Page 25 of Dandelions and Smoke

Releasing my wrist, he shoves his hands in his pockets and swallows back his reaction before nodding once, like he’s accepting something he doesn’t like. His baby blues look cloudy, and I hate that I’m the reason.

“Good,” I choke out. “Then I’ll see you around.”

He backs up, and I close the door. After figuring out where I left the key this time, I put it into the ignition and turn it. Except that instead of the car starting, it clicks a few times, starts, then turns off.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I huff, turning it over and over, but Miss Daisy refuses to cooperate.

Traitor!

Mid-crisis, a tap sounds from my window, making me jump. I’m so focused on this major inconvenience that I forget Chief is even standing there. Since the car won’t start and I can’t roll the windows down, I open my door back up to face him.

“Yes?” I ask, drawing the word out slowly, staring up at the ceiling of my car instead of looking at him.

“Let me guess.” He pauses long enough for it to feel intentional. “She’s tired?”

I snap my head and glare up at him, making him almost smile before catching himself. If he thought I’d forget saying that to him a few months ago, then he’s wildly mistaken. I remember every second of our time together… and clearly his memory of that night is sharp as well.

“Come on,” he demands in a tone of voice that sends shivers across my skin and leaves no room for argument. “I’ll drive you home.”

I grab my bag and everything I’ll need and follow beside him. He steps so that I’m on the inside of the sidewalk as we walk to his truck, opening the passenger door for me once we reach it. He gets in, and although I want nothing more than to keep this short, my mouth opens, and my thoughts spill out before I can stop myself.

“What about my car?” I ask, shifting in my seat to watch as she disappears and back at Chief, worried now that we’ve left her on the street.

I know this isn’t a bad area of town, but what if someone tries to break into it overnight? Someone could hit her, and then I’ll have a dead and dented Daisy. And what if she doesn’t turn on? How will I drive around? How will I get to work? Will I need to walk like Tris does every day? My place is much farther, so no way that’s happening. Maybe I could convince Ainsley to pick me up, but what about the days I go in ahead of her?

The guarded look on his face gives way to something gentler as he watches me, undoubtedly seeing my internal spiraling.

“I’ll take care of it,” he says calmly. “Please put your seatbelt on.”

I do as he says and blink at him because that’s not at all what I was expecting. Then again, he’s driving me home when he could have left me to my own devices.

“Wait.” I look out the window as he turns down my street. “How do you know where I live?”

“Well, it’s not because you told me.” His voice doesn’t rise or fall. It’s perfectly neutral, detached, and for some reason, that makes his words sting more.

“Sorry,” he adds after noticing I’ve flinched.

He exhales through his nose, and it seems controlled, like he’s still restraining himself and being careful about what he says, and I hate it. I hate that the man who asked me a million questions months ago, who sat with me for hours talking about everything, sharing back and forth so freely, is now walking on eggshells, apologizing for stating the truth.

“It’s fine. I’m the one who should be sorry.” I meet his eyes and hold them, even though I know what it will cost me. Sure enough, the flash of pain there splinters right through me, but I don’t stop there. “I am sorry.”

This time, he’s the one to look away. His hands flex around the steering wheel, like he doesn’t know what to do with them, before a surprised chuckle escapes him and he shakes his head. My brows furrow, confused by the shift but grateful for anything that will put life into his eyes and replace the pain.

“It’s funny,” he explains. “How people will start volunteering information when they feel bad about keeping secrets.”

It begins to click. This is how he knows where he’s going.

“Ah, so you didn’t call them all into your office and go all big haus on them?” I ask facetiously, raising my brow and pinching my lips together, trying not to smile.

Tris told me that the very next day, after seeing me, the guys were pulled into his office. When I asked Billy about it, he shrugged and gave me that big smile of his and said, ‘The Little Lion is officially out of the bag.’

Smart ass.

“I definitely did that.” He grins, and the tension drains from his features. “But this specific bit of information was given to me without actually having to ask for it.”

He pulls up to the house that I share with Blake and parks in the driveway.

“So,” I say, not sure where this leaves us or my car.