AllFreeNovel
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“Aren’t you full of questions?” He scratches his neck again, clearly uncomfortable. “I love red meat, but I prefer homemade burgers. I don’t know why. Probably had too many kids’ meals when I was younger. They make me ill.”
Sure, makes sense. I knock my head toward the parking lot. “C’mon, I think I parked near you guys. A few cars were in the lot with Michigan tags, but only one had Grand Rapids High School magnets on the bumper.”
“What can I say? Mom’s proud.”
“She should be. You’re playing baseball at the collegiate level. That’s a big deal.” Devin shrinks in stature. The cocky boy is humble?Curious.“This is me.”
“An Audi A5.” Devin whistles. “Convertible, no less.”
Pointing my index finger at him, I step off the curb and touch the driver’s side handle to unlock the car. “Don’t start.”
“What? All I said was Audi convertible.”
“It was your tone and the whistle. We just got on the right foot.”
Devin chuckles. “I was only admiring it. This is a slick car and really cool for us to drive across the country.”
“Not it.Her.” I pop the trunk. “Snowball, to be exact.”
“Of course you named it.” He nods, humoring me. “And how exactly do you know Snowball’s a girl?”
Despite my best effort, I giggle. “Because she’s got headlights, obviously.”
“Nice try.” A full-blown smile graces his face for the first time, and the effect makes him younger, softer, like he was holding the world in his facial muscles. All he needed was a smile to release the pressure. “So, you going to let me behind the wheel?”
“Depends on if you remain on my good side, and I can trust you to not kill us.”
“I happen to be an excellent driver.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
He circles the car in the way guys do. I half expect him to kick the tires. “Looks new.”
“She’s actually a 2020. My dad just likes detailing our vehicles.” Devin smirks as I move around to the back. “My parents bought her as a combo eighteenth birthday/graduation gift so I could have something to drive at Berkeley. Snowball’s my first car.”
“Fifty grand for a first car. You must have made the honor roll.”
I lift my chin. “All four years.”
It’s not like I’m not used to people pointing out my privilege. My parents have carved out an amazing life for a couple who fell in love as teens. On top of the dance career she had in NYC before me, Mom owns a growing and successful dance academy, and Dad heads up the creative team at Burton, designing snowboards and equipment for some of the top winter athletes in the world. Plus, there was the settlement from the TWA crash and insurance policies. Financial privilege with a lot of suffering. Our family would trade every dime for my grandparents in a heartbeat.
“All four years, huh? Smart and beautiful. Lucky me.”
Cocky and gorgeous. Kill me now.
Moving three vehicles down to his mom’s car, Devin hits the key fob, popping the trunk, and wrestles a monstrosity of a suitcase out.
As he hauls the luggage over, I say, “I think I could fit into that thing.”
Setting the suitcase down with a thud, he shoots me a grin. “I’ll keep that in mind the next time you pull an attitude.”
If I didn’t trust Willa, I’d be nervous right now. Instead, I stick out my tongue.
I’m head first in my trunk, making room for his luggage, when his chuckle at my back has me jolting.
“Nice view.”
I knock my head on the trunk’s lid. “Seriously, Devin.” I massage the ache on my skull, glaring.
