See Me by Nicholas Sparks

When he raised an eyebrow, she shrugged. “All right. So maybe I was a
little
scared when you walked up.”
    “Makes sense. It was late and you were in the middle of nowhere. That’s one of the reasons I stopped.”
    “What was the other reason?”
    “You were a girl.”
    “And you think all girls need help changing a tire?”
    “Not all girls. But my sisters and my mom would have needed help. And I didn’t get the sense that you were having a lot of fun.”
    She nodded. “Thank you again.”
    “You already said that.”
    “I know. But it deserved to be said a second time.”
    “Okay.”
    “Just ‘okay’?” The corners of her mouth turned up.
    “It’s my go-to phrase when someone makes a statement instead of asking a question.”
    She wrinkled her forehead. “I suppose that makes sense.”
    “Okay,” he said, and despite herself, she laughed, finally beginning to relax.
    “Do you like bartending?” she asked.
    “It’s all right,” he answered. “It pays the bills while I’m in school, I can pretty much pick my schedule, and the tips are good. But I hope I’m not forced to make it a career. There’s more I want to do with my life.”
    “Serena said you want to be a teacher.”
    “I do,” he agreed. “Where did she go, by the way?”
    “She met up with some friends. They’ll troll the bars for a while and listen to music, then probably head off to a party or whatever.”
    “Why didn’t you join them?”
    “I’m a little old for college parties, don’t you think?”
    “I don’t know. How old are you?”
    “Twenty-eight.”
    “I’m twenty-eight and I’m still in college.”
    Yeah
, she thought,
I know
. “And you go to college parties?”
    “No,” he conceded, “but it’s not because I think I’m too old. I just don’t go to parties. Bars, either.”
    “But you work at a bar.”
    “That’s different.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I work there. And even if I didn’t, it’s not the kind of bar where I’d end up getting in trouble, since it’s really more of a restaurant.”
    “You get in trouble at bars?”
    “I used to,” he said. “Not anymore.”
    “But you just said you don’t go.”
    “That’s why I don’t get into trouble.”
    “How about clubs?”
    He shrugged. “Depends on the club and who I’m with. Usually, no. Every now and then, yes.”
    “Because you get into trouble there, too?”
    “I have in the past.”
    She puzzled over his answer before finally turning toward the horizon again. The moon glowed against the backdrop of a sky that was beginning its slow progression from gray to black. Colin followed her gaze, neither of them speaking for a moment.
    “What kind of trouble?” she finally asked.
    He lifted the tip of his reel, jerking the line, before answering. “Fights,” he said.
    For a moment, she wasn’t sure she’d heard him right. “You used to fight in bars?”
    “Up until a few years ago, I used to fight in bars all the time.”
    “Why would you get into fights?”
    “Guys usually go to bars for four reasons: to get drunk, to hang with friends, to pick up girls, or to fight. I would show up for all four.”
    “You wanted to fight?”
    “Usually.”
    “How many times?”
    “I’m not sure I understand the question.”
    “How many times did you get into fights?”
    “I can’t remember exactly. Probably over a hundred.”
    She blinked. “You were in over a hundred bar fights?”
    “Yes.”
    She wasn’t sure what to say. “Why are you telling me this?”
    “Because you asked.”
    “And you answer everything that people ask you?”
    “Not everything.”
    “But you think telling me about something like this is okay?”
    “Yes.”
    “Why?”
    “I’m guessing you’re a lawyer, right?”
    She inhaled, thrown by the sudden change in subject. “Did Serena tell you that?”
    “No.”
    “Then how did you know I was a lawyer?”
    “I didn’t know. I thought it was a possibility because you ask a lot of questions. Most