Chapter Fifteen
Al
“So.” Lai finally broke the silence as we stood on the curb, his hands buried in his pockets. “How exactly do you fuck a car?”
So we had to play it safe.
“I’m not having a crack at you; it’s a valid question,” Lai continued, entirely unbothered by my unfathomable levels of exhaustion. “There are mechanics involved. Angles. Accessibility. I’m thinking long-term here.”
“I hate you,” I muttered, opening the driver’s door of the Lexus and sliding in.
“Liar.”
I sighed; as exhausting as Lai was, I did owe him for today.
He’d stuck with me through nine different car yards, which was more energy than he’d typically waste on me; he’d cared about this, in his own strange way.
“It depends,” I said after a beat, because apparently I had lost all sense of self-preservation. “On how alive your car is.”
That shut him up for about three seconds. I leaned back in my seat, considering how I wanted to word my thoughts.
Cars didn’t feel the same since meeting Fox.
Before, a car was just a vehicle, a way to get from point A to point B.
A soulless hunk of metal, no matter how much personality I attached to it.
But now, I saw sparks of personality in all of them.
I squeezed the wheel of the Lexus; she was alive too, cool and calm and level-headed, ignoring me pushing down too sharply on the accelerator, instead climbing steadily up to speed at her own pace.
I could feel her parental disapproval, and I felt compelled to apologize, easing off the gas.
Lai shifted beside me, and I knew that he felt it too. He was looking at the interior of the Lexus for the very first time, careful with how he clipped in his seatbelt and relaxing as she gave a pleased little purr in response.
“Still thinking about that Dodge?” I asked quietly.
Lai didn’t answer immediately, and then he nodded.
“It’s weird,” he admitted. “When I touched him, I felt…” He trailed off, searching for words that could make any of this make sense. “Do you remember that day we broke up? When you told me it was over?”
I stilled.
“You told me that you had to do the right thing,” Lai continued, his voice soft. “That kids were involved now. You said we couldn’t keep doing what we were doing, because it wasn’t fair to them.”
I did remember. Too well. Lai and I had both known we would never have a healthy relationship, no matter how hard we tried.
We were just too toxic. The breakup had been hellish, but it needed to happen.
Without me holding him back, Lai had finally found someone who loved him unconditionally.
Finch had healed him; they were good together.
“I remember how horrible it felt,” Lai continued.
“The pain of ripping something away, even though we both knew it was necessary.” He let out a small breath.
“Would I sound insane if I said I felt that same pain coming from a car? Like someone had hurt him terribly, had ripped away something he thought would be forever?”
“No,” I assured Lai, because I knew exactly what he meant.
“That car just needs someone to love him,” Lai sighed. “I could love him. Do you think I should talk to Finch before buying him?”
“Probably. But you know, if that Challenger is anything like Fox, he’s not going to let you crash him in a supermarket parking lot.” I grinned at Lai to lighten the mood. “You could convince Finch that this car is finally gonna teach you how to drive.”
Lai punched me in the ribs. Not hard, something playful really, but it still stung enough to make me wince.
I laughed despite myself.
We fell into a quieter rhythm after that, the city sliding past the windows in streaks of light.
“So, I guess we are doing what Fox planned. Waiting till both of them get auctioned off,” I offered, breaking the silence.
Lai nodded, staring out at the passing streetlights, a smile lingering at the corner of his mouth. “That’s going to be so…”
“Expensive,” I finished for him.
***
My court date came faster than I expected.
Lai handled it. I didn’t ask how. I didn’t want to know. The judge barely looked at me when he delivered the sentence: the seizure of Fox was reinforced, and I was given ten hours of community service.
Ten. That was it. No lecture, no drawn-out speech about consequences, not even the usual disappointed sigh. Just paperwork and dismissal. The courtroom murmured, low and disapproving, like they all knew something wasn’t right about how easy that had been.
I turned slightly as I stepped away from the bench, catching sight of Lai in the public gallery, his hands folded neatly over his cane, his expression calm.
His eyes never left the judge.
You know what? I was going to take the win.
I wasn’t stupid enough to question it. Yes, it meant I owed Lai.
More than I realized, I’m sure. Lai collected favors like casino chips, and one day, he was going to cash them all in at once.
I didn’t know how or when, but that was a problem for future me to sweat over.
“So,” Lai said, falling into step beside me as we exited onto the courthouse steps. “That was painless.”
“Too painless,” I admitted, adjusting my jacket. “I don’t like it.”
“What?” He scoffed. “Was losing Fox and ten hours not punishment enough? Do you want me to go back and talk to the judge again?”
I rolled my eyes and kept walking.
“Hey!’ Lai called out, following after me, exaggerating his limp and cursing with pain I was sure he was faking just to make me look like an asshole. “Where are you off to now?”
I stopped. The question stung, because I knew exactly where I wanted to go.
