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“Want a ride?” he asks.
My breath catches. He is really offering to give me a ride home? I glance both ways down the empty road. Freddie is nowhere in sight. He’d never know.
Except he would. Freddie’d see Ryan being friendly with me and would get mad. Even if there is no reason to be upset.
“I only live three blocks away,” I say, staring at the sidewalk and cursing Freddie’s name.
Ryan lifts a shoulder. He tips up the other side of his mouth, flashing perfectly straight, white teeth. “That’s all right. I’ll drive you anyway.”
Even I, a fifteen-year-old with zero boy experience, know this is my chance. If I want even a sliver of hope of having any sort of relationship with Ryan, it is now or never.
I open my mouth to say yes. But what comes out is, “That’s okay. I’ll just walk.”
Ryan’s grin wavers and his brows scrunch together. “Are you sure?”
Tears spring to my eyes and I nod, thankful he is too far away to notice. “Thank you anyway.” I force a smile and bite my tongue to keep from sobbing in front of him.
Ryan straightens and nods, all happiness gone from his face. He shifts into gear and speeds away, his engine announcing his displeasure to the world.
When his car turns and disappeared out of sight, I press my eyes closed and curse Freddie eleven ways, sideways, and upside down.
One day.
ONE DAY with Ryan and I am already head-over-heels in love with him.
Now he hates me.
I will never forgive my brother for this.
Chapter 4
Second Canches
Carrie
Whenwepullintothe mechanic’s shop, the brick building is dark, aside from one window above the office, on the second floor.
As I look around, my brows furrow and I bite my lip. “It doesn’t look like anyone’s working today. Are they going to be okay with us leaving a random car in their lot? They’re not going to call you in the middle of the night and ask you to tow it again, are they?”
“I’m sure the owner won’t mind,” Ryan says. “I leave stuff here all the time.” He has a glimmer in his eye, but I can’t place why.
He backs my car right up to one of the rolling bay doors and unhitches it from the tow truck. While he’s unhitching it, another deluge of rain hits, soaking him to the core again. I gnaw at my fingernails and try to ignore the pit in my stomach. I hate that Ryan is out there in that miserable weather for me. Yeah. This is his job, but I’m sitting in a warm, dry cab watching him get the brunt of Mother Nature on my behalf.
When he stands, his shirt clings to his chest like a second skin. It puts his muscles on full display, it takes me back to the first time I saw him more than ten years ago at that lake.
Ryan knocks on the tow truck window, jerking me out of my memories. I blink up at him and he flashes those perfect white teeth of his.
“All done.” He opens my door and holds out his hand to me. “C’mon. I need to go inside for a minute to fill out some paperwork.”
“You can do that?” I ask.
He holds up his keychain and rattles the keys, making them jingle. “I’ve got keys to the front door. I think I’m allowed.”
I take his hand and prepare to jump out of the truck and run toward the door when he holds up his hand. “Wait a sec.” Then he runs around to his side of the truck and pulls the umbrella out again. When he’s back at my side, the umbrella is up. He wipes the grime from his free hand on his wet pants, then offers me his hand again. “Now you can come out.”
I take his hand and hop out of the truck. His grip is warm and wet, his hand calloused from his job, and some residual dirt still darkens his skin. But he’s gentle when he helps me out, and he squeezes my hand slightly when I exit, causing my stomach to flip flop.
When my feet are on the cement, he lets go and I’m instantly cold, wanting to reach out for him again. Stop it, Carrie! You just lost your dad. You’re supposed to be mourning him. You’re already in a kerfuffle over this guy? Get a grip, girl.
