my jaw ached.

“Fuck no. But I would like to see you beg.”

I glared at him, and he winked. “You’re a dick.”

“I’m your free ride back to the campus.”

I started walking away from my car. “Nothing in this life is free.”

Mason called me just as Noah caught up with me.

“You changed your mind and know how to fix it?” I asked him desperately.

“No,” Mason sounded amused. “I called your roadside assistance company, figured you didn’t want the emergency fee added on, they’ll be there tomorrow between eight and nine.”