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Gage rolls his eyes. “So much for giving good advice.”
Nina narrows her eyes at him. “If you’re so smart, then what’s your advice?”
Gage lifts his shoulders. “Just talk to him about his car.”
I raise my brows. “His car?”
Gage shrugs again then steals Nina’s cigarette. “He drives a Chevelle and spends a hell of a lot of time at an auto body shop. Clearly, he’s into them.”
“But I’m not a car expert,” I point out as I lower my feet onto the puddled asphalt.
“Yeah, but you like classic cars, enough to know a little bit about them, right?” A cloud of smoke circles his face as he exhales a drag from the cigarette.
So much for not stinking up Nina’s mom’s car.
“I guess.” I peek up at the sky and the sign to make sure everything seems calm at the moment. When no rainstorms, electrical shortages, or random flames are evident, I climb out.
As I make my way toward him, he doesn’t look up from his phone, so he doesn’t notice me coming. Probably a good thing since I can barely keep a rein on my nerves.
Just breathe. You got this.
I take an uneven inhale as I reach him. “Nice car.”
He looks up and his gaze scrolls across my body and face. He has these crazy blue eyes. Mine are blue too, but his shade of blue is more vibrant, almost otherworldly, and reminds me of a cloudless sky.
“Thanks.” He reverts his attention to his phone.
As impending rejection begins to sting, the puddles below me ripple. I inhale and exhale, then press on for God knows what reason. Probably sheer stupidity.
“What year is it?” I ask, even though I know the answer.
He sighs, clearly annoyed. “A ’68.”
I open my mouth to ask questions about the engine, but he cuts me off.
“Look, whatever you think is going to happen here, isn’t. I’m not interested. And I’m not going to be interested, no matter what you say. So, quit wasting my time and yours.” He stuffs his phone into his pocket then hops into his car.
Humiliation burns underneath my skin and ripples through my body, powerful, potent, sharp. While I’m use to the feeling, of rejection, his hurts worse, the sting potently piercing—
A lightning bolt snaps down from the sky and zaps the auto body shop sign, sending sparks shooting everywhere.
The guy glances up with his brows crinkling, glancing from the sign to me. My eyes widen then I reel around and jog back to the car without so much as glancing back.
“Holy shit, did you see that?” Gage’s wide-eyed gaze is fixed on the low, lightless sign.
I nod, shutting the door. “The damn rainstorms here are crazy sometimes.” I play it off the best I can, but holy crap, this is bad.
“Fuck the lightning.” Nina stares at me worriedly. “What happened with him?”
I shrug, sinking lower into the seat, forcing myself to stay composed and refusing to look over at the mysterious stranger. No more losing control. “Nothing, other than what I thought would.”
“Sky …” Nina says with pity.
“Can we just go?” I beg as I buckle my seatbelt. “It’s our last night to hang out together, and I’d rather do something fun than obsess about that asshole. Plus, the storm’s getting pretty intense.”
As if responding to my words, the wind kicks up, sending leaves scurrying through the air.
Nina glances up at the greying sky then drives forward onto the street.
