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“Your car is basically pooched, but I told them to go ahead and fix it. I’ll pay for the repairs. It’s going to be at least a week.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that!”
“Yes, I do. If I ever want you out of here, I do.” Those orange monstrosities, which are more poo-brown now, are taunting me with their grime, I swear. “I think we had better go shopping to get you some new shoes. And some clothes.”
“Oh, well, is the car here? I could get my bag and phone out of it. That would be great.”
“Yeah, that’s right. I should have thought of that.”
She reaches out andpatsmy hand, sending a shower of sparks racing up my arm. “You were too intent on getting rid of me to think about the necessities. It’s alright. As long as we don’t come to town again, I can just wear your clothes.”
Christ. My dick is suddenly hard as a rod in my jeans. Not cool, not in public, not in anywhere. I have no idea why the thought of her wearing my clothes is…umm…hot?
“No. No, we should definitely go and get your stuff. Do you need your bag and phone?”
She thinks about it for a few seconds before answering, “I don’t know. Maybe it’s better that my phone stays off. My parents know where I am. They know I’m safe. They probably think this is the best-case scenario. Like your grandma and mom, they’re hoping we do the most cliched thing and go from people who don’t even like each other to discovering that we’re surprisingly chemically compatible, to friends with benefits, to wanting to get married.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just saying. I don’t need to hear it from them. I want to make my own decision.”
“I’m not going to marry you just so your grandparents don’t disown your parents.”
“And I’m not going to marryyousoyourgrandparents don’t disownyourparents. Or so they don’t buy the land right next to yours and spy on you and drive you crazy.”
My own assholish-ness sounds so much worse when it’s being parroted back at me. “Is there anything you can’t replace?”
“No. I packed in two minutes and got the heck out of there. I ended up grabbing stupid stuff, but you don’t have to take me shopping.”
“You’re right. I’m not going to.” I whip out one of my credit cards. “You’re going to take yourself while I get a coffee. And for the love of chickens, get yourself some decent shoes. Those things need to be exorcised and burned.”
She wiggles her toes in the monstrous muddy flip-flops. “Duh! Never!”
“You had best keep them hidden away then. If I see them again after today, they’re going on the bonfire or getting fed to Herman Merman.”
“Hmph.” She scoffs but accepts my credit card. “Do I have a limit?”
“Just get enough that you don’t have to wear my clothes.”
“Should I order a spare bed for your house too? So you don’t have to sleep in the barn?”
“Maybe I was being dramatic.” I give a caveman-like shrug. I clearly woke up on the wrong side of the hay pile this morning, while Nina looks as shiny and undaunted as ever. Breakfast clearly didn’t disagree withher. “I can sleep on the couch.” Even if knowing Little Miss Rainbow Farts and Sunshine Smiles is in my bed and the weird pinch in my chest that gives me, it’s probably something archaic making a comeback. The start of a summer cold. Or indigestion from sheep cheese. Kidding. Sheep cheese is great for the belly.
“Alright then. I’ll buy just enough to get me through the week and meet you back at whatever coffee shop you want. I’m assuming the main street in this place is all there is?”
Shit. I didn’t think there wouldn’t be a clothing store here. “I think there are a few stores on the other side of the streets too. Surrounding us.”
“That’s perfect.” She gives me a thumbs up, which is even more annoying in real life than it is when someone gives it to you as an emoji. Go freaking figure. But even worse than that? Everything under the sun seems to be revolving around seven days. The car, my family’s threats… If I weren’t already annoyed about everything that’s gone on in the past few months, I’d find myself getting ready to be annoyed at this very moment. As it is, it’s just more poo on the big dung pile of annoyance.
“I’ll be at the coffee shop right—”
“There.” She points. “It’s super cute! Can I get a hot chocolate after?”
Of course she’d ask for hot chocolate. Not real coffee, like an actual grown-up. She wants something happy and sugary. “Only if they have the unicorn hot chocolate.”
“Oh my god, is that a thing?” she asks excitedly. I dearly hope it’s not. “Okay, well, I’ll see you in an hour?”
“An hour? It’s going to take that long?”