Back to the lot.
Back to Fox.
“I—”
“You promised him,” Lai cut in smoothly. “You’re doing this properly. By the book.”
I hesitated.
“I’m not gonna bail you out again,” Lai added.
I smiled. It was an empty threat, and we both knew it. If I needed him, he’d come. That’s what friends did.
Lai smiled back, shaking his head. “If you are going back, just go after dark. And don’t make it a conjugal visit.”
I stared at him guiltily, my face turning red. Busted.
“Boys and their cars,” Lai scoffed, bemused. “At least don’t go empty-handed.”
The way Lai gave me whiplash would put any drift car to shame. “What do you mean?”
“You’re visiting someone,” he said slowly, like he was explaining something painfully obvious. “You bring something.”
I understood what he was getting at. Bring a fruit basket when visiting someone in the hospital. A bottle of wine for a dinner date. But what gift does one bring to their impounded car?
Lai tossed me the keys to the Lexus and pulled out his phone, googling as we dropped into the car. The screen set in the dash flicked on as I started the ignition, loading the navigation app that linked to Lai’s phone.
“Where are we going?”
Lai shot me an annoyed look, pointing to the map, and I read the address as it popped up.
AutoZone.
Of course.
Fox was still, at his core, a car. Which meant he’d appreciate car things.
***
A short drive later, we stood inside a store filled with anything a car could want.
Lai had already grabbed a basket and was heading for the first aisle.
I followed, relaxed; I knew car parts, and I liked these shops.
I could spend a couple of easy hours just wandering and idly fantasizing.
I really hoped Lai wasn’t going to ask me what Fox liked, though, because I didn’t actually know.
“What about these?” Lai called, drawing me over. I watched in horror as Lai reached for the fluffy dice and slapped his hand.
“Are you fucking crazy? He’s a Mustang, not a Miata!” I protested furiously, mortified.
“Then start showing some initiative,” Lai smirked.
He was messing with me. I glared at him and looked around, trying to imagine what I’d want if I were a car.
I walked the aisle slowly, Lai trailing behind me like a very judgmental shadow.
“His leather probably needs conditioning,” I suggested, reaching for a bottle from the detailing section.
“I mean, that’s the equivalent of bringing massage oil on a first date,” Lai said, taking it from me and dropping it into the basket anyway. “But it’s a start.” He added a stack of microfiber cloths.
I thought back on my days with Fox. He was arrogant, curious, and high-maintenance. He sulked when I even considered non-premium gasoline.
He liked speed.
He liked control.
He liked it when I took control.
He was very, very proud.
An idea had started to form.
Fox was probably uncomfortable sitting in that dusty parking lot.
When was the last time he’d had a proper detail?
I began to fill the basket with top-of-the-line care products.
Wash, glass cleaner, wax, detailing brushes that would reach into all the little crevices and tickle him in all the right ways.
I splurged for the best brands, the ones you didn’t buy unless you actually cared.
Lai watched, nodding approvingly.
“Not exactly subtle,” he commented. “Breaking into an impound lot to wash your car. But you know what? This is good. You’ve grown. You used to show up without even a condom.”
I ignored that.
“I’ll come with you,” Lai added. “Keep an eye on the guard, deal with cameras. I can buy you a couple of hours with him.”
I looked down at the basket full of stuff. Somehow, it still wasn’t enough. Maybe it would have been if Fox were just a car, but he was capable of thought and emotions. A few hours of washing wouldn’t offset days and days of boredom. “He needs something to pass the time.”
“Like a phone, or a laptop?” Lai arched a brow. “Do not get that clingy fucking car a phone. You’ll be on FaceTime with him 24/7: he’ll drain his battery and your sanity.”
I exhaled.
Lai wasn’t wrong, but I had nothing better to offer.
Lai suddenly snapped his fingers, turned on his heel, and disappeared into another aisle. When he came back, he dropped a bulk pack of AA batteries into the basket.
I frowned. “What–”
“You’ll see.”
I didn’t question it. I paid for the items, picking up two straining bags as Lai led the way back to the Lexus, tapping another address into his phone.
***
“Interesting,” I commented curiously as we stopped outside of a pawn shop. Lai just smiled and gestured for me to follow him. Inside, he moved with purpose, scanning the cluttered shelves until he found what he was looking for, waving me over to a display full of retro consoles.
“A Game Boy?” I laughed, impressed. The Nintendo Game Boys were durable, simple, and from around the same era as Fox.
It was ridiculous, and somehow perfect.
“It could be weeks,” Lai explained. “Those batteries will last him ages.” He gestured for the salesman, pointing to one, then pausing. “Actually, since this is from me, let’s get two. And a link cable.”
I glanced at him. “Still thinking about that Dodge?”
He paused, just for a second, then nodded. “Yeah.”
I looked at Lai properly this time, studying him, and smiled just a little. He had grown, too.