his pierced eyebrow to me, indicating he had similar concerns about the safety of her driving off.
“Hey, Ils,” I said, stepping towards her, a bit in between her and her car and blocking her escape, “I think we need to take your car into to Brannon’s shop. It isn’t running terribly well at the moment.”
She frowned, looking suddenly frantic, and shook her head quickly. “It’ll be fine, Cody. You don’t have to do that. I’ll take it to a shop when I’m off on Monday.”
“It’s not a problem,” Brannon said. “Cody could give you a ride home tonight, and we’ll take a look tomorrow.”
“No,” she said quickly. “I mean, then I won’t have a car at all, and I have to work tomorrow.”
“Ils, I’ll just give you a ride,” I said, feeling a little despondent at how panicked that suddenly made her. She didn’t respond, just bit her lip looking incredibly nervous. Practically hyperventilating. “Or Brannon and Sophie could, I guess, since you seem to want me around like the plague these days.”
Both Brannon and Sophie gave me strange looks, not so much at me offering their help, but rather how I ended that offer. I sounded like a complete loser, but, since the night in the mountains, my pride had really taken a hit at her hands. I knew there was something driving her need to stay away from me, something that didn’t really have anything to do with me, but it still kinda felt shitty that she got so desperate at the thought of being around me.
“It’s not that,” she replied. “It’s just… I, well… I have to work tomorrow, and it’s so late. I hate to think of you guys driving back and forth in the dark. Especially with the bars having just closed and drunks being out on the road.” She was sort of babbling, spouting out excuses as fast as she could think of them, from the sound of it.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Well, that just makes me feel worse about letting you take this car doing what it’s doing.”
She snapped her mouth shut, and I could almost see the wheels turning in that pretty little head of hers. Her mind anxiously spinning through possible options that might take her away from me.
“How about you just take my truck?” I finally said. “You can just use it until we've got your car figured out.”
“Won’t you need it?” she asked in response.
I shook my head. “I've got my bike, remember?”
Her cheeks flushed, visible even in the shadows of the lot. Yep, she remembered. She’d been on my bike with her arms wrapped around my waist and her body pressed tightly against me. Then she’d rocked my world in the mountains before we’d come back down to earth.
Oh yeah , she remembered.
Brannon helped my case, turning to me to offer his assistance. “Soph and I will follow you to the shop and give you a ride back to the house, if you want.”
“And I’ll make them listen to K-pop,” Sophie grinned at Ilsa who offered her a weak smile in reply.
“Or I could walk home from the shop and avoid the K-pop,” I groaned at the thought of being trapped in the Cougar with whatever-that-was blaring through the speakers. “It’s a nice night out.”
“Whatever,” Sophie said with a roll of her eyes. “At any rate, you don’t have to worry, Ilsa. We’re happy to help out.”
I looked back over at Ilsa who still seemed unsure, but, after a moment, she finally dropped her head in defeat and agreed.
The next morning, up way earlier than usual after a later-than-usual Saturday night, I was in Brannon’s shop working on Ilsa’s car.
There was no doubt in my mind that the alternator was fucked, which really blew, but mostly because of the expense. Replacing it would take no time, but her make and model of car required an alternator that had pretty high amperage, and the part itself was looking like it would be a couple hundred dollars if we got it locally.
Brannon had been in early as well, perusing online parts places trying to find a cheaper
“Hey, Ils,” I said, stepping towards her, a bit in between her and her car and blocking her escape, “I think we need to take your car into to Brannon’s shop. It isn’t running terribly well at the moment.”
She frowned, looking suddenly frantic, and shook her head quickly. “It’ll be fine, Cody. You don’t have to do that. I’ll take it to a shop when I’m off on Monday.”
“It’s not a problem,” Brannon said. “Cody could give you a ride home tonight, and we’ll take a look tomorrow.”
“No,” she said quickly. “I mean, then I won’t have a car at all, and I have to work tomorrow.”
“Ils, I’ll just give you a ride,” I said, feeling a little despondent at how panicked that suddenly made her. She didn’t respond, just bit her lip looking incredibly nervous. Practically hyperventilating. “Or Brannon and Sophie could, I guess, since you seem to want me around like the plague these days.”
Both Brannon and Sophie gave me strange looks, not so much at me offering their help, but rather how I ended that offer. I sounded like a complete loser, but, since the night in the mountains, my pride had really taken a hit at her hands. I knew there was something driving her need to stay away from me, something that didn’t really have anything to do with me, but it still kinda felt shitty that she got so desperate at the thought of being around me.
“It’s not that,” she replied. “It’s just… I, well… I have to work tomorrow, and it’s so late. I hate to think of you guys driving back and forth in the dark. Especially with the bars having just closed and drunks being out on the road.” She was sort of babbling, spouting out excuses as fast as she could think of them, from the sound of it.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Well, that just makes me feel worse about letting you take this car doing what it’s doing.”
She snapped her mouth shut, and I could almost see the wheels turning in that pretty little head of hers. Her mind anxiously spinning through possible options that might take her away from me.
“How about you just take my truck?” I finally said. “You can just use it until we've got your car figured out.”
“Won’t you need it?” she asked in response.
I shook my head. “I've got my bike, remember?”
Her cheeks flushed, visible even in the shadows of the lot. Yep, she remembered. She’d been on my bike with her arms wrapped around my waist and her body pressed tightly against me. Then she’d rocked my world in the mountains before we’d come back down to earth.
Oh yeah , she remembered.
Brannon helped my case, turning to me to offer his assistance. “Soph and I will follow you to the shop and give you a ride back to the house, if you want.”
“And I’ll make them listen to K-pop,” Sophie grinned at Ilsa who offered her a weak smile in reply.
“Or I could walk home from the shop and avoid the K-pop,” I groaned at the thought of being trapped in the Cougar with whatever-that-was blaring through the speakers. “It’s a nice night out.”
“Whatever,” Sophie said with a roll of her eyes. “At any rate, you don’t have to worry, Ilsa. We’re happy to help out.”
I looked back over at Ilsa who still seemed unsure, but, after a moment, she finally dropped her head in defeat and agreed.
The next morning, up way earlier than usual after a later-than-usual Saturday night, I was in Brannon’s shop working on Ilsa’s car.
There was no doubt in my mind that the alternator was fucked, which really blew, but mostly because of the expense. Replacing it would take no time, but her make and model of car required an alternator that had pretty high amperage, and the part itself was looking like it would be a couple hundred dollars if we got it locally.
Brannon had been in early as well, perusing online parts places trying to find a cheaper
Similar Books
