Chapter 7
SADIE
I’ve been back in the dorms for an hour, and it took me that long to wash the egg and flour paste off my body and hair. I’m ready to veg out in bed and watch TV when Dad calls me.
“Hello?”
“Hi, kiddo. How was your first day at training?”
“Good. We got pranked.”
“You did? How bad was it?” he asks.
“Mild compared to what I was expecting. I’m glad it’s out of the way.”
“Do you have plans for dinner? I thought I’d take you out. Any place you want.”
I could eat, but I’m not ready to spend a couple hours alone with Dad yet. I don’t know what I’d say to him. Maybe if there was someone else there to be a buffer, it’d be better.
“I’m knackered, to be honest. I was planning to go to bed early.”
“Oh, of course. And you’re still not over your jet lag, I bet.”
“Yeah, right. Not over it yet.”
“Right. Well, I got something for you.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“A car.”
“You got me a car?” My voice rises to a shrill.
“It’s nothing fancy. It’s a Toyota, a good car. It has low mileage, and I got a deal.”
He’s rambling, which is not something I remember him doing before. He must be nervous. I’d been so caught up in my awkwardness around him that I never stopped to consider that this situation must be strange for him too.
“That’s cool, Dad. When are you dropping it off?”
“As a matter of fact, I haven’t picked it up yet. But I can take you there now, and you can drive back to campus.”
Instant sweat dots my forehead. “How far is the dealership?”
“Not far at all. Fifteen minutes or so.”
I swallow the huge lump in my throat. “Do I have to take the highway?”
“Yeah. What’s the matter, honey? You have your driver’s license, right?”
God, I’m acting like a ninny.
“Yep. But…. Never mind. When can you come over?”
“I’m two minutes from your building.”
“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”
* * *
I was so nervous about the prospect of driving on my own on the highway that I barely cared about the awkwardness of being alone with Dad again in a moving vehicle. I’m glad he kept the chitchat to a minimum.
Now with key in hand and standing next to my new car, my heart is beating so fast and hard, it feels like it might burst out of my chest at any second. I’m queasy too, but I try my best to hide my nervousness from Dad.
“What do you think, Sadie?” he asks me, not hiding his satisfied grin.
“It’s lovely.” I clutch the key tighter in my hand.
“We’re all set here. You can follow me back to campus.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Getting lost in LA is not my idea of fun times.”
He nods and then walks toward his car. I slide behind the steering wheel, trying my best to keep my body from shaking. While I wait for Dad, I glance over the dashboard to learn where everything is. Then I fix the side mirrors and adjust the seat.
A minute later, Dad pulls up next to me and nods.
All right, then. Here we go.
My hands are sweaty from holding the steering wheel too hard, and when we enter the highway, my stomach is twisted so tightly it hurts.
I thought following Dad would be the best idea, but I quickly realize that making sure I don’t lose him in the heavy traffic while trying to avoid a car wreck is stressing me the fuck out.
I freak out for a second when I lose visual of Dad’s car, and I almost end up colliding with the dickhead who cut me up. I should have honked, but pressing on the brakes seemed more important. When I finally manage to switch to a faster-moving lane, I can’t find Dad’s car anywhere.
Shit. Did he take an exit?
I should have kept my phone handy so I could call him. There’s nothing for it now. I have to get off the highway, grab my phone, and use Google maps to find my way back to campus. The international roaming fee is going to be murder, but this is an emergency.
My phone rings. It must be him wondering where I am.
The next exit leads me to an industrial area where most of the buildings are warehouses. There’s less traffic here, which helps with my nerves. I turn toward the commercial building that has a parking lot and stop in front of an old car repair shop.
I’m just about to fish out my phone from my purse when the last person I expect to see here walks out of the building: Danny Hudson. He must have brought his car to get fixed.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I mumble to myself.
He doesn’t see me as he walks right next to my car. Instead, he veers toward the street.
Wait. How is he getting back to campus?
Before I can overthink it, I get out of the car and call his name.
He stops and looks over his shoulder, eyes going wider as he sees me there. “What are you doing here?”
“I got lost,” I reply as I walk over.
Don’t know why I feel the need to move closer to him. It’s like he’s the sun or something and I’m a cold planet in need of his warmth.
For fuck’s sake, Sadie. What kind of rubbish are you thinking?
“You got lost,” he repeats as if he doesn’t believe me. “So, are you saying Andy didn’t tell you I’d be here?”
I squint. “Who’s Andy?”
He shakes his head. “Never mind.”
“Anyway, I assume you dropped off your car to get it fixed?”
“Yep.”
He shoves his hands in his jeans pockets, pushing the waistband lower and revealing a strip of golden skin. I want to be able to say my eyes didn’t linger there for a second too long, but I’d be lying.
“How are you getting back to campus?” I ask after I force my eyes to look up again.
“The bus.”
“God. Aren’t they bloody awful here?”
“They aren’t that bad.”
“Well, I can take you back. I pulled over to pull up Google maps, but having you to give me directions would be easier.”
He seems unsure for a hot second.
Damn, did I make such a terrible first impression that he doesn’t even want to accept a lift from me?
“I suppose you owe me a ride back home.” He cracks a tiny smile.
I’ll take that.
As we walk back to my car, I ask, “Why were you taking the bus anyway? Couldn’t find a friend to give you a lift?”
“I need my car fixed ASAP, and everyone was busy today.”
God, way to make me feel even guiltier. Though to be fair, I don’t think he’s doing it on purpose.
Distracted by his presence, I once again veer for the wrong side of the car
“Oh, do you want me to drive?” he asks.
I pull my hand from the door handle with a jerky movement. “Bollocks. I keep doing this.”
Pure amusement dances in his blue eyes now. “ Should I drive? I mean, you don’t have the best track record.”
A part of me wants to take him up on his offer, but hell, I’m too proud to let a dude drive my car because I’m afraid.
“Ha ha. Very funny.”
I circle around the car and pretend I’m not a bundle of nerves inside.
It’s much harder than I thought though. I didn’t count on Danny taking so much space inside the vehicle.
It’s not because of his size—the car is roomy.
It’s his presence that seems to take over everything.
He doesn’t make it any easier when I can sense his eyes on me.
“What?” I whip my face to his.
“I was wondering if you know how to start the car.” The upturn of his lips tells me he’s teasing me.
“I’m beginning to regret offering you a lift,” I mutter as I turn on the ignition.
“I’m not.” He laughs.
My phone rings again, and I finally remember Dad. Shit. Where’s my purse now?
Danny leans forward and then lifts the accessory from the floor. “Are you looking for this?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
The ringing stops. It was indeed Dad calling. Not willing to disclose my father is Danny’s coach, I text him instead of calling back. Then I shove my phone back in my purse and toss it to the back seat.
“Is everything okay?” he asks.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”
He snickers. “You seem awfully tense.”
I clench my jaw and swallow the retort on the tip of my tongue. His mocking comments are better than the angry ones I received when we met. I was never one to care much about what strangers thought about me, and yet I don’t want Danny Hudson to think I’m a bitch.
Ignoring him is hard, but if I can keep my cool during a penalty kick that will decide a championship game, I can drive with him by my side.
Mercifully, he doesn’t tease me any more after and only opens his mouth to give me directions. When he’s not being a pain in the arse on purpose, he has a calming effect. A few minutes into the drive is all it takes for my anxiety to melt away.
“Did the mechanic give you a quote for the repairs?” I ask.
“Yeah. Five hundred should cover it.”
Not too bad. I thought it would cost more.
“Hey, I can give you cash right now.”
“You carry that much money on you?”
“Well, I don’t have it with me. It’s in my dorm room, you know, left over from my trip.”
“No, I don’t know.”
He sounds prickly all of a sudden, so I chance a quick glance at him. He’s looking out the window with his jaw locked tight.
Did I say something wrong?
“Anyway, if you have time, we can make a pit stop at my place and I’ll pay you.”
“Sounds good.”
Does it though? How come I have the impression he’s angry at me again?